or covey, cofe, cuffing, and, in the feminine, covess, subs. (general).—1. A person; a companion. [Some derive COVE from the Gypsy cova, covo = that man, covi = that woman; Cova, says Pott (quoted in Annandale), has a far wider application than the Latin res; there is no expression more frequent in a gypsy’s mouth. Others connect it with the north country coof; a lout or dolt.] COVE enters into many combinations: e.g.,
| CROSS-COVE | = a robber. | |
| FLASH-COVE | = a thief or swindler. | |
| KINCHIN-COVE | = a little man. | |
| FLOGGING-COVE | = a beadle. | |
| SMACKING-COVE | = a coachman. | |
| NARRY-COVE | = a drunkard. | |
| TOPPING-COVE | = a highwayman. | |
| ABRAM-COVE | = a beggar. | |
| QUEER-COVE | = a rogue. | |
| NUBBING-COVE | = the hangman. | |
| GENTRY-COVE | = a gentleman. | |
| DOWNY-COVE | = shrewd man. | |
| RUM-COVE | = a doubtful character. | |
| NIB-COVE | = a gentleman, |
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Boy; chap; cull; cully; customer; kiduy; homo or omee; fish; put; bloke; gloak; party; cuss; codger; buffer; gaffer; damber; duck; chip.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Bête à pain (popular: literally a bread-eater; also a man who ‘keeps’ a woman); un bonhomme (familiar); un type (prostitutes’ = a dupe); un gonce, gonse or gonze, and une gonzesse (thieves’); un goncier (thieves’); un gonsalé (thieves’); un gadouille; un nière or niert; un pante (thieves’: from pantin, a puppet); un mastic (thieves’: properly cement or putty); une mazette (military); une mecque (thieves’); un marquant (thieves’: especially applied to bullies or Sunday-men); un marpaut or marpeau (old cant); un lancier (thieves’); un lascar (thieves’); un messier or messière (thieves’: from mézière, a fool); un orgue (thieves’); un gas (thieves’); un gosselin (popular = Eng. covey; une fignolé gosseline = a ‘natty piece’); un gniasse (thieves’); un loncegue (thieves’).
GERMAN SYNONYMS. Baal (perhaps one of the most comprehensive terms in the Gaunersprache, and signifying not only a ‘cove’ [i.e., an individual], but also a master, husband, possessor, artist, expert, artisan—in fact, one owning or capable of anything. Combinations are Balbajis, Balbos [fem. Balboste, Balboōste) = master of the house; Baldower = a principal or leader of a gang, an adviser, the creater of opportunities, the spy; Baleze, Baleize = an adviser, also a chief of police; Balhoche [from Baal and hocho (there)], prostitutes’ = ‘one in possession’ but removeable; Balhoche (thieves’) = one with an opportunity of theft; Balhei is merely the abbreviation of Baalhe or hei; Balmassematten [masso umattan], the business man, the leader of a gang; Balmelocho, the artisan; Balmetochestift, the artisan’s apprentice; Balplete, Balpleite, the runaway; Balschochad, any official who takes bribes; Batspiess = a common lodging-house; Balm, Balmach, Balmachan, Palm, Palmer, Palmach, Pallmack, Pallmagen = a soldier; the Hanov. has Palemachome [Palemachen, Pallemacher]; Balverschmai = an inquisitor or judge); Brooker (Hanoverian = one in trousers, from the North German Broek or Bracca, trousers); Gatscho (from the Gypsy gaxo); Isch (from the Hebrew isch).
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat. COFE: a person.
1609. DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight, in wks. (GROSART) III., 196. The word COUE, or COFE, or CUFFIN, signifies a Man, a Fellow, &c.
1654. Witt’s Recreations.
| As priest of the game, | |
| And prelate of the same, | |
| There’s a gentry COVE here. |
1714. Memoirs of John Hall (4 ed.), p. 12, s.v.
1837. DICKENS, Oliver Twist, ch. x. ‘Do you see that old COVE at the bookstall?’
1849. C. KINGSLEY, Alton Locke, ch. ii. [a misquotation of a far older song.]
| ‘The ministers talk a great deal about port, | |
| And they makes Cape wine very dear, | |
| But blow their hi’s if ever they tries | |
| To deprive a poor COVE of his beer.’ |
1871. Figaro, 15 April. We need hardly say that the COVE in question is not a man.
[For examples of the use of COVEY and COVESS, see same.]
2. (up-country Australian).—The master, ‘boss,’ or ‘gaffer’ of a sheep station.
COVE OF DOSSING-KEN, subs. phr. (thieves’).—The landlord of a common lodging-house. Fr., marchand de sommeil.
