Chapter Crimen læsæ Majestatis to Crone of C by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Criterion A standard to judge by. (Greek, krino, to judge.)

Critic A judge; an arbiter. (Greek, krino, to judge.)
   Critic. A captious, malignant critic is called a Zoïlus (q. v.)

" `And what of this new book the whole world makes such a rout about?' `Oh, it is out of all plumb, my lord; quite an irregular thing! not one of the angles at the four corners is a right angle. I had my rule and compasses in my pocket.' `Excellent critic!'

" `And for the epic poem your lordship bade me look at, upon taking the length, breadth, height, and depth of it, and trying them at home upon an exact scale of Bossu's [Bossut's], 'tis out, my lord, in every one of its dimensions.' `Admirable connoisseur!' " - Sterne: Tristram Shandy, vol. iii. chap. xii.

    The abbé Charles Bossut (1730-1814) was a noted mathematician and geometer.
   Prince of critics. Aristarchos, of Byzantium, who compiled the rhapsodies of Homer. (Second century B.C.)
   Stop-watch critics.

" `And how did Garrick speak the soliloquy last night?' `Oh, against all rule, my lord, most ungrammatically. Betwixt the substantive and the adjective, which should agree together in number, case, and gender, he made a breach, thus - stopping as if the point wanted settling; and betwixt the nominative case, which, your lordship knows, should govern the verb, he suspended his voice in the epilogue a dozen times, three seconds and three-fifths by a stop-watch, my lord, each time.' `Admirable grammarian!' `But in suspending his voice was the sense suspended likewise? Did no expression of attitude or countenance fill up the chasm? Was the eye silent? Did you narrowly look?' `I looked only at the stop-watch, my lord.' `Excellent observer!"' - Sterne: Tristram Shandy, vol. iii. chap. xii.

Croaker (2 syl.). A raven, so called from its croak; one who takes a desponding view of things. Goldsmith, in his Good-natured Man, has a character so named.

Croakumshire Northumberland is so called from the peculiar croaking of the natives in speaking. This is especially observable in Newcastle and Morpeth, where the people are said to be born with a burr in their throats, which prevents their giving effect to the letter r.

Croc mitaine (A). A fire-eater; one always ready to quarrel and fight. (See Croquemitaine.)

Crocodile (3 syl.). A symbol of deity among the Egyptians, because it is the only aquatic animal, says Plutarch, which has its eyes covered with a thin transparent membrane, by reason of which it sees and is not seen; so God sees all, Himself not being seen. To this he subsequently adds another reason, saying, "The Egyptians worship God symbolically in the crocodile, that being the only animal without a tongue, like the Divine Logos, which standeth not in need of speech." (De Iside et Osiride, vol. ii. p. 381.)
    Achilles Tatius says, "The number of its teeth equals the number of days in a year." Another tradition is, that during the seven days held sacred to Apis, the crocodile will harm no one.

Crocodile (King). A king who devours his people, or at least their substance. Browne, in his Travels, tells us that there is a king crocodile, as there is a queen bee. The king crocodile has no tail.

Crocodile's Eye Hieroglyphic for the morning.

Crocodile's Tears Hypocritical tears. The tale is, that crocodiles moan and sigh like a person in deep distress, to allare travellers to the spot, and even shed tears over their prey while in the act of devouring it.

"As the mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers."
Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI., iii. 1.

Crocum in Ciliciam ferre To carry coals to Newcastle. As Cilicia abounds with saffron, to send it there would be needless and extravagant excess. For similar phrases, see Alcinoo Poma Dare, Noctuas Athenas.