Charlie

See also: charlie

Translingual

Charlie [1]
Charlie [2]
Charlie [3]

Alternative forms

• charlie

Etymology

From English Charlie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtʃali], [ˈʃali]

Noun

Charlie

1. (international standards) NATO, ICAO, ITU & IMO radiotelephony clear code (spelling-alphabet name) for the letter C.
2. (nautical) Signal flag for the letter C.
3. (time zone) UTC+03:00

ICAO/NATO radiotelephonic clear codes for letters

code	Alfa	Bravo	Charlie	Delta	Echo	Foxtrot	Golf	Hotel	India	Juliett	Kilo	Lima	Mike
	November	Oscar	Papa	Quebec	Romeo	Sierra	Tango	Uniform	Victor	Whiskey	Xray	Yankee	Zulu

Translations

the letter "C" in a national spelling alphabet

• Czech: Cyril (cs)
• English: Charlie
• Estonian: Cicero (et)
• Finnish: celsius
• Italian: Como (it)
• Swedish: Cesar (sv)

English

Alternative forms

• Charley
• (noun): charley, charlie

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃɑɹli/

• Audio (Canadian)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑɹli

Proper noun

Charlie (plural Charlies)

1. A unisex given name
   1. A diminutive of the male given name Charles; also used as a formal given name.
      • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, →ISBN, page 184:

        Heaven only knows why a man with a strong biblical name like James wants to be a president named Jimmy. I'm certain that if he were called Charles, he wouldn't fool around that way. Charles is not so bad, but Charlie is a terrible burden to bear.

   2. A diminutive of the female given name Charlotte or Charlene, also used as a formal given name, although less common than the male name.
      • 2007, Sophie Hannah, Hurting Distance, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 225:

        'Can I call you Charlotte?'
        'No. I hate the name, makes me sound like a Victorian aunt. I'm Charlie, and no, you can't call me that either.'

2. A name for a fox in fables and folk literature.

Synonyms

• (given name): Charley
• (diminutive of Charles): Chas, Chuck
• (female given name): Charlee, Charli, Charleigh

Derived terms

• Charlee
• Charleigh
• Charley
• charley horse
• Charli
• Charlie bar
• Charlie Brown tree
• CharlieCard
• Charlie Chaplin mustache
• Charlie Farnsbarns
• Charlie Foxtrot
• Charlie McCarthy
• Charlie Noble
• Charlie Papa
• Charlieplex
• Charlieplexing
• cheap Charlie
• creeping Charlie
• good-time Charlie
• Mister Charlie
• Regulation Charlie
• Tail End Charlie
• Uncle Charlie
• Victor Charlie

 

Descendants

• → Translingual: Charlie

Translations

diminutive of Charles or its translations in other languages

• Czech: Kája (cs)
• Finnish: Kalle (fi)
• Marathi: चार्ली m (cārlī)
• Navajo: Cháala
• Persian: چارلی (čârli)
• Russian: Ча́рли (ru) m (Čárli)
• Spanish: Carlito m
• Swedish: Kalle (sv), Kolle

diminutive of Charlotte or Charlene or its translations in other languages

• Finnish: Karo (fi)
• Swedish: Lotta (sv), Carro

Noun

Charlie (usually uncountable, plural Charlies)

1. (World War II era, joint US/RAF) radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter C.
2. (military slang) An enemy; the Vietcong; short for Victor Charlie.
   • 1988, Steve Earle (lyrics and music), “Copperhead Road”:

     I learned a thing or two from Charlie, don't you know? You better stay away from Copperhead Road.

3. (uncountable, slang) Cocaine.
4. (countable, chiefly UK, slang, often with "right" and/or "proper") A fool.

   You look a right Charlie in that clown outfit! — Yes, we make a right pair of Charlies.

   • 2009, Ruth Rendell, The Best Man To Die, page 26:

     He looked a right Charlie in those tails and striped trousers.

5. (slang, usually in the plural) A woman's breast
   • 1959, Michel del Castillo, tr. Humphry Hare, The Billsticker:

     There's not a man she won't go with. She lets even the small boys feel her charlies.

   • 1975, Harlan Ellison, No Doors, No Windows:

     […] being turned on by a woman who was also a person and had stuff going for herself, and knowing that even if my Wurlitzer rotted and fell off, even if her Charlies sagged and turned to empty baggies, we'd still be buddies and craft companions

   • 1986, John Hooker, Jacob's Season, page 115:

     'Hullo, Jacob.' She grins at him over her counter as he eyes her charlies sticking through her sweater.

6. (dated) A nightwatchman.
7. A short, pointed beard, like that of King Charles I.
   • 1834, “Hampden in the 19th Century”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, London: John Bowyer Nichols, page 295:

     […] the sons are adorned in the very height of the fashion, with white pantaloons, watch chains and Wellingtons, and a charley at their under lip […]

   • 1861, J.W. Taylor, Antiquities Falkland, page 43:

     That square, short man... wearing a moustache and Charlie is William Laud [F&H].

   • 1913, “Lord Ballyrot in Slangland”, in The Tacoma Times, →ISSN:

     This Cholly guy wants to do a brodie off the rattler.

8. (blackjack) The situation in some blackjack variants where a player wins automatically by showing a hand with the correct number of cards.

Synonyms

• (cocaine): snow
• (fool): See fool

References

• Jonathon Green (2024) “charlie, n.²”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Charlie, diminutive of Charles.

Proper noun

Charlie

1. a male given name from English

Swedish

Etymology

From English Charlie. First recorded as a Swedish name in 1872.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɕɑːɭɪ/

Proper noun

Charlie c (genitive Charlies)

1. a male given name