THE CHEESE, phr. (common).—1. Anything first-rate or highly becoming; the expression runs up and down the whole gamut of ‘cheese nomenclature’ from THE STILTON, DOUBLE GLOSTER, to THE PURE LIMBURGER. [It has been variously traced to the Anglo-Saxon ceosan, to choose; German, kiesen; French, chose; Persian, chiz; Hindu, cheez, thing. Summing up the evidence, the expression—(barring a solitary reference in the London Guide of 1818, where it is referred to a bald translation of c’est une autre chose, i.e., that is another CHEESE, subsequently coming to signify that is the real thing)—appears to have come into general vogue about 1840. This contention is borne out in some measure by a correspondent to Notes and Queries (1853, 1 S., viii., p. 89), who speaks of it as about ‘ten or twelve years old,’ a calculation which carries it back to the date when it appears to have started in literature. Yule, writing much later, says the expression was common among young Anglo-Indians, e.g., ‘my new Arab is the real chiz,’ i.e., ‘the real thing,’ a fact which points to a Persian origin.] For synonyms, see A1.
1835. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, 3 S., ch. xiv. Whatever is the go in Europe will soon be THE CHEESE here.
1837. R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Lord of Thoulouse), p. 418.
| Cries Rigmaree, rubbing her hands, ‘that will please— | |
| My “Conjuring cap”—it ’s the thing;—it ’s “THE CHEESE.”’ |
1842. Punch, vol. III., p. 33. ‘I hopes my love will excuse me if I’m not quite—quite— ‘Comme il faut, George.’ ‘I don’t mean that, love—not quite THE CHEESE.’
1860. Punch, vol. XXXIX., p. 97, Were the custom [of putting mottoes on garments, temp. Rich. II.] now revived we can conceive what stupid mottoes would be sported by the Œntish who always mock and maul the fashion of their betters:—‘I wish my gal to please: O, aint I just THE CHEESE’ would doubtless be a popular device for a new shirt front.
1863. C. READE, Hard Cash, II., 186. ‘Who ever heard [said Mrs. Dodd] of a young lady being married without something to be married in?’ ‘Well [said Edward], I’ve heard Nudity is not THE CHEESE on public occasions.
2. subs. (schools’ and university).—An adept; one who ‘takes the shine out of another’ at anything; at Cambridge an overdressed dandy is called a HOWLING CHEESE. [An extended usage based on sense 1.]
1864. Eton School Days. ‘Do you know Homer, Purefoy?’ asked Chudleigh. ‘No, I have not looked at the lesson yet.’ ‘I am sure I don’t know why you ever do; you are such a CHEESE. I want you to give me a construe.’
HARD CHEESE, phr. (common).—What is barely endurable; hard lines; bad luck.
TIP-CHEESE.—Probably the same as TIP-CAT (q.v.).
1836. DICKENS, Pickwick Papers, p. 282 (ed. 1857). All is gloom and silence in the house; even the voice of the child is hushed; his infant sports are disregarded when his mother weeps; his ‘alley tors’ and his ‘commoneys’ are alike neglected; he forgets the long familiar cry of ‘knuckle down,’ and at TIP-CHEESE, or odd and even, his hand is out.
CHEESE IT! phr. (thieves’).—Leave off! Have done! Be off! [Thought to be a corruption of ‘cease it!’] For synonyms, see STOW IT!
1811. GROSE and CLARKE, Lexicon Balatronicum. CHEESE IT, the coves are fly; be silent, the people understand our discourse.
1859. G. A. SALA, Gaslight and Daylight, ch. xxviii. Two or three ‘hallos!’ and ‘now thens!’ accompanied by a strong recommendation to CHEESE IT (i.e., act of cessation), causes these trifling annoyances to cease.
1864. Times, 7 December. He shouted ‘Murder!’ as well as he could, and the cries he made bringing assistance, he heard one of the men just before they let go of him call out ‘CHEESE IT, CHEESE IT,’ which a policeman said meant make off.
1871. London Figaro, May 13, p. 3, col. 3. ‘CHEESE THAT,’ cried Bill. ‘The genelman’s agoin’ to read, and I am agoin’ to listen.’
