The House on Punchbowl Hill

















 
 

A Charlie Chan Glossary

Welcome, dear visitor, to our humble collection of words, slang, and terminology that one will encounter during the course of viewing Charlie Chan’s numerous adventures.  Included are some terms that, while they may be somewhat familiar to persons who are familiar with American popular culture, could, perhaps, prove to be puzzling to others.  However, while some entiies will be familiar, other words and terms included may offer an interesting surprise or two!  The rich tapestry of dialogue that runs through the entire Charlie Chan series proper is an integral part of the detective’s films.  It is our hope that this collection will enhance your viewing – and listening – pleasure.

 
 

"A" card - The lowest-level gasoline ration card issued by the United States government during World War II.
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - Birmingham Brown: "Every time he looks at me, he makes me feel as futile as a traveling salesman with nothin' but a 'A' card."

World War II gasoline ration 'A' card

adrenaline - A hormone secreted by the adrenal medulla that is released into the bloodstream in response to physical or mental stress, as from fear or injury.  It initiates many bodily responses, including the stimulation of heart action and an increase in blood pressure, metabolic rate, and blood glucose concentration.  Also called epinephrine.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Dr. Ainsley: "Adrenaline.  She's got to have a heart stimulant."

aerodrome - (chiefly British) An airfield equipped with control tower and hangers as well as accommodations for passengers and cargo. 
Charlie Chan in London - Charlie Chan: "To aerodrome at Farnwell."
Charlie Chan in Paris - Sign: AERODROME DU BOURGET

Aerodrome du Bourget - Opened in 1919, Aerodrome du Bourget (today, L'Aéroport du Bourget) was the first civil airport in Paris.  On May 21, 1927, Charles Lindburgh landed his Spirit of St. Louis there following his famous trans-Atlantic flight.  In Charlie Chan in Paris, Chan arrives in Paris at Aerodrome du Bourget following a flight from London.
Charlie Chan in Paris - Sign: AERODROME DU BOURGET

aft - At, in, toward, or close to the stern (rear) of a vessel.
Dead Men Tell - Charlie Chan: "Who occupies cabins aft?"

alchemist - One who was versed in the practice of alchemy, the medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy whose aims were the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for diseases, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life.
Castle in the Desert - Paul Manderley: "Every sixteenth century castle had its own apothecary or alchemist."

all in - (idiom) Very tired; exhausted.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Evely Grey: "I'm all in with that session with the police last night."

all wet - (slang) Entirely mistaken.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Johnny McCoy: "You're all wet!"

aloha - (Hawaiian) An acknowledgment that can be used to say hello or goodbye.  Other meanings include love, compassion, and a profound spirit of welcome.
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Honolulu Police Chief Inspector: "Aloha - and good luck."
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Charlie Chan: "...where roar of surf replace noise of subway, and hot rhythm of Broadway cooled by strains of 'Aloha.'"

altimeter - An instrument for determining elevation, especially an aneroid barometer used in aircraft that senses pressure changes accompanying changes in altitude.
The Sky Dragon - Lee Chan: "...with the airport altimeter setting..."

Amos...Andy (Amos 'n' Andy) - A situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s.  The show began as one of the first radio comedy serials, written and voiced by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll and originating from station WMAQ in Chicago, Illinois.  First broadcast in March 1928, the series had such an immense popularity that at its peak it was heard six times a week by an audience of 40,000,000 listeners, one-third of the total U.S. population.
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Charlie Chan: "Murder without bloodstains like Amos without Andy - most unusual."

amyl nitrate - A vasodilator that is sometimes used to treat angina pectoris.
Charlie Chan Carries On (script) - Mark Kennaway: "Amyl nitrate. It will bring him around in a moment."

and how - an expression of emphatic agreement.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Chief of Police King: "And how, I'll circulate it!"

angina pectoris - A heart condition marked by paroxysms of chest pain due to reduced oxygen to the heart.
City in Darkness - Landlady: My old man died from his angina pectoris, and only 46 years old."

angle - (slang) A devious method; a scheme.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Reporter: "Yeah, what's the new angle?"
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Grenock: "Hey, what's her angle?"
The Shanghai Cobra - Ned Stewart: "All right, boys, what's your angle?"

Apia - Town and capital of Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), on the northern shore of Upolu Island, in the South Pacific Ocean.  It is the country's chief port and economic center.
Dangerous Money - Rosa Simmons: "I'm going to Apia - the Robert Lewis Stevenson shrine."

Apiang Island - Called Abiang today, Apiang is one of the islands of Kiribati, which was once known as the Gilbert Islands, a group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean.  Inhabited by a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian peoples, the islands were first visited by the British in 1765, made a protectorate in 1892, and later became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (1915-1976).  Full independence as the principal islands of Kiribati was achieved in 1979. 
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (script) - Reverend Upton: "Brade died when they were in port, at the Apiang Islands."

apothecary - One who prepares and sells drugs and other medicines.
Castle in the Desert - Paul Manderley: "Every sixteenth century castle had its own apothecary..."

applesauce - (slang) Nonsense; foolishness.
The Black Camel - Charlie Chan's Oldest Daughter: Aw, that's a lot of applesauce!"
Charlie Chan at the Circus - Charlie Chan: "Wise precaution to accept applesauce with large pinch of salt."

aria - (1) A solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment, as in an opera. (2) An air; a melody. 
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Charlie Chan: "Much applause tonight after beautiful aria."

asbestos - (as used) A fabric woven from asbestos fibers, formerly used for theater curtains, firefighters' gloves, etc.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Charlie Chan: "Next time must buy asbestos pants."

a screw loose - (slang) Crazy; something wrong.
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Lee Chan: "There's a screw loose somewhere."

assayer - One who examines metallic ores or compounds, for the purpose of determining the amount of any particular metal in the same, especially of gold or silver.
The Golden Eye - Jim Driscoll: "Mr. Bartlett, the local assayer."

automat - A machine from which food or sandwiches is dispensed.
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Jimmy Chan: "That's a toothpick from the automat."

Aztec - Pertaining to the people of central Mexico whose civilization was at its height at the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century.
The Feathered Serpent - Joan Farnsworth: "He and Professor Scott came down here last spring to search for the ancient Aztec Temple of the Sun."

 
 

baksheesh - (Egyptian) (1) Almsgiving. (2) For services rendered. (3) For the granting of favors.
Charlie Chan in Egypt - Dragoman: "But first, baksheesh."

Balboa -  A part of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.  It includes Balboa Harbor – the city's main port – and is the location of the Canal Administration Building.
Charlie Chan in Panama - Clivedon Compton: "Stewardess, when shall we be in Balboa?"

baloney - (slang) Nonsense.
The Black Camel - Charlie Chan's Young Son: "Aw, baloney!" 

banderillas - (Spanish) Decorated barbed darts that are thrust into the bull's neck or shoulder muscles by a banderillero in a bullfight. 
The Red Dragon - Tommy Chan: "Banderillas - they use them in bullfights down here."

banjo-eyed - (as used) Large-eyed.
Charlie Chan at the Olympics - Betty Adams: "Just because that banjo-eyed brunette looks at you..."

baritone - A male singer or voice with a range higher than a bass and lower than a tenor.
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Lilli Rochelle: "Enrico is the baritone of my company."

bats in her hat - (slang - meaning uncertain) Probably referring to a confused state of mind.
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - Iris Chan: "She's got bats in her hat and bees in her bustle."

battle-ax (or battle-axe) - (slang) A woman held to be antagonistic or overbearing.
The Scarlet Clue - Willie Rand: "Oh-oh. the battle-ax."

Batwa tribe - Located within the borders of present day Rwanda, the Batwa are among the "pygmy" peoples of central Africa.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Sign: "PIGMY HUNTER (BATWA TRIBE)"

beat it - (informal) To leave or depart.
Charlie Chan at the Circus - Colonel Tim: "...so, I beat it."

bees in her bustle - (slang - meaning uncertain) Probably referring to being in an agitated state.
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - Iris Chan: "She's got bats in her hat and bees in her bustle."

beggar - (informal) A man or boy.
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise - Jeremiah Walters: "I caught the little beggar red-handed."

belaying pin - A short, removable wooden or metal pin fitted in a hole in the rail of a boat and used for securing running gear.
Dead Men Tell - Gene La Farge: "...I saw him trying to hit this young man with a belaying pin."

Benedictine - A sweet cognac-based liqueur, flavored with various aromatics, fruit peels and herbs.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Joan Karnoff: "Benedictine."

benny - (slang) A hat, probably a derby.
Charlie Chan Carries On (script) - Elmer Benbow: "Just take off the benny, will you -- the lid, you know -- the hat."

big house - (slang) A prison. 
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Joe Arnold: "The boys will love him back at the big house."

big idea - (informal) (1) Any plan or proposal that is grandiose, impractical, and usually unsolicited: You're always coming around here with your big ideas.  (2) Purpose; intention; aim.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Al Rogers: "Hey, what's the big idea?"

big noise - (slang) An important person.
Charlie Chan at the Olympics - Charlie Chan: "Letter apparently from big noise..."

big shot - (slang) An important or influential person.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Pete Lewis: "Rhadini's miproved now, Charlie, he's a big shot."

big top - The main tent of a circus.
Charlie Chan at the Circus - Dan Farrell: "Don't let him get near the big top."

bigwigs - (slang) Very important persons.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Inspector Nelson: "The bigwigs expect you to tear a duck apart with them tonight."

bilge water - (slang) Nonsense.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Captain Johnson: "Aw, bilge water!"

Billy Goat Hill - A location at the top of Beacon Street in the southern portion of the city of San Francisco, California.  Today, the location of Billy Goat Hill Park.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Deputy Chief J.J. Kilvaine: "Well, Charlie, if this don't send me back to Billy Goat Hill pounding pavement..."

bird - (slang) A person, especially one who is odd or remarkable.
The Black Camel - Chief of Police: "I'm going to nail that bird now!"
Charlie Chan's Courage (script) - Bob Crawford: "...a hard looking bird followed me down there..."
Murder Over New York - Jimmy Chan: "Well, I thought it was him until I saw this bird."
The Shanghai Chest - Lt. Mike Ruark: "...we should've found out more from that bird."

birds - (see: bird)
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Lee Chan: "We've got to do something to stop those birds."

blab - To reveal indiscreetly and thoughtlessly. 
The Scarlet Clue - Ralph Brett: "He was about to blab."

blackbirder - A slave ship; a slaver. As used: a slave trader.
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (script) - Reverend Upton: "He was a blackbirder."

blackjack - A leather-covered bludgeon with a short, flexible shaft or strap, used as a hand weapon.
Charlie Chan's Chance (script) - Inspector Flannery: "Last night in Washington Heights he put a man to sleep with a blackjack..."
Shadows Over Chinatown - Charlie Chan: "...you walk in path of descending blackjack."

black sheep - A member of a family or other group who is considered undesirable or disreputable.
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - Charlie Chan: "Excuse, please, but sputtering firecracker and black sheep are noisiest members of Chan family."

block - (slang) The human head.
Charlie Chan at the Olympics - Betty Adams: "...now he's going after him to knock his block off."

blockbuster - A large bomb used to demolish extensive areas (as a city block).
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - George Melton: "It's more destructive than a blockbuster."

blood and thunder novels - A term for popular adventure novels such as those in the pulp fiction realm. 
Charlie Chan in Panama - Miss Finch: "...like one of those blood and thunder novels you write."

blown over - To have subsided, waned, or passed over with little lasting effect.
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Dr. Cream: "...why not come back in a month, when this get away has blown over?"

bluenose - A puritanical person.
Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise - Jimmy Chan: "I'm going to keep my eye on that old bluenose."

boanide - A ficticious chemical mentioned by Charlie Chan as being "most deadly when inhaled with smoke from cigarette." 
Charlie Chan in Panama - Charlie Chan: "Poison called boanide?" 

bonanza - (1) A rich mine, vein, or pocket of ore. (2) A source of great wealth or prosperity.
The Golden Eye - Lt. Mike Ruark: "...the way the gold was flowing into San Francisco, it's a bonanza."

boner - (slang) A blunder or an error.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Joe Arnold: "Pull another boner like that and I'll losen up that thick skull of yours."

bon ton - (1) A sophisticated manner or style; the proper thing to do. (2) High society.
Shadows Over Chinatown - Charlie Chan: "...on-time featured chous girl with Bon Ton burlesque company."

Borgia, Cesare - (see: Cesare Borgia) 

Borgias - An Italian family, influential from the 14th to the 16th century, that included the son and daughter of Pope Alexander VI.  Cesare (1476-1507), a religious, military, and political leader, was the model for Machiavelli's The Prince.  Lucrezia (1489-1519), the Duchess of Ferrara, was a patron of learning and the arts.
Castle in the Desert - Professor Gleason: "Aren't you descended from the famous Borgias?"

Bourbon - A whiskey distilled from a fermented mash containing not less than 51 percent corn in addition to malt and rye.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Wally Burke: "I'll stick to Bourbon."

Bourbon Street - A famous thoroughfare in the heart of the French Quarter of the city of New Orleans.
Docks of New Orleans - Sign: "Bourbon Street Garage"

Bourse - The stock exchange in Paris, France.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Jules Joubert: "They are the enemies on the Bourse as well as in the casino."

bracelets - (slang) Handcuffs. 
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Sgt. Kelly: "Listen, young fella, she's lucky I haven't got the bracelets on her." 

Brandenburg Arch (Brandenburg Gate) - Located on the Pariser Platz, the Brandenburg Gate is the only remaining one of the series of gates through which one entered Berlin.  One block to its north lies the Reichstag.  It was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II as a sign of peace and built by Karl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791.
Charlie Chan at the Olympics - Text of a note sent to Charlie Chan: "Be at the Brandenburg Arch at six o'clock with the device."

The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

brig - A jail or prison on board a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard vessel. 
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Steward: "...as soon as I get my hands on him, into the brig he goes!"

broke - To be without money or to go into bankruptcy.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Dr. Ainsley: "...I thought he was broke."

bub - (slang) Used as a term of familiar address, especially for a man or boy.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Tombstone Fletcher: "What's your name, bub?"

bubonic plague - A contagious, often fatal epidemic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted from person to person or by the bite of fleas from an infected rodent, especially a rat, and characterized by chills, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and the formation of buboes.
Charlie Chan in Panama - Jimmy Chan: "Bubonic plague!"

bud - (informal) Friend; chum.  Used as a form of familiar address, especially for a man or boy.
Shadows Over Chinatown - Bus Driver: "Okay, bud, cost you six bucks."

buffaloed - (slang) (1) To intimidate, as by a display of confidence or authority.  (2) To deceive; hoodwink.  (3) To confuse; bewilder.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Pete Lewis: "...you might have her buffaloed, but you don't fool me!"

bulldogged - Having thrown a calf or steer by seizing its horns and twisting its neck until the animal falls. 
Charlie Chan in Reno - Tombstone Fletcher: "...I've got him bulldogged!"

bump off - (slang) To murder. 
The Feathered Serpent - Lee Chan: "Say, Pop, isn't that the same guy that tried to bump you off the other night in San Pablo?"

bumped off (see: bump off)
Charlie Chan in Rio - Joan Reynolds: "I still think Grace bumped her off!"
Docks of New Orleans - Capt. Pete McNally: "...he bumped himself off before we got here."

burn - To execute by electrocution.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Johnny Burke: "They'll never burn me for that."

B.V.D.'s - A trademark used for undershirts and underpants worn by men and boys.  This trademark sometimes occurs in print with a final 's.
Charlie Chan Carries On (script) - Max Minchin: "You seen what happened to Inspector Duff, didn't you? You better get yourself some iron underwear -- you know B.V.D.'s."

 
 

cabana (cabaña) - (Spanish) (1) A shelter on a beach or at a swimming pool used as a bathhouse.  (2) A cabin or hut.
The Trap - "Doc" Brandt: "...I was just in the cabana."

cablegram - A telegram sent by trans-oceanic cable.
Charlie Chan in Panama - Stewardess: "Cablegram for Dr. Grosser."

cahoots - (slang) Questionable collaboration; secret partnership.
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Lee Chan: "It's Chester and Fenton in cahoots."

Cain - In the Bible, the eldest son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy and was condemned to be a fugitive.
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Charlie Chan: "But, Degan, true child of Cain, hate him."

camera hounds - (as used) Amateur camera enthusiasts.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Inspector Nelson:"Those ain't reporters, they're worse - camera hounds."

Canarsie - A section of Brooklyn, New York.
Murder Over New York - Lefty: "Well, this is 'Shorty' McCoy, the 'Canarsie Kid.'"

canary - (slang) (1) Someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police.  (2) A female singer.
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Sgt. Kelly: (Derogatorily referering to Enrico Barelli) "I've got a personal grudge against that canary."
Shadows Over Chinatown - Birmingham Brown: "...we was following a canary..."

cannon - (slang) A gun.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Al Hogan: "...somebody drops this cannon down the ventilator."

Cantonese - The Chinese dialect that is spoken in and around Guangzhou (formerly Canton), China.
The Chinese Ring - Charlie Chan: "...am Cantonese."

Carioca - (Tupi-Guarana dialect) (1) Inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro.  (2) The name of a dance choreographed for the Fred Astaire movie Flying Down to Rio, where he paired with Ginger Rogers for the first time.  It was based on earlier versions of a stage dance with the same name by Fanchon and Marco.
Sign: Carioca Casino

carried the torch - (idiom) To feel a painful unreciprocated love.
Charlie Chan in Rio - Bill Kellogg: "I've carried the torch for her ever since."

cartouche - An oval or oblong figure which contains Egyptian hieroglyphics expressing the names or epithets of royal or divine personages.
Charlie Chan in Egypt - Professor Thurston: "There's the identifying cartouche suspended around his neck."

Cesare Borgia - (1476-1507), a soldier, politician, and the younger son of Pope Alexander VI, was an outstanding figure of the Italian Renaissance.  Pope Alexander VI used his position to empower his son and establish a papal empire in northern and central Italy.  Archbishop of Valencia and a cardinal by 1493, Cesare resigned these offices after the death, in 1498, of his elder brother, the duke of Gandia, in whose murder he was probably involved.

Cesare Borgia now began his political career as papal envoy to France.  There, he was able to make an alliance with King Louis XII who made him duke of Valentinois (Valence).  In 1499 he married Charlotte d'Albret, a sister of the king of Navarre.  At this time, the French had overrun Italy.  Cesare, with his father's encouragement, subdued the cities of the state of Romagna one by one.

After he was named duke of Romagna in 1501 by the pope, Cesare also captured Piombino, Elba, Camerino, and the duchy of Urbino.  He crowned his achievements by artfully luring his chief enemies to the castle of Senigallia, where he had some of them strangled.

By killing his enemies, gaining control of the college of cardinals, extending his conquests as fast as possible, and buying the loyalty of the Roman ruling class, he had hoped to make his position independent of the papacy, or at least to insure that the election of any future pope would be to his liking.  However, before his schemes could be realized, Cesare fell victim, in 1503, to the same poison (or illness) that had suddenly killed his father.

Although Cesare recovered, his political power had suffered a fatal blow.  Pope Pius III, after a short reign, was succeeded by Julius II, an implacable enemy of Cesare Borgia.  King Louis XII then turned against him, and Julius demanded the immediate return of what territory remained to Cesare and had him temporarily arrested.  Returning to Naples, Cesare was soon arrested by the Spanish governor there as the result of collusion between Julius II and the Spanish rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella.

Sent to prison in Spain, Cesare Borgia escaped and finally found refuge at the court of the king of Navarre in 1506.  The next year, he died while fighting for the king during the seige of Viana.  With his death, Cesare Borgia's former possessions had passed under direct papal rule, thus leading to the eventual consolidation of the Papal States.

Cesare Borgia has long been considered the model of the Renaissance prince, the model for Niccolò Machiavelli's Prince: intelligent, cruel, treacherous, and ruthlessly opportunistic.

Castle in the Desert - Paul Manderley: "I try to live and think as Cesare Borgia."

cat intestine (catgut) - A tough thin cord made from the treated and stretched intestines of certain animals, especially sheep, and used for stringing musical instruments and tennis rackets and for surgical ligatures. 
Docks of New Orleans - Charlie Chan: "...would mind repeating excruciating sound made with assistance of cat intestine?"

chaise longue - (French: long chair)  An elongated seat or couch with a support for the back at one end and a seat long enough to support the legs and feet.
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Whitley: "I laid her on the chaise longue."

chamois - A soft leather made from the hide of this animal or other animals such as deer or sheep.  A chamois bag containing pebbles was found with victims of the killer in Charlie Chan Carries On.
Charlie Chan's Courage (script) - Charlie Chan: "Note chamois lined watch pocket."

Charlie McCarthy - A famous character created by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (1903-1978).  Early performances were in vaudeville and one-reel movie shorts, but Bergen and Charlie McCarthy achieved greatest success on the radio.  He and Charlie were seen at a Hollywood party by Noel Coward, who recommended them for an appearance on Rudy Vallee's program.  Their appearance was so successful that the next year they were given their own show.  Under various sponsors, they were on the air from 1937 to 1956.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Charlie Chan: "Doctor excellent ventrilloquist - uncle maybe to Charlie McCarthy."

Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen

chemin de fer - The French version of baccarat, chemin de fer is a casino game in which players bet on either of two hands dealt on the table: the "player" or the "banker."  The hand that comes closer to 9 wins.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Jules Joubert: "Perhaps you would like to play a little roulette or chemin de fer, no?"

cherchez la femme - (French) "Look for the woman."
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - Jules Joubert: "Cherchez la femme - always at the bottom of trouble is a woman."
City in Darkness - Charlie Chan: "Cherchez la femme?"

chezchez la peacherino (cherchez la peacherino) - (French) Look for the peacherino (woman).
The Shanghai Cobra - Tommy Chan: "As the French say: 'Chezchez la peacherino.'"

Chiang Kai-shek - 1887–1975, Chinese Nationalist leader. He was also called Chiang Chung-cheng.
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - (A portrait of Chiang Kai-shek can be seen hanging on the wall in Charlie Chan's office.)

Chicago fire - A disasterous fire that broke out on October 8, 1871, destroying much of the city of Chicago.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Murdock: "It'll make it hotter than the Chicago fire."

Chinaman - (today considered offensive) A person of Chinese descent.
Charlie Chan Carries On (script) - Pamela Potter: "The Chinaman in that shop pointed out Jim Everhard."
Charlie Chan's Chance (script) - Manager: "A Chinaman came here a few days ago trying to get it..."
Charlie Chan in London - Charlie Chan: "No, not very good detective, just lucky old Chinaman."
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Grenock: "Get that Chinaman before he gets us."

Chinatown - A neighborhood or section of a city that is inhabited chiefly by Chinese people.  New York's Chinatown is the largest in the United States.
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - Tour Conductor: "Next stop, Chinatown, the mysterious Orient in the heart of New York."

Chinese Pagoda - Called the Golden Pagoda of Chinatown, this structure was the prominant feature of the Chinese Village section of the Golden Gate International Exposition, held at Treasure Island in San Francisco from 1939 to 1940.  A pagoda is a religious building of the Far East, especially a multistory Buddhist tower, erected as a memorial or shrine.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Jimmy Chan: "That's the Chinese Pagoda."

The Chinese Pagoda

chin fest - (slang) A lengthy conversation.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Deputy Chief J.J. Kilvane: "You and I are going to have an old fashioned chin fest, Charlie." 

Chink - (offensive slang) Used as a disparaging term for a person of Chinese birth or descent.
Charlie Chan Carries On (script) - Max Minchin: "Oh, hello Chink! How's the laundry business?"  (NOTE: Reliable information indicates that this line was not used in the final version of Charlie Chan Carries On.)

chiseler - (1) One who cheats or swindles.  (2) One who obtains by deception.
The Trap - Rick Daniels: "This kid Lois was a chiseler."

choke - (as used) To reduce the air intake of (a carburetor), thereby enriching the fuel mixture.
Shadows Over Chinatown - Jimmy Chan: "Did you choke it?"

chlorine water - An aqueous solution of chlorine used as a bleaching agent.
Charlie Chan's Secret - The Substance used by Charlie Chan to determine the cause of the phosphorescent glow of Allen Colby's face during the séance.

chock-gee - (from Chinese) Certificate proving legal resident status.  Following the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, there were very strict immigration limits placed on the Chinese.  These laws, which were expanded, were in place until repealed in 1943.  During this era, it was not uncommon for persons of Chinese decent, even though they may have been born in the United States, to carry papers proving their legal status.
Charlie Chan's Courage (script) - Constable Brackett: "Let's see your chock-gee."

chop-chop - (Pidgin English) Right away; quickly.
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Lee Chan [posing as a Chinese cabin boy]: "Scat - chop-chop!"

chop suey - A Chinese-American dish consisting of small pieces of meat or chicken cooked with bean sprouts and other vegetables and served with rice. 
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Sgt. Kelly: (Derogatorily referering to Charlie Chan) "You haven't called Chop Suey in on the case, have you, Chief?"
Castle in the Desert - Hotel Owner: "Oh, a chop suey salesman, huh?"

chum - An intimate friend or companion.
The Shanghai Cobra - Ned Stewart: "You've come to the wrong place, chum..."

chump - A stupid or foolish person; a dolt.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Joe Arnold: "...this chump don't look any more like him than I do!" 
Shadows Over Chinatown - Jeff Hay: "I guess I'm the chump of the year."

cinch - A sure thing; a certainty.
Charlie Chan at the Circus - Lt. Macy: "It's a cinch."
Charlie Chan at the Race Track - Lee Chan: "Why, it's a cinch!"
Murder Over New York - Jimmy Chan: "With Narvo's photograph and fingerprints, it'll be a cinch."
Charlie Chan in Rio - Jimmy Chan: "The case is in the bag, a cinch."
Docks of New Orleans - Pete McNally: "This looks like a cinch."

Cinderellas - (1) Those who have unexpectedly achieved recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect.  (2) (Cinderella) A fictional young girl who is saved from her stepmother and stepsisters by her fairy godmother and a handsome prince.
City in Darkness - Marcel Spivak: "I never saw so many Cinderellas."

civvies - (slang) Civilian clothing as opposed to a military uniform.
Shadows Over Chinatown - Jeff Hay: "But, what about the civvies?"

clean bill - (as used) No evidence found to indicate guilt.
Charlie Chan on Broadway - Reporter: "Did you give Burke a clean bill?"

clipped - (slang) To have hit with a sharp blow.
The Trap - Jimmy Chan: "Yeah, he clipped Birmingham."

Clipper (Pan American World Airways Clipper) - On November 11, 1935, Pan American Airway's China Clipper, a Martin M-130 flying boat, made the first transpacific airmail flight from San Francisco to Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila in the Philippines.
 
The China Clipper was the largest flying boat ever, and gave passengers the opportunity to fly in airborne luxury.  The Clipper had a spacious lounge which was wider than a Pullman club car.  In the lounge, passengers could sit in broad armchairs, and they could dine on food served on china.

Following the route pioneered by Captain Musick, Pan American World Airways Clippers flew on a schedule of stops that stretched from San Francisco to Manila.  Hong Kong was soon added as the final leg of a journey that would allow passengers to fly all the way from the U.S. mainland to China. 

Although the Clippers were each named for their destinations, that is, "Hawaii," "Philippine," and "China," they were commonly referred to as "China Clippers."  The China Clipper cruised at about 160 miles per hour and had a range of 3,200 miles.  Later models that were added to the Clipper fleet could cruise at just over 180 miles per hour at a range of about 3,500 miles.  A flight between San Francisco and Honolulu cost passengers a hefty $720 and would take between 18 and 20 hours, flying at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. 

Regular Clipper service between Honolulu and the mainland continued throughout the 1930s and into the start of the next decade until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Charlie Chan made fairly regular use of the Clipper route between Honolulu and San Francisco, flying on the plane to the mainland in Charlie Chan's Secret, Charlie Chan at the Olympics, Charlie Chan in Reno, and Charlie Chan at Treasure Island.

Charlie Chan at the Olympics - Hopkins: "The Clipper left here Wednesday at two o'clock."
Charlie Chan in Reno - Curtis Whitman: "I've reserved seats on the Clipper for both of us..."

Pan American Airways Clipper

cobwebs - Confusion; disorder.
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island - Paul Essex: "This trip blew the cobwebs out of my head."

cockeyed - (slang) Foolish; ridiculous; absurd.
Charlie Chan in Honolulu - Joe Arnold [Mike Hannigan]: "Where do you get that cockeyed dope?"

Cockney - (1) A native of the East End of London.  (2) The dialect or accent of the natives of the East End of London.  
Charlie Chan's Greatest Case (script) - Script direction notes: Brade, a Cockney provincial...

cocktail - Any of various mixed alcoholic drinks consisting usually of brandy, whiskey, vodka, or gin combined with fruit juices or other liquors and often served chilled.
Charlie Chan in Reno - Tombstone Fletcher: "C'mon, he's probably serving cocktails again." 
Castle in the Desert - Professor Gleason: "That was an excellent coctail, Mrs. Manderley."
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service - David Blake: "Mr. Melton asked me to drop by for cocktails."

Cocktail de Bronx (Bronx Cocktail) - 1 oz vermouth, 1 oz gin, juice of 1/4 orange, 1 slice orange.  Shake all ingredients (except orange slice) with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Add the orange slice and serve.  The Bronx Cocktail was supposedly invented by Johnnie Solon of the Waldorf-Astoria bar in Manhattan.
Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo - A "Cocktail de Bronx" was ordered by a couple at the bar in the Hotel Imperial.

Cocos Island - A small island owned by Costa Rica.  Cocos Island lies in the Pacific Ocean about 300 miles south of the Central American country.
Dead Men Tell - Partial text on a poster: "...Dig for $60,000,000 ON COCOS ISLAND"

Cognac - A high quality grape brandy distilled in the Cognac district of France.
City in Darkness - Charlie Chan: "Note, bottle of cognac recently disposed of."

cold turkey - (slang) As used: A cold fish.
Charlie Chan at the Opera - Sgt. Kelly: "I tell you, the dame is cold turkey."

coloratura soprano - A lyric soprano who specializes in coloratura (vocal ornamentation vocal music featuring trills and runs).
Docks of New Orleans - Charlie Chan: "Beautiful lady singing in high coloratura soprano..."

come clean - (idiom) To confess all.
Castle in the Desert - Arthur Fletcher: "Well, I might as well come clean."

comes to - Recovers consiousness.
Charlie Chan at the Circus - Lt. Macy: "If something doesn't break when she comes to..."

confab - (informal) To engage in casual talk.
Docks of New Orleans - Pete McNally: "We ought to have a very interesting confab."

conked - (slang) A blow, especially on the head. 
Murder Over New York - Jimmy Chan: "Just as I stepped in the elevator, he conked me!"