Definition of "Curtis"

A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore, fire.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene i]

The night once come, our happiness, our unhappiness, — it is all abolished; vanished, clean gone; a thing that has been: ‘not of the slightest consequence’ whether we were happy as eupeptic Curtis, as the fattest pig of Epicurus, or unhappy as job with potsherds, as musical Byron with Giaours and sensibilities of the heart […]

1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter IV, Happy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, book III (The Modern Worker)

Without undue haste, we named him Curtis simply because we liked the name. It seemed to suit the little guy too. Knowing my love of aviation, several friends and relatives wrongly assumed we have named him after the Curtiss Aircraft Company. I hadn't thought of this, but it was a great idea. There are some terrific aircraft company names to choose. You'll see the likes of Douglas, Martin, Edwards, Ryan, Miles and Albert just to name a few.

1999, Bernie Runstedler, Jr., Breezes Against My Brow, General Store Publishing House., page 77