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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: maddys52 on Friday 22 June 18 08:58 BST (UK)

Title: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform? completed with thanks!
Post by: maddys52 on Friday 22 June 18 08:58 BST (UK)

While reading a newspaper from 1831 (researching for another rootschatter) I came across an article deriding the wearing of military attire by civilians, including this:

"Three-fourths of the male company are clothed in military attire; men who never drew a sword in their lives before are there arrayed in scarlet and gold epaulettes, and cheese toasters"

I know what an epaulette is, but was wondering what is a "cheese toaster"?

Title: Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
Post by: medpat on Friday 22 June 18 09:04 BST (UK)

Read something about a cheese-toaster in reference to a dirk in the navy.

Title: Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
Post by: maddys52 on Friday 22 June 18 09:09 BST (UK)

Sounds good, had to google what a dirk is.  ;D Thank you!

Now I see, an 1811 dictionary has a "cheese-toaster" as a sword, that makes sense. I was thinking it was part of the uniform.  :-[

Title: Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 22 June 18 09:09 BST (UK)

Oxford English Dictionary
Three entries under "cheese toaster" including "a sword (obsolete)"

Title: Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
Post by: KGarrad on Friday 22 June 18 09:10 BST (UK)

It's slang for a sword, or bayonet.

From "A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English":

Title: Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
Post by: maddys52 on Friday 22 June 18 09:11 BST (UK)

Thank you so much everyone! Learn something every day as they say.  ;)