colloq. [a familiar variant of Charles.]
1. The name formerly given to a night-watchman.
[The origin is unknown: some have conjectured ‘because Charles I. in 1640 extended and improved the watch system in the metropolis.’]
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., Charley, a watchman. Charley-ken, a watch-box.
1823. in Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 1628. No Charlies have they now.
a. 1845. Hood, Tale of Trump., lv. That other old woman, the parish Charley!
1852. Bentley’s Misc., 1 June, 620. Oh, those dear old ‘Charlies’ of the Dogberry school!
1856. Strang, Glasgow & Clubs, 413. Boxing a Charley … was an affair of weekly occurrence.
2. A small triangular beard extending from the under lip, and ending in a point a little below the chin; well-known in the portraits of Charles I. and his contemporaries.
1834. Gentl. Mag., March, I. 295/2. With white pantaloons, watch chains and Wellingtons, and a charley at their under lip.
a. 1841. Hook, Widow, x. 145. He … wore … a Charley on his under lip.
1861. Taylor, Antiq. Falkland, 43. That square, short man … wearing a moustache and Charlie is William Laud.
3. Applied as a proper name to the fox.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, i. 8 (D.). A nice little gorse or spinney, where abideth poor Charley.
1859. H. Kingsley, G. Hamlyn, xxviii. 299 (D.). ‘You don’t know Charley, I can see,’ said Halbert.
