Talk:castor

More about the hat sense: boxing slang?

John Camden Hotten's Slang Dictionary (1873) has:

Castor, a hat. Mostly used in pugilistic circles. Indeed many hangers-on of the P.R. have considered that the term arose from the custom of casting the hat into the ring, before entering oneself. Castor was the Latin name for the animal now known as the BEAVER; and, strange to add, BEAVER was the slang for CASTOR, or hat, many years ago, before gossamer came into fashion.

Equinox ◑ 12:45, 4 January 2021 (UTC)