and featured prominently during the two Anglo–Boer Wars. Because of their military prowess, the term was used later in the twentieth century to refer to crack troops in the military who usually operate in small, specially trained bands (OTS: 45 “A Boer Rip van Winkel”).
comp Abbreviated form for ‘compositor’; artisan who composited and set the type with which newspapers were printed (CJ: 163 “Street Processions”).
comping Abbreviation of ‘compositing’; setting the type by hand (CSJ: 64).
Complete Oom Schalk Lourens Stories, The (2006) A collection of all 60 OSL stories, together with the illustrations that originally accompanied the first publication of the stories in the 1930s and 40s, edited by Craig MacKenzie. The sequence is divided into three groupings: early stories (1930–31); those he wrote in London (1934–37); and those he wrote upon his return to SA in 1940 until his death in 1951.
Complete Voorkamer Stories, The (2011) A collection of all 79 Voorkamer stories, edited by Craig MacKenzie, with photographs by David Goldblatt. Half of the pieces first appeared in Lionel Abrahams’s two collections Jurie Steyn’s Post Office (1971) and A Bekkersdal Marathon (1971). The entire set was then re-edited by Craig MacKenzie and appeared as Idle Talk (1999) and Homecoming (2005), both of which are part of the Anniversary Edition.
concertina A small sausage-shaped instrument with free reeds and a bellows; when air is forced through the reeds musical notes are produced and a tune is played by pressing buttons situated on either side of the instrument; ironically, the type of concertina favoured by boeremusiek proponents is known as the English concertina, as it was produced by the English Wheatstone company (MR: 44 “The Music Maker”).
“Concertinas and Confetti” (S&H: 66) A cunning bully’s life changes for the better when he marries a loving woman. A wistful story of love and how past habits predict future behaviour. “And it seemed sad that life could not always be like that. It seemed a pity that life was not satisfied to let us always bear on our shoulders things only as light as confetti.”
Constable, Robert E. Bemused Pretoria-based Union Party candidate for the Willemsdorp seat in a provincial council by-election (W: 18).
consumption Archaic word for tuberculosis (TB); although there is a long list of composers and artists who died of TB, the most famous and tragic is Frederic Chopin, and it is he who is probably the hero Manie Kruger modelled himself on (MR: 45 “The Music Maker”).
contretemps (Fr.) Lit. ‘motion out of time’; an unexpected mishap or unfortunate event (W: 58).
contumely Scorn (CSJ: 105).
Cook’s agent An agent representing the Thomas Cook travel agency (VS: 150 “South African Literature”).
coolie-woman Derogatory term for an Indian woman (CSJ: 69).
Cooper’s dip Powdered fungicide and insecticide developed by Richard Powell Cooper circa 1852 for treating common sheep diseases (UD: 62 “Susannah and the Play-actor”; IT: 69 “White Ant”).
Cope, J(ohn). P. Editor of The Forum at the time (March 1950) that HCB floated the ‘Voorkamer’ idea. Cope responded thus to the samples HCB sent: “Thank you very much for the sketches you submitted, which I think are excellent, and we could very well make a beginning with them” (letter dated 31 March 1950); came up with the rubric “In die Voorkamer”.
Cordier, Lena Slim, brunette ex-teacher, and editor of the women’s page of the Northern Transvaal News when Charlie Hendricks is appointed; she is involved with Jack Brummer, but also flirts with Charlie, and attracts the attention of Cyril Stein (W: 16).
Cordier, Lettie Daughter of Krisjan Cordier, who “[w]ith her brown arms and her sweet, quiet face and her full bosom […] was a very pretty picture”; the object of Gideon van der Merwe’s affection (MR: 60 “The Love Potion”).
corpus delicti (Lat.) Lit. ‘body of crime’ (evidence); legal term indicating that it must be proven that a crime has been committed in order to prove guilt (L&O: 137 “The Old Magistrates’ Court”).
Correspondence
“Letter to A. J. Blignaut” 31 January 1940 (L&O: 100) HCB arrives back in Johannesburg after leaving Britain and expresses regret at having missed Blignaut, who had already left for Britain.
“Letter to Miss Adele Lezard” 15 June 1951 (L&O: 200) HCB conveying thanks to Lezard (of Dassie Books) regarding the arrangements for republishing Mafeking Road in the Dassie edition.
“Letter to Alan Paton” undated, c. 1949 (L&O: 199) HCB thanking Paton for the latter’s positive remarks about Mafeking Road in The New York Times Book Review.
“Letter to Basson en Grobler” 11 June 1926 (L&O: 47) During his stint as a teacher in Zwingli; HCB requesting (in poor Afrikaans) a bicycle from this dealer in Zeerust; letter never posted.
Letter to F. D. Sinclair, Esq.” 13 July 1950 (L&O: 200) HCB requesting submission of poetry for planned anthology of new SA verse (never completed).
“Letter to Lionel Abrahams” 24 May 1947 (L&O: 197) Long letter from HCB (then resident in Cape Town) commenting on Abrahams’s story “Down upon the Green Grass”.
“Letter to Margaret L. Macpherson” 23 August 1951 (L&O: 201) HCB writing to the New York-based literary agent about completing Willemsdorp and posting it to her as soon as he had done so.
“Letter to Mr & Mrs Sachs” 12 January 1943 (L&O: 104) HCB thanks Bernard and Dolly Sachs for their hospitality to Helena, Ella and him during their visit to Johannesburg from Pietersburg.
“Letter to Roy Campbell” undated, c. April 1949 (L&O: 198) Very revealing letter from HCB commenting on the “mutilated form” in which his stories were published in the first edition of Mafeking Road (1947), and pleading with Campbell to find him an English publisher (nothing comes of this).
cortège Funeral procession following the hearse (CSJ: 121).
corundum Very hard mineral that is used as an abrasive in sandpaper and emery wheels (OTS: 77 “The Murderess”).
costermonger A street vendor of fruit and vegetables (CJ: 90 “Class Snobbery in Britain”).
Count of Monte Cristo, The A novel by Alexandre Dumas about the nobleman Edmond Dantès’s wrongful imprisonment, escape, and revenge on those who betrayed him (CSJ: 73).
Cowle, William Alfred Plumber and first husband of Daisy de Melker (L&O: 79 “Daisy de Melker”).
cream laid, 48 and 60 Creamy, coloured paper that shows textured parallel wire marks, due to its manufacture in which the wires are laid side by side; the number refers to the thickness of the paper (CSJ: 64).
“Credo” (VS: 175) Thoughts on the place and role of Afrikaans and especially Afrikaans poetry. Apart from its opening line, “Ek neem my staanplek in op die bodem van Afrika”, nothing new is added to what HCB has said on these matters in various other articles.
Cresswell, F. H. P. (Frederick), Colonel (1866–1948) Born in Gibraltar, he came to SA in 1893 to work as a mining engineer. Served on the side of the British forces in the Second Anglo–Boer War; founding member of the South African Labour Party; became Minister of Defence in the Pact Government under General Hertzog (L&O: 34
