the coxcomb

• Posted by mgr on September 5th, 2008 filed in Dandy-Typen, KULTURELLES, Zeitdokumente
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definition: An empty-headed, vain person. The ancient licensed jesters were so called because they wore a cock’s comb in their caps.

“Coxcombs, an ever empty race,
Are trumpets of their own disgrace.”

source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898)

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Coxcomb

“He is a conceited coxcomb.”

The fool, in the early drama, was frequently dressed in a motley or arty-coloured coat, and each leg clad in different coloured hose. A sort of hood covered his head, resembling a monk’s cowl: this was afterwards changed for a cap, each being usually surmounted with the neck and head of a cock, or sometimes only the crest, or comb; hence was derived the term Coxcomb.

Quoted from: William Pulleyn: The Etymological Compendium, Or, Portfolio of Origins and Inventions. London: 1830.

definition: An empty-headed, vain person. The ancient licensed jesters were so called because they wore a cock’s comb in their caps.

“Coxcombs, an ever empty race,
Are trumpets of their own disgrace.”

source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898)

________

Mrs. Jenny Distaff, half-sister to Mr. Bickerstaff wrote in The Tatler on July 6, 1709 about the coxcomb:

»IN pursuance of my last date from hence, I am to proceed on the accounts I promised of several personages among the men, whose conspicuous fortunes, or ambition in showing their follies, have exalted them above their fellows.

The levity of their minds is visible in their every word and gesture, and there is not a day passes but puts me in mind of Mr. Wicherly’s character of a Coxcomb: He is ugly all over with the affectation of the fine gentleman. Now though the women may put on softness in their looks, or affected severity, or impertinent gaiety, or pert smartness, their self-love and admiration cannot under any of these disguises appear so invincible as that of the men. You may easily take notice that in all their actions there is a secret approbation either in the tone of their voice, the turn of their body, or cast of their eye, which shows that they are extremely in their own favour.

Take one of your men of business, he shall keep you half an hour with your hat off, entertaining you with his consideration of that affair you spoke of to him last, till he has drawn a crowd that observes you in this grimace. Then when he is public enough, he immediately runs into secrets, and falls a-whispering. You and he make breaks with adverbs; as, But however, thus far; and then you whisper again, and so on, till they who are about you are dispersed, and your busy man’s vanity is no longer gratified by the notice taken of what importance he is and how inconsiderable you are ; for your pretender to business is never in secret, but in public.

There is my dear Lord No-where, of all men the most gracious and most obliging, the terror of all Valets de Chambre whom he oppresses, with good breeding in enquiring for my good Lord and for my good Lady’s health. This inimitable courtier will whisper a Privy Councillor’s lacquey with the utmost goodness and condescension to know when they next sit ; and is thoroughly taken up and thinks he has a part in a secret, if he knows that there is a secret. What it is, he will whisper you, that time will discover ; then he shrugs, and calls you back again Sir, I need not say to you, that these things are not to be spoken of And harKee (?), no names, I would not be quoted. What adds to the jest is, that his emptiness has its moods and seasons, and he will not condescend to let you into these his discoveries except he is in very good humour, or has seen somebody in fashion talk to you. He will keep his nothing to himself, and pass by and over look as well as the best of ‘em ; not observing that he is insolent when he is gracious, and obliging when he is haughty. Show me a woman so inconsiderable as this frequent character.

But my mind (now I am in) turns to many no less observable: Thou dear Will Shoestring! I profess myself in love with thee ! How shall I speak to thee ? How shall I address thee ? How shall I draw thee ? Thou dear Outside ! Will you be combing your wig, playing with your box, or picking your teeth ? Or choosest thou rather to be speaking; to be speaking for thy only purpose in speaking, to show your teeth ? Rub them no longer, dear Shoe string : do not premeditate murder: do not for ever whiten: oh ‘ that for my quiet and his own they were rotten.

But I will forget him and give my hand to the courteous Umbra. He is a fine man indeed, but the soft creature bows below my apron-string before he takes it ; yet after the first ceremonies, he is as familiar as my physician, and his insignificancy makes me half ready to complain to him of all I would to my doctor.

He is so courteous that he carries half the messages of ladies’ ails in town to their midwives and nurses. He understands, too, the art of medicine, as far as to the cure of a pimple or a rash. On occasions of the like importance he is the most assiduous of all men living, in consulting and searching precedents from family to family; then he speaks of his obsequiousness and diligence in the style of real services. If you sneer at him and thank him for his great friendship, he bows and says, Madam, all the good offices in my power, while I have any knowledge or credit, shall be at your service.

The consideration of so shallow a being, and the intent application with which he pursues trifles, has made me carefully reflect upon that sort of men we usually call an Impertinent : and I am, upon mature deliberation, so far from being offended with him that I am really obliged to him ; for though he will take you aside and talk half an hour upon matters wholly insignificant with the most solemn air, yet I consider that these things are of weight in his imagination, and he thinks he is communicating what is for my service.

If therefore it be a just rule to judge of a man by his intention, according to the equity of good breeding, he that is impertinently kind or wise to do you service ought in return to have a proportionable place both in your affection and esteem ; so that the courteous Umbra deserves the favour of all his acquaintance ; for though he never served them, he is ever willing to do it, and believes he does it.

As impotent kindness is to be returned with all our abilities to oblige, so impotent malice is to be treated with all our force to depress it. For this reason, Fly -Blow (who is received in all the families in Town through the degeneracy and iniquity of their manners) is to be treated like a knave, though he is one of the weakest of fools.

He has by rote, and at second-hand, all that can be said of any man of figure, wit and virtue, in Town. Name a man of worth, and this creature tells you the worst passage of his life. Speak of a beautiful woman, and this puppy Will whisper the next man to him, though he has nothing to say of her. He is a fly that feeds on the sore part, and would have nothing to live on if the whole body were in health. You may know him by the frequency of pronouncing the particle but; for which reason I never heard him spoken of with common charity without using my but against him. For a friend of mine saying the other day : ” Mrs. Distaf has wit, good-humour, virtue and friendship”; this oaf added: ” But she is not handsome.”

Coxcomb ! The gentleman was saying what I was, not what I was not.

By Isaac Bickerstaff , Esq.

From my own Apartment,

November 18, 1709.

WHEN an engineer finds his guns have not had their intended effect, he changes his batteries. I am forced at present to take this method; and instead of ‘continuing to write against the singularity some are guilty of in their habit and behaviour, I shall enceforward desire them to persevere in it ; and not only so, but shall take it as a favour of all the Coxcombs in the Town if they will set marks upon themselves, and by some particular in their dress show to what class they belong.

It would be very obliging in all such persons who feel in themselves that they are not sound of understanding, to give the world notice of it, and spare mankind the pains of finding them out. A cane upon the fifth button shall from henceforth be the type of a Dapper; red-heeled shoes and a hat hung upon one side of the head shall signify a Smart; a good periwig made into a twist, with a brisk cock, shall speak a Mettled Fellow; and an upper lip covered with snuff denotes a Coffee-house States man.

But as it is required that all Coxcombs hang out their signs, it is on the other hand (expected that men of real merit should avoid anything particular) in their dress, gait, or behaviour. For as we old men delight in proverbs, I cannot forbear bringing out one on this occasion, that good wine needs no bush.

I must not leave this subject without reflecting on several persons I have lately I met with, who at a distance seem very terrible ; but upon a stricter enquiry into their looks and features appear as meek and harmless as any of my own neighbours. These are country gentlemen, who of late years have taken up a humour of coming to Town in red coats, whom an arch wag of my acquaintance used to describe very well by calling them sheep in wolves’ clothing.

I have often wondered that honest gentlemen, who are good neighbours and live quietly in their own possessions, should take it into their heads to frighten the Town after this unreasonable manner. I shall think myself obliged, if they persist in so unnatural a dress (notwithstanding any posts they may have in the Militia) to give away their red coats to any of the soldiery who shall think fit to strip them, provided the said soldiers can make it appear that they belong to a regiment where there is a deficiency in the clothing.

About two days ago I was walking in the Park, and accidentally met a rural ‘Squire, clothed in all the types above-mentioned, with a carriage and behaviour made entirely out of his own head. He was of a bulk, and stature larger than ordinary, had a red coat, flung open to show a gay Calamanco waistcoat. His periwig fell in a very considerable bush upon each shoulder ; his arms naturally swung at an unreasonable distance from his sides; which, with the advantage of a cane that he brandished in a great variety of irregular motions, made it unsafe for anyone to walk within several yards of him. In this manner he took up the whole Mall, his spectators moving on each side of it, whilst he cocked up his hat and marched directly for Westminster. I cannot tell who this gentleman is, but for my comfort may say with the lover in Terence, who lost sight of a fine young lady : Wherever thou art, thou canst not be long concealed.«
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COXCOMB,

Is a term of such extensive comprehension, that it takes in near the whole race of mankind, from the throne to the peasant’s cottage. All ranks, all orders of men, are liable more or less, to that vanity which is its fundamental, and only varies in its signs of eruption.

There are coxcomb kings, coxcomb judges, coxcomb physicians, coxcomb men of letters, coxcomb men of business; even professions have their peculiar distinstions of coxcombry. The gravity of an apothecary, who carries his profession printed in his face, is not less a symptom of coxcombry, than a hat and feather in a declared beau. — Mr. Addison even thought no fine gentleman could exist without a dash of the coxcomb. My lord Rochester says, that it is character not to be acquired but by much pains and reflection; that, in short, “God never made a coxcomb worth a groat.”

The women in general are so fond of this character, that however they snuff at the title, the attributes of it are the principal means of succeeding with them. An intrepid, self assured coxcomb, who is called so to-day, passes tomorrow for a pretty fellow with them; on no better grounds than having kept inflexibly to it, and beat them at their own weapons of pride and infolence. The lady is vain; so is the coxcomb: (he affects to despise him; he disdains to dangle after her. One would think these were no promising dispositions to come to a good understanding. But let them alone, and it will happen to them, as to two persons, who, taking different ways to walk round a garden, begin by
turning their backs to one another, and are sure to meet again in their circuit.

Quoted from: Ralph Griffiths, G. E. Griffiths: The Monthly Review, Or, Literary Journal. Vol. IX. London: 1754.

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