verb (thieves’).—To take out the works of a watch and substitute another set, so that identification is impossible.—See CHRISTEN, verb, sense 1.
1857. SNOWDEN, Magistrates Assistant, 3 ed., p. 445. To have the works of a watch put into another case—TO CHURCH A YACK.
1868. DORAN, Saints and Sinners, II., 290. The (thieves’) CHURCH THEIR YACKS when they transpose the works of stolen watches to prevent identification. [M.]
TO TALK CHURCH, verbal phr. (colloquial).—TO TALK ‘SHOP’ (q.v.).
1851. H. NEWLAND, The Erne, Its Legends and Its Fly-fishing, 217. Looking at those wretched people and TALKING CHURCH. [M.]
