Author Topic: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform? completed with thanks!  (Read 669 times)

Offline maddys52

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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"?

Offline medpat

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Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 22 June 18 09:04 BST (UK) »
Read something about a cheese-toaster in reference to a dirk in the navy.
GEDmatch M157477

Offline maddys52

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Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
« Reply #2 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.  :-[

Offline hanes teulu

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Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
« Reply #3 on: Friday 22 June 18 09:09 BST (UK) »
Oxford English Dictionary
Three entries under "cheese toaster" including "a sword (obsolete)"


Offline KGarrad

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Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
« Reply #4 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":
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline maddys52

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Re: "cheese toasters" - something on a military uniform?
« Reply #5 on: Friday 22 June 18 09:11 BST (UK) »
Thank you so much everyone! Learn something every day as they say.  ;)