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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5bbb114 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54657 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54657) diff --git a/old/54657-0.txt b/old/54657-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7d7fb78..0000000 --- a/old/54657-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16338 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Phrases and Names Their Origins and Meanings, by -Trench H. Johnson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Phrases and Names Their Origins and Meanings - -Author: Trench H. Johnson - -Release Date: May 3, 2017 [EBook #54657] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHRASES AND NAMES *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Bold -characters are delimited with ‘=’, as =bold=. - -Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are -referenced. - -Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding -the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - PHRASES AND NAMES - THEIR ORIGINS AND - MEANINGS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - PHRASES AND NAMES - THEIR ORIGINS AND - MEANINGS - - BY - TRENCH H. JOHNSON - - “_How did such and such a country, city, town, - street, river, natural curiosity, or world-renowned - edifice obtain its name? Whence arose a particular - sobriquet, nickname, byword, epithet, or slang term? - What was the origin of the thousand-and-one phrases - and expressions engrafted upon our vocabulary which - would appear to have no meaning whatever? These - things are worthy of investigation._” - - PHILADELPHIA - J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY - LONDON - T. WERNER LAURIE - - - - - PREFACE - - -_Few words are necessary to introduce this work to the reader. It -partakes of the nature of an encyclopædia, with the saving clause that -the information it sets forth is confined to a plain statement of facts. -Verbal embellishments have been studiously avoided. Those who seek for -additional intelligence may easily obtain it from ordinarily available -sources. To account for the origin of popular phrases and names has been -the author’s sole design. To the best of his knowledge, no other work of -the kind exists. From the stores of his own knowledge, acquired through -many years of omnivorous reading, patient inquiry, and investigation, he -has been enabled to bring together an_ Olla podrida _which should go far -towards supplying a want_. - -_The origin of place-names is interesting in that it opens up the -history of peoples and the civilising influences, if so one might term -it, of conquest. London street-names, in particular, convey in one word -to a person of antiquarian tastes as much meaning as “a volume of -forgotten lore.” As to phrases and expressions, the author has made a -special study of the subject. A great many Americanisms have been -included, but as the number is daily increasing it would require a -monthly publication of such home-made phrases to keep fully abreast with -the times. That nothing should be wanting in the way of exhaustiveness, -it has been thought advisable to incorporate in the text a number of -slang terms and expressions which daily assail one’s ears. To the author -the compilation of this volume has been a pleasant recreation in the -intervals of more exacting literary labours. If it be found to contain a -plethora of good things, the reader will, of course, take them out in -small doses._ - - _T. H. J._ - -LONDON, 1906. - - - - - Phrases and Names - - - A - - -=A1.= An expression meaning “first-rate.” Derived from Lloyd’s “Registry - of Shipping,” in which letters denote the quality of a ship’s hull, - and figures that of its equipment. A vessel registered A1 is of the - first class in all respects. - -=Abbey Laird.= An insolvent debtor who in former times sought the - sanctuary of the precincts of Holyrood Abbey against arrest. - -=Abbey Road.= From the ancient abbey of the Holy Virgins of St John the - Baptist in St John’s Wood. - -=Abbotsford.= The name given by Sir Walter Scott to his residence on the - banks of the Tweed, from the poetical assumption that the abbots of - Melrose must have forded the stream hereabouts in olden times. - -=A.B.C. Girls.= Waitresses at the depots of the Aerated Bread Company - Limited. - -=Aberdeen.= From the Celtic _aber_, estuary, confluence; the town at the - mouth of the Dee. - -=Abernethy Biscuits.= From the name of the baker who introduced them. - Their connection with Dr Abernethy was repudiated by the great - physician himself. - -=Aberystwith.= The town at the mouth of the Ystwith. - -=Abigail.= The generic name for a waiting-maid, in allusion to the - handmaid who introduced herself to David (1 Sam. xxv. 23). Its - popularity during the second half of the seventeenth century may be - accounted for by the fact that the maiden name of Mrs Masham, the - waiting-woman of Queen Anne, was Abigail Hill. - -=Abingdon.= A corruption of Abbendon, the town of abbeys, being a place - famed for religious houses far back in Anglo-Saxon days. - -=Abingdon Street.= From the ancient town residence of the Earls of - Abingdon. - -=Abney Park.= From Abney House, now a Conservative Club, the residence - of Sir Thomas Abney, Lord Mayor of London. Dr Isaac Watts passed - away at Abney House in 1748. - -=Abode of Love.= See “Agapemonites.” - -=Abolitionists.= The party sworn to the total and immediate abolition of - slavery in the United States. - -=Above Board.= Open, not playing an underhanded game. The owners of the - gaming-tables on a race-course unsuspectedly regulated the issue of - the spinning hand on the board by means of a treadle. - -=Abraham Newlands.= Bank of England notes, so called from the signature - they bore early in the last century. - -=Absinthe.= From the Greek _apsnithion_, wormwood. - -=Absquatulate.= A Far-West Americanism. A squatter who suddenly left his - claim was said to have absquatulated. - -=Abyssinia.= The country of the Abassins, or “mixed races.” - -=Academy.= From the garden of Academus, where Plato taught his - disciples; called on this account the Academics, or Academic School - of Philosophy. - -=According to Cocker.= Strictly correct. After Edward Cocker of Paul’s - Chain, who published a most popular arithmetic. - -=According to Gunter.= An expression much used in America for anything - done properly and systematically. The allusion is to Edmund Gunter, - the celebrated mathematician, who invented a chain and scale for - measuring. - -=Achilles Tendon.= The tendon reaching from the calf of the leg to the - heel. See “Heel of Achilles.” - -=Acknowledge the Corn.= An Americanism of extremely popular application. - Its origin is thus given by _The Pittsburg Commercial Advertiser_: - “Some years ago a raw customer from the upper country determined to - try his fortune at New Orleans. Accordingly he provided himself with - two flat boats--one laden with corn and the other with potatoes--and - down the river he went. The night after his arrival he went up town - to a gambling-house. Of course, he commenced betting, and, his luck - proving unfortunate, he lost. When his money was gone he bet his - ‘truck’; and the corn and potatoes followed the money. At last, when - evidently cleaned out, he returned to his boats at the wharf, where - the evidences of a new misfortune presented themselves. Through some - accident or other the flat boat containing the corn was sunk, and a - total loss. Consoling himself as well as he could he went to sleep, - dreaming of gamblers, potatoes, and corn. It was scarcely sunrise, - however, when he was disturbed by the ‘child of chance,’ who had - arrived to take possession of the two boats as his winnings. Slowly - awakening from his sleep, our hero, rubbing his eyes and looking the - man in the face, replied: ‘Stranger, I acknowledge the corn--take - ’em; but the potatoes you _can’t_ have, by thunder!’ Since that time - it has become customary for a man who frankly admits having been - hoaxed or beaten to say: ‘I acknowledge the corn.’” - -=Acropolis.= From the Greek _akros_, highest, and _polis_, city. A - citadel or fortress overlooking a city, as at Athens. - -=Acton.= Anglo-Saxon for “Oak Town,” built in the neighbourhood of a - great oak forest. - -=Actors’ Day.= A day--the third Thursday in October--set apart for a - performance in all the theatres of the United Kingdom in aid of the - various theatrical charities--actors being pledged to give their - services, dramatic authors to forego their fees, and managers to - devote the entire receipts to the good cause. - -=Adam Street.= After the Brothers Adam, who built the streets - collectively styled the “Adelphi.” - -=Adam’s Needle.= A plant so called from its long, pointed leaves. - Whether he and his spouse strung their aprons together by its means - is doubtful. - -=Adam’s Wine.= Drinking water, because Adam knew not the fermented juice - of the grape. - -=Ada Rehan.= This American actress is of Irish extraction, her name - being “Regan,” but on entering the dramatic profession she changed - it to “Rehan.” - -=Addison of the North.= The literary sobriquet of Henry Fielding, author - of “The Man of Feeling,” on account of the purity and elegance of - his style. - -=Addison Road.= After the great English essayist, who, having married - the Dowager Countess of Warwick, lived and died at Holland House, - Kensington. - -=Addled Parliament.= A memorable session during the reign of James I., - which, though it lasted from 5th April 1614 to 7th June 1615, passed - no new measure whatever. - -=Adelaide.= The capital of South Australia, an island, and also a noted - hostelry on Haverstock Hill, named in honour of the consort of - William IV. - -=Adelphi.= The collective name for several streets and a noble terrace - on the south side of the Strand, built by the Brothers Adam. - _Adelphi_ is Greek for “brothers.” - -=Adieu.= Originally a popular commendation to the care of God--_A Dieu!_ - -=Adonis.= The name given to a beautiful youth, and also to the anemone, - after Adonis, who was beloved by Venus. The flower is said to have - sprung from his blood when he was gored to death by a wild boar in - the chase. - -=Admirable Crichton.= The designation of one accomplished in all the - arts. “Admirable” Crichton was a noted Scottish prodigy of the - sixteenth century. - -=Admiral.= From the Arabic _emir-el-bahr_, Lord of the Sea. - -=Adrianople.= The city founded by the Emperor Hadrian. - -=Adriatic Sea.= After the Emperor Hadrian. - -=Adullamites.= Those who in 1866 seceded from the Reform Party. John - Bright said they had retired to the Cave of Adullam, there to gather - around them all the discontented. The allusion was to David’s flight - from Saul (1. Sam. xxii. 1, 2). - -=Ad valorem.= A Customs term for duties levied according to the stated - value of goods imported. The duty on various qualities of the same - goods may therefore differ. - -=Ædiles.= Civil officers of Rome who had the care of the streets and - _ædes_, or public buildings. - -=Æolian Harp.= A lute placed in the trees for the zephyrs to play upon, - so called after Æolus, the god of the winds. - -=Æsculapius.= The generic term for a physician, after the one of this - name mentioned by Homer, who was afterwards deified in the Greek - mythology. - -=Afghanistan.= Pursuant to the Persian _stan_, the country of the - Afghans. - -=Africa.= From the Phœnician _afer_, a black man, and the Sanskrit - _ac_, earth, land, country. This great continent is the natural home - of the blacks--the negroes of North America and the West Indian - Islands being descended from the slaves carried thither from the - west coast of Africa since the time of the original slave trader, - Sir John Hawkins, in 1562. - -=Agapæ.= Love feasts of the Romans, from the Greek _agape_, love. - -=Agapemonites.= An old term which has newly come into vogue in our day. - _Agapemone_ is Greek for “abode of love.” There was such a retreat - early in the nineteenth century at Charlynch, Somerset, the seat of - the Agapemonists or Agapemonites, followers of Henry James Prince, - an ex-Churchman. - -=Agar Street.= After William Agar, a wealthy lawyer, who resided in it. - See “Agar Town.” - -=Agar Town.= A now vanished district covered by St Pancras Railway - Station, the lease of which was acquired by William Agar in 1840 for - building purposes. - -=Agate.= From _Achates_, the Greek name of a Sicilian river, in the bed - of which this gem was found in abundance. - -=Agnostic.= From the Greek _a_, without, and _gnomi_, to know. One who - professes a belief only in what he knows or can discover for - himself. Literally a “know-nothing.” - -=Agony Column.= At first this newspaper column was confined to - distressful inquiries for missing relatives and friends. Latterly it - has become a tacit means of communication between persons who, for - various reasons, cannot exchange letters sent through the post. - -=Ahoy.= From _Aoi_, the battle cry of the Norsemen as they ran their - galleys upon the enemy. - -=Aigrette.= A French word, denoting the tall white plume of a heron. - From a feather head-dress the term has now come to be applied to an - ornament of gems worn by a lady on the crown of her head when in - full evening dress. - -=Air of a Gentleman.= In this sense the word “air” is synonymous with - “manner” and “deportment.” - -=Air Street.= When laid out and built upon in 1659 this was the most - westerly street in London. The allusion to fresh air is obvious. - -=Aix-la-Chapelle.= The _Aquis Granum_ of the Romans, famous for its - baths. Hence the German name Aachen, expressive of many springs. The - place is also noted for its many churches; the cathedral, which grew - out of the original chapel, contains the shrine of Charlemagne. - -=Alabama.= Indian for “here we rest.” - -=A la Guillotine.= The name given in France after the Revolution to the - fashion of wearing the hair very short, in memory of friends and - relatives who had fallen victims to the “Guillotine.” - -=A la Watteau.= The name given to a stage ballet in which the pretty - rustic costumes are after the style of those ever present in the - pastoral paintings of Antoine Watteau, the famous French artist. - Reproductions of his pictures frequently also figure on expensive - furniture--screens in particular. - -=Albania.= From the Latin _albus_, white, “the country of snowy mountain - ranges.” - -=Albany.= A commodious range of bachelor chambers in Piccadilly, at one - time the residence of Frederick, son of George III., created Duke of - York and Albany. - -=Albany Street.= After the Duke of York and Albany, _temp._ George III. - -=Albemarle Street.= In the West End street of this name resided - Christopher Monk, second Duke of Albemarle. The other, in - Clerkenwell, was built upon when General Monk, the first Duke of - Albemarle, was at the zenith of his popularity. - -=Albert.= After the Prince Consort, to whom the jewellers of Birmingham - presented a short gold watch-chain on the occasion of his visit to - that city in 1849. - -=Albert Gate.= After Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria. The - Albert Bridge, Albert Memorial, and Royal Albert Hall likewise - perpetuate his name. - -=Albigensis.= Christian heretics of the twelfth century, drawn from the - Albigeois, whose capital was Albi, in Languedoc. - -=Albion.= The name given to Britain by the Romans on account of its - (_albus_) white cliffs, as approached from the sea. - -=Alcantara.= From the Arabic _Al-kantarah_, “the bridge,” referring to - the fine stone bridge built by Trajan. - -=Alcove.= From the Arabic _El-kauf_ through the Spanish _alcoba_, a - tent. - -=Aldermanbury.= The _bury_ or enclosed place in which stood the first - Guildhall prior to the reign of Henry IV. - -=Alderney.= In French Aurigny, from the Latin Aurinia, Isle of Light. - -=Aldersgate Street.= From the ancient city gate near which grew several - fine alder-trees. - -=Aldgate.= From the Auld Gate of Saxon London, the earliest of the city - gates. - -=Aldine Editions.= Early editions of the classics produced and given to - the world by Aldo Manuzio, the celebrated printer of Venice, in the - sixteenth century. - -=Aldwych.= An old name for a magnificent new thoroughfare which has - taken the place of quaint, out-of-date Wych Street, anciently - described as _Auld Wych_, leading as it did to the old village, - whose parish church was that of St Giles’s in the Fields. - -=Ale-stake.= The pole anciently set up in front of an alehouse. This was - at first surmounted by a bush, in imitation of a wine bush; later it - became exchanged for a sign. - -=Ale-wife.= An old name for the wife of a tavern keeper. - -=Alexandra Limp.= When our present Queen, as Princess of Wales, having - sustained an injury to her knee, was walking lame, it became the - fashion to imitate her gait. - -=Alexandria.= The city founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 332. - -=Aleutian Islands.= From the Russian _aleut_, “bald rock.” - -=Alfreton.= Properly Alfred’s Town, identified with Alfred the Great. - -=Algiers.= From the Arabic _Al Jezair_, “the peninsula.” - -=Alhambra.= From the Arabic _Kal-at-al-hamra_, “the red castle.” - -=Alibi.= Latin for “elsewhere.” - -=A Little too Previous.= An Americanism for being in too great a hurry; - rushing at conclusions; saying or doing a thing without sufficient - warranty. - -=All Abroad.= Provincial for scattered wits; “all over the place.” - -=Allahabad.= Arabic and Persian for “City of God.” - -=All Bosh.= The introduction of the term “Bosh” into our vocabulary must - be accredited to James Morier, in whose Oriental romances, “The - Adventures of Haiji Baba of Ispahan” and “Ayesha,” it frequently - appears. _Bosh_ is Persian and Turkish, signifying rubbish, - nonsense, silly talk. - -=Alleghany.= A corruption of Alligewi, the name of an Indian tribe. - -=Allemanni.= Teutonic for “All Men”; expressing a confederacy. - -=All-fired.= An Americanism for “great”--_e.g._ “He came in an all-fired - hurry.” - -=All-hallowe’en.= The vigil of “All-hallows’ Day.” - -=All-hallows’-Barking.= This ancient church, dedicated to All the - Saints, belonged to the Abbey at Barking, Essex. - -=All-hallows’ Day.= The old-time designation of All Saints’ Day, from - Anglo-Saxon _halig_, holy. - -=All Moonshine.= As the light of the moon is reflected from the sun, so - an incredible statement received at second hand is said to be “all - moonshine.” - -=All my Eye and Betty Martin.= A corruption of _Ah mihi, beate Martine_ - (Woe to me, Blessed Martin), formerly used by beggars in Italy to - invoke their patron saint. The story goes that a sailor who wandered - into a church in that country, hearing these words, afterwards told - his companions that all he could make out from the service was: “All - my eye and Betty Martin.” - -=All Saints’ Bay.= Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci on the Feast of All - Saints, 1503. - -=All Saints’ Day.= The day set apart by the Church for the invocation of - the whole body of canonised saints. - -=All Serena.= From the Spanish _serena_, used by sentinels as a - countersign for “All’s well.” - -=All Souls’ College.= Founded at Oxford by Henry Chichely, Archbishop of - Canterbury, for the perpetual offering up of prayers on behalf of - the souls of those who fell in the wars of Henry V. in France. - -=All Souls’ Day.= The day of special prayers for the liberation of the - suffering souls in Purgatory. The French people make it a point of - duty to visit the graves of their deceased relatives on this day. - -=All the Go.= Originally a drapers’ phrase, meaning that a certain line - of goods is “going” fast and will soon be gone. A publisher, too, - thinks a book should “go” with the reading public. - -=All There.= An Americanism expressive of one who has all his wits about - him. - -=Almack’s.= Fashionable assembly-rooms in King Street, St James’s, - opened 12th February 1765 by MacCall, a Scotsman, who inverted his - name to remove all suspicion of his origin. The next proprietor - called them Willis’s Rooms, after himself. In 1890 they were - converted into a restaurant. - -=Almighty Dollar.= For this expression we are indebted to Washington - Irving, who in his sketch of “The Creole Village” (1837) spoke of it - as “the great object of universal devotion throughout our land.” - -=Alnwick.= The _wick_, or village, on the Alne. - -=Alpaca.= Cloth made from the wool of the Peruvian sheep of the same - name, akin to the llama. - -=Alps.= From the Latin _albus_, white, the mountains eternally capped - with snow. - -=Alsace.= Teutonic for “the other seat,” being the abode of their own - people west of the Rhine. With the Celtic suffix the name became - “Alsatia.” - -=Alsatia.= Anciently the district of Whitefriars, which, being a - sanctuary for law-breakers, received the name of the Rhine province - notorious as the common refuge of the disaffected. - -=Alter Ego.= Expresses the Latin for “my other self” or “double.” - -=Amadeus.= The family name of the House of Savoy, from its motto: “Love - God.” - -=Amain.= A nautical phrase meaning suddenly, at once--_e.g._ “Strike - amain,” “Lower amain.” - -=Amateur Casual.= The literary sobriquet of Mr James Greenwood, who in - 1866 spent a night in Lambeth Workhouse, and wrote his experiences - in _The Pall Mall Gazette_. Within the last few months he has - undertaken a similar up-to-date commission for _The Tribune_. - -=Amati.= A violin of rare excellence made by Andrea Amati of Cremona. - -=Amazon.= The Spaniards first called this river the Orellana, in honour - of their countryman who navigated it, but after hearing accounts of - the fighting women on its banks they gave it the name of the fabled - African tribe of warlike women who cut or burnt off the right breast - in order the better to steady the bow. The word Amazon is Greek, - from _a_, without, and _maza_, breast. - -=Ambrosian Chant.= Ascribed to St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the fourth - century. - -=Ambuscade.= From the Italian _imboscata_, concealed in a wood. - -=Amen.= Hebrew for “Yea,” “Truly,” “So be it.” - -=Amen Corner.= Old Stow tells us this lane was suddenly stopped up in - his time, so that people said “Amen” on finding they had to turn - back again. There may be something in this; but the greater - likelihood is that it was here where the monks finished the recital - of the Paternoster before they took up the Ave Maria while on their - way in solemn procession to St Paul’s at the great Church festivals. - -=America.= After Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine adventurer, who chanced - to be at Seville when Columbus was preparing for his second voyage - to the West. With Ojeda, Vespucci embarked upon an independent - expedition. Subsequently he made further voyages in Portuguese - ships, and discovered the Bay of All Saints. His remaining days were - spent in the service of the King of Spain, preparing charts and - prescribed routes to the New World. Although these official - publications bore his signature, Vespucci never claimed to have - discovered the great Western Continent. A wonderful narrative of his - voyages, however, purporting to have been written by Vespucci, found - its way into the hands of Martin Waldseemuller of Freiburg, Baden. - This he translated, and caused it to be published by a bookseller at - St Die in Lorraine in 1507. In his preface to the work Waldseemuller - suggested that the newly discovered country should be called - America, after the author, who had visited it. Hence the name really - originated in Germany. - -=American Indians.= See “Indians.” - -=Americanism.= A coined word or phrase in the United States which, - freely repeated, tickles the popular ear and soon becomes engrafted - upon the national vocabulary. Many Americanisms are now as common in - England as in the land of their origin. The term may also be applied - to such American deviations from British custom, as the substitution - of “Depot” for Railway Station, “News-stand” for Bookstall, “On the - street” for “In the street,” etc. etc. - -=Amiens.= From the Latin _ambiens_, surrounded by water. Three branches - of the River Somme run through the city. - -=Ammonites.= The descendants of Ben-ammi, the son of Lot (Gen. xxix. - 38). - -=Among the Gods.= At the time when the expression first came into use, - the ceiling of Drury Lane Theatre was embellished with classical - deities disporting themselves among the clouds in an azure sky. - -=Among the Missing.= An Americanism for an absentee. When a person - wishes to be “out” to a visitor, he tells the servant that he - prefers to be “among the missing.” - -=Amorica.= The country of the Armorici, “dwellers on the sea.” - -=Ampthill Square.= From Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, one of the seats of - the ground landlord, the Duke of Bedford. - -=Amsterdam.= The town built on the dam of the Amstel. - -=Amwell Street.= After one of the wells in Hertfordshire, whose waters - were drawn upon by Sir Hugh Myddleton for the New River. - -=Anabaptists.= Conformably to the Greek _ana_, twice, the designation of - the original Baptists, who, having been baptised at birth, went - through the ceremony a second time on reaching maturity. - -=Anacreon Moore.= The sobriquet of Thomas Moore, who translated the - _Odes_ of Anacreon, and constructed his own verses on the same - classic model. - -=Anatolia.= The Turkish and Greek description of Asia Minor, from - _anatolie_, east--_i.e._ of Constantinople. - -=Ancient.= Iago is described as Othello’s “ancient.” Even in - Shakespeare’s day this word was a corruption of _ensign_, or - standard-bearer. - -=Ancient Lights.= After having enjoyed the light of a window on his - premises for twenty years uninterruptedly a person may, subject to - displaying the notice “ancient lights,” prevent that light from - being intercepted by any other building. - -=Ancona.= From the Greek _agkon_, elbow, relative to its position on an - angle of the coast. - -=Andalusia.= Properly Vandalusia, the country of the Vandals. - -=Andes.= From the Peruvian _anta_, copper. - -=Andrea Ferrara.= A world-famous Italian sword blade made by Andrea of - the city of Ferrara. - -=Angel.= An inn sign, originally the “Angel and Salutation,” depicting - the visit of the angel who announced to the Virgin that she was to - be the mother of the Redeemer. - -=Angelic Doctor.= One of the sobriquets of St Thomas Aquinas, - universally regarded as “The Angel of the Schools.” He is said also - to have written much on the nature of angels. - -=Anglesea.= Properly Anglesey, expressing, from the point of view of the - Celtic inhabitants of Wales, the _ey_, or island of the Angles. - -=Anglesea Morris.= After William Morris, who caught this species of fish - off the Isle of Anglesea. - -=Angola.= Wool brought from Angola on the West Coast of Africa. - -=Angostura Bitters.= Prepared from the celebrated medicinal bark - discovered by Capuchin monks in the Venezuelan city Angostura, which - name signifies a strait. - -=Anguilla Island.= West Indian for “Little Snake,” from its shape. - -=Anisette.= A cordial prepared from aniseed. - -=Annunciator.= An Americanism for bell or gong. - -=Antarctic Ocean.= That situate _anti_, opposite to, the Arctic Ocean. - -=Antelope State.= Nebraska, from the number of antelopes found there. - -=Anthem.= A hymn sung by the entire congregation, as distinguished from - Antiphone, which term expresses a series of choral responses. - -=Antigua.= Expresses the Spanish for an ancient city. - -=Antwerp.= In French Anvers, the _Antverpia_ of the Romans. - -=Any.= An Americanism for “at all”--_e.g._ “It didn’t trouble me any.” - -=Apache State.= Arizona, the scene of many bloodthirsty encounters with - the wild Apaches. - -=Apennines.= The Pennine Alps, from the Celtic _ben_, which is the same - as the Welsh _pen_, summit or mountain head. - -=Apollinaris Water.= Brought from the famous mineral spring in the - valley of the Ahor of the Rhine province. The ruins of a temple of - Apollo gave the name to the spot. - -=Apothecary.= The old name for a dispenser of medicines. The Greek word - really implies a storehouse or depository; it is compounded out of - _apo_, to put away, and _theke_, chest, box. Differing from modern - chemists and druggists, licentiates of the Apothecaries’ Company may - visit the sick and prescribe for them, as well as make up - physicians’ prescriptions. - -=Appian Way.= The construction of this famous road leading from Rome to - Capua was commenced by Appius Claudius. - -=Apostle of Temperance.= Father Mathew, the inveterate enemy of tipplers - in the Emerald Isle of his time. - -=Apostles’ Creed.= The whole summary of Christian Faith, according to - the Apostles. - -=Apostolic Fathers.= Those early doctors of the Church who, living in - the first century after Christ, received their teaching from His - disciples, if they did not actually enjoy personal communion with - the Apostles. - -=Apricot.= From the Latin _præcoqus_, early ripe. - -=April.= The month in which the buds begin to shoot, from _aperio_, to - open. - -=April Fish.= The French equivalent of “April Fool,” since, like a fish, - the unsuspecting victim of a practical joke is easily caught. - -=April Fool.= The custom of April Fooling originated in France, which - country took the lead in shifting the New Year from what is now Lady - Day to the 1st of January. This occurred in 1564. From the earliest - periods of history people bestowed gifts upon their neighbours at - the New Year, but as the 25th of March so often fell in Holy Week, - even on Good Friday itself, the Church uniformly postponed the - celebration of the New Year until the octave--viz. the 1st of April. - When, therefore, New Year’s Day had been transferred to the 1st of - January, people paid mock visits to their friends on the 1st of - April with the object of fooling them into the belief that matters - remained as they were. The like custom was introduced into England - on the alteration of our calendar in 1762. April Fools’ Day is - supposed to be over at twelve o’clock, since the New Year’s - visitation and bestowal of gifts always took place before noon. - -=Apsley House.= The residence of the Duke of Wellington, built by Henry - Apsley, Lord Chancellor, afterwards Lord Bathurst. - -=Aquarians.= A Christian sect of the fourth century who substituted - water for wine in the Communion. - -=Aqua Tofana.= A colourless poison invented by a Sicilian woman named - Tofana towards the close of the seventeenth century. So extensive - was her secret traffic with this liquid among young married women - who were anxious to rid themselves of their husbands that when, at a - great age, Tofana was dragged from the convent where she had taken - refuge, and executed, she admitted to having caused the deaths of - 600 persons. - -=Arabia.= The country of the Arabs, or “men of the desert.” - -=Arbor Day.= A day set apart in America for planting trees. - -=Arbroath.= Originally Aberbrothockwick, the village at the mouth of the - Brothock. - -=Arcadian.= An ideal farmer or a rustic scene; after the Arcadians, who - were essentially a pastoral race. - -=Arcadian Poetry.= Pastoral poetry, in allusion to the Arcadians. - -=Archangel.= A town in Russia which derived its name from a great - monastery of St Michael the Archangel. - -=Archer-fish.= A fish endowed with the power of shooting water at - insects, which thus become an easy prey. - -=Archway Road.= Leads to the modern successor of the famous Highgate - Archway opened in 1813. - -=Arctic Ocean.= From the Greek _arktos_, bear, having reference to the - great northern constellation. - -=Ardennes.= The great forest on the heights. - -=Argand Lamp.= After its inventor, Aimé Argand. - -=Argentine Republic.= The modern name of Argentina, through which runs - the La Plata, or River of Silver. While preserving their original - designation of the river, the Spaniards Latinised that of the - country. - -=Argosy.= A vessel laden with rich merchandise, from the _Argo_, in - which Jason and his fellow-adventurers, the Argonauts, sailed to - Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece, B.C. 1263. - -=Argyll.= From _Garra Ghaidhael_, the country of the West Gaels. - -=Argyll Street.= From the old town mansion of the Dukes of Argyll. The - celebrated Argyll Rooms, now the Trocadero Restaurant, were a far - cry from the other extreme of Regent Street. - -=Argus-eyed.= After the fabled Argus, who had a hundred eyes. - -=Arians.= The followers of the first Christian heretic, Arius, a - presbyter of the Church of Alexandria in the fourth century. - -=Arizona.= Indian for “sand-hills.” - -=Arkansas.= The same as Kansas, “smoky water,” with the French suffix - _arc_, a bow. - -=Arkansas Toothpick.= The Far-West designation of a “Bowie Knife,” the - blade of which, as used by the people of this state, shuts up into - the handle. - -=Arlington Street.= From the town mansion of Henry Bennett, Earl of - Arlington. - -=Arminians.= The anti-Calvinists of Holland, led by James Harmensen - under the Latinised name of Jacobus Arminius. - -=Arras.= Mediæval tapestry, for the production of which the town of - Arras, in the French Netherlands, was famous. - -=Arrowroot.= So called because the Indians of tropical America regarded - the root of the plant as efficacious against arrow wounds. - -=Artemus Ward.= The pseudonym of Charles Farrar Browne, the American - humorous lecturer. This was, however, the actual name of an - eccentric showman whom he had encountered on his travels. - -=Artesian Well.= From Artois, where such wells were first bored. - -=Arthur’s Seat.= Said to have derived its name from King Arthur, but how - his association with the city of Edinburgh arose no man can tell. - -=Artichoke.= From the Arabic _ardischauki_, earth thorn. - -=Artillery Lane.= Stands on part of the site of the practising ground of - the London Artillery Company, _temp._ Henry VIII., and later of the - Tower Gunners, when all the land towards the north hereabouts was - open fields. - -=Arundel.= The dale of the River Arun. - -=Arundel Street.= That in the Strand from the town mansion and extensive - grounds of the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and - Surrey. That in the Haymarket after the ground landlord, Lord - Arundel of Wardour. - -=Ascension Island.= Discovered by the Portuguese on the Feast of the - Ascension, 1501. - -=As Cross as Two Sticks.= Two sticks held together in the centre like - the letter X form a cross. - -=Ashby-de-la-Zouch.= The home among the ash-trees of the De La Zouches. - _By_ expresses the Anglo-Saxon for a dwelling. - -=Asia.= From the Sanskrit _Ushas_, “land of the dawn.” By the Western - nations Asiatics were anciently styled “the people of the sun.” - -=Asia Minor.= Lesser Asia, called by the Turks and Greeks “Anatolia.” - -=Aspasia.= A flower named after Aspasia of Miletus, the mistress of - Pericles. - -=As Poor as a Church Mouse.= A church is one of the very few buildings - that contain neither kitchen nor larder. Church mice, therefore, - have a hungry time of it. - -=As Rich as a Jew.= The Jews in England were the first usurers, bankers, - and bill-brokers. They only had the command of ready money, the - wealth of the nobility consisting in the possession of broad lands. - -=Assumptionists.= A modern religious Order, founded fifty years ago, - whose full title is the Augustinians of the Assumption. - -=Astoria.= From the fur-trading station established in 1811 by John - Jacob Astor of New York. - -=Astrakhan.= Fur brought from Astrakhan, which name signifies the - country or district ruled by a khan of the Tartar or Mogul Empire. - -=Asturia.= From the Basque _asta_, rock, and _ura_, water, denoting a - region of mountains and estuaries. - -=Atlantic Ocean.= Called by the Greeks _Atlantikos pelagos_, from the - Isle of Atlantis, imagined by Homer and Plato to be beyond the - Strait of Gibraltar. - -=Athanasian Creed.= Opinions affecting the doctrine of the Trinity, - ascribed to St Athanasius of Alexandria, adopted and formally - compiled by St Hilary, Bishop of Arles in the fifth century. - -=Athens.= From the Temple of Athene, or Minerva, the tutelary goddess of - the city. - -=Athens of America.= The city of Boston, considered the chief seat of - learning in the New World. - -=Athens of the South.= Nashville, Tennessee, on account of the number of - its scholastic institutions. - -=Athelney.= The “Royal Island” or “Isle of the Nobles,” where Alfred the - Great founded a Benedictine monastery. - -=Atlas.= Since the publication of “Mercator’s Projections,” with the - figure of Atlas bearing the globe on his shoulders as a - frontispiece, in 1560, all books of maps have received this name. - -=At Loggerheads.= See “Loggerhead.” - -=Auburn.= From the Anglo-Saxon Auld Bourne, old bourn, or stream. - -=Auckland.= The capital of New Zealand, named in honour of Lord - Auckland, a famous politician of his time, who became - Governor-General of India, and after his retirement was elected - President of the Asiatic Society. His ancestor, the first Lord - Auckland, took his title from Auckland in Durham, which name was - originally Oakland. - -=Audley Street= (North and South). Perpetuate the memory of Hugh Audley, - a barrister of the Middle Temple, whose landed estates hereabouts - were computed at his death in 1662 to be worth a million of money. - -=Augsburg Confession.= The Lutheran Confession of faith drawn up by - Melancthon, and presented by Martin Luther to Charles V. during the - sitting of the German Diet at Augsburg in 1530. - -=August.= After Augustus Cæsar, who regarded this as his lucky month. - Its original name was _Sextilis_, the sixth month of the Roman year. - -=Augustan Age.= The best literary age of any country, because Rome in - the time of Augustus Cæsar produced the finest examples of Latin - literature. - -=Augustin Friars.= The religious Order said to have been founded by St - Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. See “Austin Friars.” - -=Auld Reekie.= The name given to the old part of Edinburgh, from the - cloud of reek or smoke which usually caps it. - -=Austin Friars.= Part of the site of the priory of the Augustin Friars, - whose church still remains. - -=Australasia.= Southern Asia. - -=Australia.= From the Latin _Australis_, southern. - -=Austria.= From _Oesterreich_, or Eastern Empire, as distinguished from - the Western Empire founded by Charlemagne. - -=Autocar.= The name first given to a motor car; incorrectly, however, - since so far from being automatic such a one, like all mechanically - propelled vehicles, requires a guiding intelligence. - -=Autun.= The _Augustodunum_, or Town of Augustus, of the Romans. - -=Auvergne.= From the _Auverni_, who overran it in the time of the - Cæsars. - -=Avoca.= Gaelic for “the meeting of the waters.” - -=Ave Maria Lane.= Where the monks of old chanted the “Ave Maria” on - their way to St Paul’s. See “Amen Corner.” - -=Avon.= From _Arfon_, the Celtic for river or stream, which enters into - many place-names. - -=Axminster.= The monastery town on the Axe. - -=Ayah.= Hindustani for waiting-woman or nurse. - -=Aye-Vye.= An animal found in Madagascar, so called from its cry. - -=Aylesbury Street.= From the town house and garden of the Earls of - Aylesbury. - -=Azores.= The Portuguese named this group of islands Acores, the plural - of _acor_, hawk, on account of the great number of hawks there. - -=Azov.= A Russianised form of Asak, the name given to it by the Tartars. - - - B - - -=Bacchanalia.= Roman festivals in honour of Bacchus, the god of wine. - -=Bacchus Verses.= Verses written in praise or dispraise of Bacchus, and - affixed to the doors of the College at Eton on “Collop Monday.” - -=Bachelor Girl.= One who lives in her own rooms, belongs to a woman’s - club, and considers herself superior to what is called home - influence--a distinctly modern creation. - -=Backgammon.= From the Saxon _Bac_ and _gamen_, “back-game,” because the - pieces have at times to go back and be moved up afresh. - -=Back a Man.= To have full confidence in him. From backing or endorsing - a bill on another’s behalf. - -=Badajoz.= Called by the Moors _Beledaix_, “Land of Health.” - -=Bad Egg.= A man who is commercially or morally unsound, and therefore - fit only to be shunned. - -=Badger State.= Wisconsin, from the name given to the early miners, who - made for themselves winter habitations in the earth, like a badger. - -=Badminton.= A drink of spiced claret, and also a game of tennis played - with shuttlecocks instead of balls, introduced by the Duke of - Beaufort at Badminton, his country seat. - -=Baffin’s Bay.= After William Baffin, the pilot of an expedition sent - out to explore this region in 1616. - -=Bagatelle.= From the Italian _bagetella_, a conjurer’s trick. - -=Baggage.= A term often applied to a woman, because the wives of - soldiers taken on foreign service go with the stores and baggage - generally. In the United States this word is an equivalent for the - English “Luggage.” - -=Bagman.= The old name for a commercial traveller, who carried his - samples in a bag. - -=Bag o’ Nails.= A popular corruption of the ancient inn sign, “The - Bachannals,” referring to Pan and the Satyrs. - -=Bag o’ Tricks.= In allusion to the large bag in which an itinerant - conjurer carried his tricks. - -=Bakers’ Dozen.= In olden times, when bread was sold in open market - instead of shops, women took up the trade of selling bread from door - to door. They received from the bakers thirteen loaves for the price - of twelve, the odd one constituting their profit. - -=Baker Street.= After Sir Edward Baker, a great friend of the Portmans - of Dorsetshire, the ground landlords. - -=Bakshish.= A Persian word for “gratuity.” - -=Balaklava.= When settled by the Genoese, they gave it the name of - _Bella-chiava_, or “Fair Haven.” - -=Balearic Islands.= From the Greek _ballein_, to throw, expresses the - Island of Slingers. - -=Ball.= A dancing party received this name primarily from the curious - ancient Ball Play in Church by the Dean and choir boys of Naples - during the “Feast of Fools” at Easter. While singing an antiphon the - boys caught the ball thrown by the Dean as they danced around him. - At private dancing parties the dancers always threw a ball at one - another as, to the sound of their own voices, they whirled around in - sets, the pastime consisting in loosening hands in time to catch it. - Afterwards the ball was discarded, but the dance time received the - name of a Ballad, from the Latin _ballare_, to dance. - -=Ballad.= See “Ball.” - -=Ballet.= Expresses the French diminutive of _bal_, a dance. See “Ball.” - -=Ball’s Pond.= From an inn, the “Salutation,” kept by John Ball, whose - dog and duck sports in a large pond attracted a great concourse of - visitors in former days. - -=Balsover Street.= From Balsover, Derbyshire, the seat of the Fitzroys, - Dukes of Grafton, the ground landlords. - -=Baltic Sea.= A sea of belts or straits. _Bält_ is Norse for strait. - -=Baltimore.= After Lord Baltimore, the founder of the neighbouring state - of Maryland. - -=Baltimore Bird.= Though found almost everywhere in the United States, - it is said to have received its name from the correspondence of its - colours with those distinguished in the arms of Lord Baltimore, the - Governor of Maryland. - -=Bancroft Road.= After Francis Bancroft, the founder of the Drapers’ - Almshouses, in this road. - -=Bandana.= The Hindu term for silk goods generally, but now applied to - cotton pocket-handkerchiefs with white or yellow spots on a blue - ground. - -=Bandy Words with You.= From the old game of Bandy, in which the ball - was struck or bandied to opposite sides. - -=Bangor.= From _Ban-choir_, “The White Choir” of the Abbey, founded by - St Cungall in the sixth century. - -=Banjo.= Properly Bandore, from the Greek _Pandoura_, a stringed - instrument named after Pan. The word was introduced into North - America from Europe. - -=Banker Poet.= Samuel Rogers, author of “The Pleasures of Memory,” who - was a banker all his life. - -=Banshee.= From the Gaelic _bean sidhe_, woman fairy. - -=Bantam.= A species of fowl said to have been introduced to Europe from - Bantam in Java. - -=Banting.= After William Banting, a London cabinetmaker, who in 1863 - reduced his superfluous fat by a dietic system peculiarly his own. - -=Bar.= In old days, when a counter did not obtain, and drinking vessels - had to be set down on the benches or barrel ends, a bar separated - the frequenters of a tavern from the drawers or tapsters. Similarly, - at the Courts of Law the _Bar_ was a rail behind which a barrister - or counsel had to plead his client’s cause. - -=Barbadoes.= From the streamers of moss, resembling a beard, suspended - from the tree branches. - -=Barbarians.= The name universally applied by the Romans to wandering or - warlike tribes who were unkempt and unshaven. - -=Barbarossa.= The sobriquet of Frederick the First of Germany, on - account of his red beard. - -=Barbary.= The land of the Berbers, the Arabic description of the people - of this region prior to the Saracen Conquest. - -=Barber.= From the Latin _barba_, a beard. - -=Barber-surgeons.= Hairdressers who, down to the sixteenth century, also - practised “cupping” or blood-letting, a relic of which is the modern - Barber’s Pole. The red and white stripes around the pole denoted the - bandages, while in place of the gilt knob at the end there - originally hung the basin affixed under the chin of the patient - operated upon. - -=Barbican.= That portion of the Roman wall round the city of London - where there must have been a watch-tower looking towards the north. - _Barbacana_ is a Persian word for a watch-tower in connection with a - fortified place. - -=Barcelona.= Anciently Barcino, after Hamilcar Barca, the father of - Hannibal, who refounded the city. - -=Baring Island.= Named by Captain Penny after Sir Francis Baring, first - Lord of the Admiralty. - -=Barley Mow.= An old sign for a tavern in connection with the Mow or - house where the barley was stored for brewing. _Mowe_ is Saxon for - “heap.” - -=Barmecide’s Feast.= An illusory banquet. From the story of the Barber’s - Sixth Brother, in “The Arabian Nights.” Barmecide invited a starving - wretch to a feast, but gave him nothing to eat. - -=Barnsbury.= Anciently Berners’ Bury, the manor of which was held by - Lady Berners, abbess of St Albans. - -=Barnstormer.= A strolling actor. In the old days, away from the regular - circuits, there were no provincial theatres or halls licensed for - stage plays whatever. The consequence was a company of strolling - players obtained permission to perform in a barn. Edmund Kean - admitted, when in the zenith of his fame, that he had gained his - experience “by barnstorming.” - -=Barrister.= See “Bar.” - -=Barrow Road.= This, with Barrow Hill Place, marks the site of a barrow - or sepulchral mound of the Britons and Romans slain in battle. - -=Barry Cornwall.= The anagrammatic pseudonym of Bryan Waller Procter, - the poet. - -=Bar Tender.= An Americanism for barman or barkeeper. - -=Bartholomew Close.= The site of the ancient cloisters of St - Bartholomew’s Priory, connected with the neighbouring church, which - is the oldest in London. - -=Bartholomew Fair.= The famous fair which for centuries survived the - mediæval mart that had given rise to it in the neighbouring street, - still known as Cloth Fair. It was held on the Feast of St - Bartholomew. - -=Barton Street.= A street in Westminster built by Barton Booth, the - eminent actor of Drury Lane Theatre. - -=Bashaw.= Properly “Pashaw.” See “Pasha.” - -=Basinghall Street.= From the mansion and grounds of the Basings, whose - ancestor, Solomon Basing, was Lord Mayor of London in 1216. - -=Bassano.= The better known, indeed to most people the only proper, name - of the famous Italian artist, Jacopa da Ponte, who signed all his - pictures “Il Bassano,” having been born at Bassano in the state of - Venice. - -=Bass’s Straits.= Discovered by Matthew Flinders. These straits were - named by him after a young ship’s surgeon, who, with a crew of only - six men, in a small vessel, accompanied him on the expedition. - -=Bath Chair.= First introduced at Bath, the great health resort of a - bygone day. - -=Bath Street.= From a Bagnio, or Turkish Bath, established here in the - seventeenth century. - -=Battersea.= Anciently Patricesy, or St Peter’s-ey, the manor belonging - to the abbey of St Peter’s, Westminster. The suffix _ey_ implied not - only an island, but also a creek. - -=Battle-born State.= Nevada, because admitted into the American Union - during the Civil War. - -=Battle Bridge Road.= In this neighbourhood the _Iceni_, under Boadicea, - sustained their total defeat at the hands of the Romans, A.D. 61. - -=Battle of all the Nations.= The battle of Leipsic, 16th to 18th October - 1813, so called because it effected the deliverance of Europe from - the domination of Napoleon Buonaparte. - -=Battle of the Giants.= That of Marignano, in which 1200 Swiss Guards, - allies of the Milanese, were defeated, 13th September 1515. - -=Battle of the Herrings.= From the sortie of the Orleaners to cut off a - convoy of salted herrings on its way to the English, besieging their - city, 12th February 1429. - -=Battle of the Standard.= From the high crucifix borne as a standard on - a waggon by the English at Northallerton, 29th August 1138. - -=Battle of the Spurs.= That of Guinnegate, 16th August 1513, when the - French were utterly routed in consequence of a panic; they used - their spurs instead of their weapons of defence. - -=Battle of the Spurs of Gold.= From the enormous number of gold spurs - picked up on the field after the defeat of the French knights at - Courtray, 11th July 1302. - -=Bavaria.= The country of the _Boii_, anciently styled Boiaria. - -=Baynard’s Castle.= See “Bayswater.” - -=Bayonet.= Not from the town of Bayonne, but because a Basque regiment - in the district of Bayonnetta in 1647, surprised by the Spaniards, - stuck their knives into the muzzles of their muskets, and, charging, - drove off the enemy with great slaughter. - -=Bay State.= Massachusetts, from the original denomination of this - colony in the New England Commonwealth--viz. Massachusetts Bay. - -=Bayon State.= Mississippi, from the French _bayon_, watercourse, - touching its great river. - -=Bayswater.= Originally described as “Baynard’s Watering,” being a manor - built by Ralph Baynard, one of the favourites of William the - Conqueror, the owner of Baynard’s Castle, in what is now Thames - Street, destroyed in the Great Fire of London. - -=B. D. V.= A tobacco advertisement which stands for “Best Dark - Virginia.” - -=Beak.= The slang term for a magistrate, on account of the _beag_ or - gold collar that he wears. - -=Beak Street.= This name has a sportive reference to the magistrate at - the neighbouring police court in Great Marlborough Street. - -=Beanfeast.= From the Bean-goose (so called from the similarity of the - nail of its bill to a bean) which was formerly the invariable dinner - dish. - -=Bear.= Wherever this enters into the name of a tavern sign (with the - single exception of that of “The Bear and Ragged Staff”) it denotes - a house that had originally a bear garden attached to it. - -=Bear and Ragged Staff.= A common inn sign in Warwickshire, from the - heraldic device of Warwick the King Maker. - -=Bear Garden.= This name at the corner of Sumner Street, Southwark, - recalls the old Paris Garden, a famous bear-baiting establishment - founded by Robert de Paris as far back in English history as the - reign of Richard I. A “Bear Garden” is in our time synonymous with a - place of resort for roughs or rowdies. - -=Bear State.= Arkansas, from the Western description of the character of - its people. “Does Arkansas abound with bears that it should be - called the Bear State?” a Western man was once asked. “Yes, it - does,” was the reply; “for I never knew a man from that state but he - was a _bar_, and, in fact, the people are all _barish_ to a degree.” - -=Bearward.= The custodian of the bear at public and private bear-baiting - gardens. Most English towns anciently retained a bearward. See - “Congleton Bears.” - -=Beats a Philadelphia Lawyer.= An American expression implying that the - lawyers of Philadelphia are noted for shrewdness and learning. - -=Beauchamp Tower.= After Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, whom - Richard II. caused to be imprisoned here for inciting the barons to - remove the King’s favourite, Sir Simon de Burley. - -=Beauclerc.= The surname of Henry I., on account of his accomplishments - in an age when learning was rare. - -=Beckenham.= The home in the vicinity of becks or brooks. The Saxon - terminal _en_ expresses the plural. - -=Bedad.= An Irishman’s exclamation, derived from the English “Begad” or - “By Gad.” - -=Bedford.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Bedican-ford_, the protected ford over - the Ouse. - -=Bedfordbury.= The _bury_ or enclosed land of the Duke of Bedford. - Bedford Street and Bedford Square likewise point to the great ground - landlord. - -=Bedlam.= Short for Bethlehem Hospital, a “Lazar House” in South London - which in 1815 was converted into an asylum for lunatics. See - “Bethlehem.” - -=Bedouins.= From the Arabic _badawiy_, “dwellers in the desert.” - -=Beech Street.= Said to have been the property of Nicholas de la Beech, - Lieutenant of the Tower, _temp._ Edward III. - -=Beefeaters.= Although it has been proved that the word _Buffetier_ - cannot be met with in any old book, the Yeomen of the Guard - instituted by Henry VII. certainly waited at the royal table, and - since this monarch was largely imbued with French manners, his - personal attendants must after all have received their nickname from - the _Buffet_, or sideboard. - -=Beer Bible.= From the words “the beer” in place of “strong drink” - (Isaiah xxiv. 9). - -=Before the Mast.= The for’ard part of a ship, where, in the forecastle, - the sailors have their quarters. Hence a common seaman is said to - “Serve before the Mast.” - -=Begad.= See “By Gad.” - -=Begorra.= An Irish form of the English corrupted oath Begad or “By - Gad.” - -=Beguines.= An order of nuns in France, from the French _beguin_, a - linen cap. These nuns are distinguished by their peculiar head - covering. - -=Begum.= A lady of high rank in the East, a princess in India, or the - wife of a Turkish _beg_ (generally corrupted into _bey_) or - Governor. - -=Beldame.= From the French _Belle-dame_, “fine lady.” The meaning has - now been corrupted from a lady entitled to the utmost respect on - account of age or position to an ugly old woman. - -=Belgium.= From the _Belgæ_, the name given by Cæsar to the warlike - people who overran this portion of Gaul. - -=Belgravia.= The fashionable district of which Belgrave Square is the - centre, after one of the titles of the Duke of Westminster, the - ground landlord. - -=Bell.= A tavern sign, originally denoting a haunt for the lovers of - sport, where a silver bell constituted the prize. - -=Bell, Book, and Candle.= The instruments used by the Church in carrying - out a sentence of excommunication. The bell apprised all good - Christians of what was about to take place, the dread sentence was - read out of the book, while the blowing out of the candle symbolised - the spiritual darkness in which the excommunicated person would in - future abide. - -=Belleisle.= French for “beautiful isle.” - -=Beloochistan.= Pursuant to the Persian _stan_, the country of the - Belooches. - -=Below Par.= Not up to the mark in point of health. The allusion is to - Government stock not worth its nominal £100 value. - -=Belvedere.= A public-house sign, derived from the Italian word for a - pavilion built on a house-top commanding a fine prospect. - -=Ben.= Theatrical slang for “benefit.” - -=Bench.= The primitive seat of judges and magistrates before the modern - throne-like chair was introduced. Barristers of the Inns of Court - are styled “Benchers” from the wooden seats formerly provided for - them. - -=Benedict.= A confirmed bachelor, after St Benedict, who unceasingly - preached the virtues of celibacy. Also a newly-married man who, like - Benedick in _Much ado about Nothing_, after having long forsworn - marriage, at length succumbed to the grand passion. - -=Benedictine.= A liqueur made at the Benedictine monastery at Fécamp. - -=Benedictines.= The monastic Order founded by St Benedict in the sixth - century. - -=Bengal Tigers.= The Leicester Regiment, which as the old 17th Foot - rendered good service in India at the commencement of the last - century, and received a royal tiger as a badge. - -=Bennett Street.= From the town mansion of Henry Bennett, Earl of - Arlington. - -=Bentinck Street.= After William Bentinck, second Duke of Portland, the - ground landlord. - -=Bergen.= From the Danish _bierg_, mountain, the port nestling at the - foot of high hills. - -=Berkeley Square.= The whole district hereabouts comprised the land of - Lord Berkeley of Stratton, one of the officers of Charles I. - -=Berkeley Street= (Upper and Lower). After Edward Berkeley Portman, the - ground landlord. There is a Berkeley Street too in Clerkenwell, on - the site of which stood the residence of Sir Maurice Berkeley, the - standard-bearer of Henry VIII., Edward VI., and Elizabeth. - -=Berkshire.= The _Beoric_, or “forest shire,” of the Saxons. - -=Berlin.= From the Slavonic _Berle_, denoting its situation in the midst - of a sandy plain. - -=Bermondsey.= The _ey_, or creek land, belonging to the Saxon lord - Beomund. - -=Bermuda Islands.= After Juan Bermudas, who discovered them in 1522. - -=Bernardine Hospice.= This noble institution on the Alpine heights was - not founded by St Bernard, nor has it ever been served by the monks - of his Order. It takes its name from Bernard de Menthon, a wealthy - Savoyard, who in 962 established this house of refuge for the - pilgrims crossing the Alps on their way to the Holy Land. The monks - who serve the Hospice are Augustinians. - -=Bernardines.= The monastic Order founded by St Bernard in 1115. - -=Berne.= From the German _Bären_, which expresses the plural for bear. - The figure of a bear is conspicuous on the public buildings, - fountains, etc. - -=Berners Street.= After Lady Berners, the original owner of the land - hereabouts. - -=Best Man at a Wedding.= A survival of feudal times, when the particular - friends of the “Bridegroom” undertook to frustrate the designs of a - rival sworn to carry off the bride before the nuptials could take - place. In Sweden weddings formerly took place under cover of night. - Behind the high altar of the ancient church at Husaby, in Gothland, - a collection of long lances, with sockets for torches, may yet be - seen. These were served out to the groomsmen on such occasions, both - for defence and illumination. These groomsmen were the bravest and - best who could be found to volunteer their services. - -=Bethlehem.= Hebrew for “house of bread.” Hence Bethlehem Hospital, the - original name for a lazar or poor house. - -=Bethnal Green.= Anciently Bednal Green, but corrupted from the family - name of the Bathons, who resided here, _temp._ Edward I. - -=Bevis Marks.= Properly Bury’s Marks, from the posts to define the - limits of the ground belonging to the town house of the Abbots of - Bury. - -=Bideford Postman.= The sobriquet of Edward Capern, the poet, who was a - letter-carrier at Bideford in Devon. - -=Big Ben.= After Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., M.P., one of the designers of - the New Houses of Parliament, and Chief Commissioner of Works. - -=Big Bend State.= Tennessee, which name expresses the Indian for “river - of the great bend.” - -=Bilbo.= The old name for a Spanish sword blade made at Bilboa. - -=Bilboes.= The irons with which mutinous sailors are manacled together. - From Bilboa, Spain, their place of origin. - -=Bilker.= A corruption of _Balker_, one who balks or outwits another. In - our day one hears mostly of the “Cab bilker”; formerly the “Tavern - bilker” was an equally reprehensible character. - -=Billingsgate.= After Belin, a Saxon lord, who had a residence beside - the old Roman water-gate on the north bank of the Thames. - -=Billiter Street.= A corruption of Belzettar, the name of the first - builder on the land hereabouts. - -=Billycock.= The slang term for a “bowler” hat always worn by William - Coke at the Holkham shooting parties. - -=Bingham’s Dandies.= One of the nicknames of the 17th Lancers, after - their Colonel and their smart uniforms. - -=Bioscope.= Moving or living pictures thrown on a screen, so called from - the Greek _bios_, life, and _skopein_, to view. - -=Birchin Lane.= Properly Birchover Lane, after the name of the builder. - -=Birdcage Walk.= From the Royal Aviary of the Restoration, located along - the south wall of St James’s Park. - -=Bird of Passage.= A hotel phrase applied to a guest who arrives at - stated seasons. - -=Bird’s Eye Tobacco.= So called from the oval shape of the stalks when - cut up with the leaf. - -=Birkbeck Institute.= The premier Mechanics’ Institute, established by - Dr Birkbeck in 1824. - -=Birmingham.= Called Bremenium by the Romans and Birmingeham in Domesday - Book. This being so, it cannot be corrupted from “Broom-place town,” - as some authors say. - -=Birrell.= To write, speak, or do anything after the manner of Mr - Augustine Birrell, M.P., President of the Board of Education. - -=Birrelligion.= A word coined by Dr Casterelli, Roman Catholic Bishop of - Salford, who, speaking on Mr Birrell’s New Education Bill, said it - was not one exactly of irreligion, but of Birrelligion, acceptable - to no party or denomination. - -=Bishopsgate Street.= From the ancient city gate rebuilt by Bishop - Irkenwald, the son of King Offa, and repaired by Bishop William in - the time of the Conqueror. - -=Biz.= Theatrical slang for “business” or stage by-play. - -=Black Brunswickers.= A celebrated regiment of seven hundred volunteers - raised in Bohemia in 1809 by Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick, - who took up arms against Napoleon because the latter had obstructed - his succession to his father’s dukedom. Their uniform was black, in - token of mourning for the deceased Duke. Finding they could not bear - against the power of France, they enlisted in the English service. - Thus it came to pass that the Black Brunswickers fought at the - Battle of Waterloo, where their gallant leader met his death. - Afterwards they were heard of no more. - -=Black Bull.= An inn sign derived from the heraldic device of the House - of Clare. - -=Black Country.= The name given to the great coalfield in the Midlands. - It extends from Birmingham to Wolverhampton on one side and from - Lyle Waste to West Bromwich on the other. - -=Black Friars.= The Order of the Dominicans, so called from their - habits. In the district of Blackfriars stood the great monastery. - -=Blackguards.= A derisive nickname given originally to the scullions of - the Royal Household, touching their grimy appearance, as contrasted - with the spruceness of the Guards of Honour. - -=Blackheath.= A corruption of Bleak Heath. - -=Blackleg.= After sporting men of a low type, who invariably wore black - gaiters or top-boots. - -=Blackmail.= Originally a tax or tribute paid to robbers or freebooters - as a compromise for protection. “Black” implied the Gaelic for - security, while _mal_ was Anglo-Saxon for tribute. - -=Black Maria.= Slang for a prison van. Many years ago a negress of - powerful build and strength, named Maria Lee, kept a sailor’s - lodging-house at Boston. Everyone dreaded her, and she so frequently - assisted the police of that day to pin down a refractory prisoner - before he could be manacled that “Send for Black Maria!” became - quite a common exclamation among them. Hence the earliest vehicles - for the conveyance of offenders against law and order, especially - since they were painted black, were named after her. - -=Black Museum.= The collection of criminal relics preserved at the - headquarters of the Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard. - -=Black Prince.= The sobriquet of Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Edward - III., not because he wore black armour, as is generally supposed, - but, according to Froissart, “by terror of his arms,” and again, - Strutt, “for his martial deeds.” - -=Black Sea.= From its many black rocks, which render navigation - dangerous. - -=Blackwall.= A corruption of Bleak Wall. - -=Black Watch.= Soldiers first appointed to watch the Highlands of - Scotland. They received the name from their black tartans. - -=Blandford Square.= From Blandford, Dorsetshire, near Bryanstone, the - seat of the great ground landlord, Viscount Portman. - -=Blankets.= First made by the Brothers Blanket, of Bristol, in 1337. - -=Blarney.= Suave speeches intended only to gain time. When Cormack - Macarthy was besieged by the English in Blarney Castle in 1662 he - concluded an armistice, with the object of surrendering after a few - days; but instead of doing so he sent out soft, evasive speeches, - until Lord Carew and his soldiers were forced to admit that they had - been duped. Hence the expression: “None of your Blarney.” - -=Blenheim Oranges.= First cultivated at Blenheim, the seat of the Duke - of Marlborough. - -=Blenheim Street.= In compliment to the Duke of Marlborough after the - battle of Blenheim. - -=Blind Man’s Buff.= So called because if any one of those taking part in - the game allowed the blind man to buff up against him he had to be - blindfolded in his place. - -=Blood.= See “Penny Blood.” - -=Bloody.= The addiction of the vulgar to the use of this adjective on - all occasions has made it low and reprehensible. Anciently, however, - it was employed in a most reverential sense, relative to the Blood - of Christ--_e.g._ the “Bloody Sacrifice of the Mass.” - -=Bloody Assizes.= Those held by Judge Jeffreys in 1685 for the - punishment of all who had taken part in the Duke of Monmouth’s - rebellion. Three hundred persons were executed, and more than a - thousand transported to the plantations. - -=Bloody Butcher.= The sobriquet of the Duke of Cumberland, son of George - II., owing to his wholesale slaughter of the adherents of Prince - Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, after the battle of Culloden. - -=Bloody Eleventh.= The 11th Foot, in memory of the terrible slaughter - inflicted on this regiment at Salamanca. - -=Bloody Tower.= Where the infant Princes were murdered at the order of - their uncle, Richard, Duke of Glo’ster. - -=Bloomers.= After Mrs Ann Bloomer of New York, who introduced the - original nondescript style of “New Woman” in 1849. - -=Bloomsbury.= A corruption of “Lomesbury,” the name of a manor house and - grounds which stood on the site of the present square. “Lomesbury - village” sprang up around the ancient church of St Giles’s - in-the-Fields. - -=Bluchers.= After Field-Marshal von Blucher, who affected this style of - military half-boot. - -=Blue.= An indecent story is said to be “blue” because harlots in the - ancient Bridewell, and in more modern houses of correction or - penitentiaries, were habited in blue gowns. - -=Blue Boar.= An inn sign derived from the heraldic device of Richard - III. - -=Blue Grass State.= Kentucky, from the character of the orchard grass in - this fertile limestone region. - -=Blue Hen’s Chickens.= A nickname for the people of Delaware. _The - Delaware State Journal_ thus accounts for its origin: “At the - beginning of the Revolutionary War there lived in Sussex county of - that colony a gentleman of fortune named Caldwell, who was a - sportsman, and breeder of fine horses and game-cocks. His favourite - axiom was that the character of the progeny depends more on the - mother than on the father, and that the finest game-cocks depended - on the hen rather than on the cock. His observation led him to - select a _blue_ hen, and he never failed to hatch a good game-cock - from a blue hen’s egg. Caldwell distinguished himself as an officer - in the First Delaware Regiment for his daring spirit. The high state - of its discipline was conceded to its exertions, so that when - officers were sent on recruiting service it was said that they had - gone home for more of Caldwell’s game-cocks; but as Caldwell - insisted that no cock could be truly game unless its mother was a - _blue_ hen, the expression _Blue Hen’s Chickens_ was substituted for - game-cocks.” - -=Blue Law State.= An old name for Connecticut, whose original settlers - shared with the Puritans in the mother country a disgust of the - licentiousness of the Court of the Restoration, and on this account - were said to advocate “Blue” Laws. - -=Blue Noses.= A nickname bestowed upon the Nova Scotians, from the - species of potato which they produce and claim to be the best in the - world. - -=Blue Peter.= The flag hoisted at the mast head to give notice that a - vessel is about to sail. Its name is a corruption of the French - “Bleu Partir,” or blue departure signal. - -=Blue Pig.= An inn sign, corrupted from the “Blue Boar.” - -=Blue Stocking.= From the famous club of literary ladies formed by Mrs - Montague in 1840, at which Benjamin Stillingfleet, who habitually - wore blue stockings, was a regular visitor. Blue stockings, - therefore, became the recognised badge of membership. There was, - however, such a club of ladies and gentlemen at Venice as far back - as 1400, called _Della Calza_, from the colour of stockings worn. - -=Blunderbuss.= A corruption of the Dutch _donderbus_, “thunder tube.” - -=Board of Green Cloth.= The steward of the Royal Household presides over - this so called court, which has a green cover on its table. - -=Boar’s Head.= The sign of the ancient tavern in Eastcheap immortalised - by Shakespeare. This, like all others of the same name, was derived - from the heraldic device of the Gordons, the earliest of whom slew a - boar that had long been a terror of the forest. - -=Bob Apple.= A very old boyish pastime. Standing on tiptoe, with their - hands behind them, they tried to catch in their mouths an apple as - it swung to and fro at the end of a piece of string suspended from - the ceiling. A variant of the same game consisted in lying across a - form and plunging their heads into a large tub of water, at the - bottom of which was the apple. - -=Bobby.= The nickname of a policeman, after Sir Robert Peel, to whom the - introduction of the modern police system was due. - -=Bobs.= The popular nickname of Lord Roberts during the South African - War. He is also called “Lord Bobs.” - -=Boer.= Expresses the Dutch for a farmer. Synonymous with the English - “boor,” an uncultivated fellow, a tiller of the soil. - -=Bogtrotter.= An Irishman, from the ease with which he makes his way - across the native bogs, in a manner astonishing to a stranger. - -=Bogus.= In reporting a trial at law _The Boston Courier_ in 1857 gave - the following authoritative origin:--“The word Bogus is a corruption - of the name of one Borghese, a very corrupt individual, who twenty - years ago or more did a tremendous business in the way of supplying - the great west, and portions of the south-west, with counterfeit - bills and bills on fictitious banks. The western people fell into - the habit of shortening the name of Borghese to that of _Bogus_, and - his bills, as well as all others of like character, were universally - styled by them ‘bogus currency.’” So that the word is really - American. - -=Bohea.= Tea of the poorest quality, grown in the hilly district of - Wu-i; pronounced by the Chinese _Vooy_. - -=Bohemia.= From the _Bohii_, the ancient inhabitants of the country. - -=Bohemian.= One who leads a hand-to-mouth existence by literary or other - precarious pursuits, who shuns the ordinary conventions of society, - and aspires to that only of his fellows. The term originally meant a - “Gipsy,” because the earliest nomadic people who overran Western - Europe did so by way of Bohemia. - -=Boiled Shirt.= An Americanism, originally from the western states, for - a starched white shirt. - -=Bolivia.= After General Simon Bolivar, surnamed “The Liberator of - Peru.” - -=Bologna.= A settlement of the _Boii_, after whom the Romans called it - Bononia. - -=Bomba.= The sobriquet of Ferdinand, King of Naples, on account of his - bombardment of Messina in 1848. - -=Bonanza State.= Nevada, on account of its rich mines, styled Bonanza - mines. _Bonanza_ is Spanish for “prosperity.” - -=Bond Street= (Old and New). Built on the land owned by Sir Thomas Bond, - Comptroller of the Household of Charles I. - -=Bone of Contention.= In allusion to two dogs fighting over a bone. - -=Bone-shaker.= The original type of bicycle, with wooden wheels, of - which the rims consisted of small curved pieces glued together. - Compared with a modern machine it was anything but easy riding. - -=Boniface.= The popular name for an innkeeper--not that St Boniface was - the patron saint of drawers and tapsters, but because one of the - Popes of this name instituted what was called “St Boniface’s Cup,” - by granting an indulgence to all who toasted his health, or that of - his successors, immediately after saying grace at meals. - -=Booking Office.= In the old coaching days passengers had to book their - seats for a stage journey several days in advance at an office in - the innyard whence the coaches set out. When railways came in the - name was retained, though no “booking” was ever in evidence. Nearly - all the old coaching innyards have been converted into railway goods - and parcels receiving depots. - -=Bookmaker.= From the way in which he adjusts his clients’ bets, so - that, ordinarily, he cannot lose on the issue of a day’s racing. - -=Boot-jack.= A wooden contrivance by which the wearer could help himself - to take off his high-legged boots without the aid of a servant. - Hence it was called a _jack_, which is the generic term for a - man-servant or boy. - -=Border Eagle State.= Mississippi, on account of the Border Eagle in the - arms of the state. - -=Bore.= This name was first applied by the “Macaronies” to any person - who disapproved of foppishness or dandyism. Nowadays it implies one - whose conversation is uninteresting, and whose society becomes - repugnant. - -=Borneo.= A European application of the Sanskrit _boorni_, land. - -=Born in the Purple.= Since purple was the Imperial colour of the Cæsars - and the Emperors of the East, the sons of the reigning monarch were - said to be born in it. This expression had a literal truth, for the - bed furniture was draped with purple. - -=Born with a Silver Spoon in his Mouth.= In allusion to the silver - apostle spoon formerly presented to an infant by its godfather at - baptism. In the case of a child born lucky or rich such a gift of - worldly goods was anticipated at the moment of entering life. - -=Borough.= The _Burgh_ or town which arose on the south side of Old - London Bridge, long before the City of London became closely packed - with streets and houses. - -=Borough English.= A Saxon custom, whereby the youngest son of a burgher - inherited everything from his father, instead of the eldest, as - among the Normans. - -=Bosh.= See “All Bosh.” - -=Bosphorus.= From the Greek _bos-porus_, cow strait, agreeably to the - fable that Io, transformed into a white cow, swam across it. - -=Boss.= A term derived from the Dutch settlers of New York, in whose - language _baas_ (pronounced like the _a_ in _all_), expressed an - overseer or master. - -=Boston.= Short for St Botolph’s Town. “The stump” of the church is seen - from afar across the Boston Deeps. - -=Botany Bay.= So called by Captain Cook on account of the variety of, to - him, new plants found on its shores. This portion of New South Wales - was the first British Convict Settlement; hence Botany Bay became a - term synonymous with penal servitude. - -=Botolph Lane.= From the church of St Botolph, situated in it. - -=Bottle of Hay.= A corruption of “bundle of hay,” from the French - _botte_, a bundle, of which the word bottle expresses the - diminutive. - -=Bottom Dollar.= An Americanism for one’s last coin. - -=Bovril.= An adaptation of _bovis_, ox, and _vril_, strength--the latter - being a word coined by Lord Lytton in “The Coming Race.” - -=Bow.= From the ancient stone bridge over the Lea, which was the first - ever built in this country on a bow or arch. - -=Bow Church.= Properly the church of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside, the - first in this country to be built on bows or arches. - -=Bowdlerise.= In the year 1818 Thomas Bowdler brought out an expurgated - edition of Shakespeare’s Plays; hence a “Bowdlerised Edition” of any - work is one of which the original text has been unwarrantably - tampered with. - -=Bowie Knife.= After Colonel Jim Bowie, a famous fighter of the western - states, who first armed himself with this weapon. - -=Bow Street.= From its arc shape when first laid out. - -=Bow Street Runners.= Primitive detectives sent out from their - headquarters in Bow Street in highwayman days. - -=Bowyer Tower.= Anciently the residence of the Tower bowyer or bowmaker. - Here, according to tradition, the Duke of Clarence was drowned in a - butt of “Malmsey.” - -=Boxing Day.= See “Christmas-box.” - -=Box Office.= At one time only the private boxes at a theatre could be - booked in advance; hence the term. - -=Box the Compass.= To be able to repeat all the thirty-two degrees or - points of the mariner’s compass; a mental exercise all round the - compass-box. - -=Boycott.= To ostracise a man. This word came into use in 1881, after - Captain Boycott of Lough Mark Farm, co. Mayo, was cut off from all - social and commercial intercourse with his neighbours for the crime - of being an Irish landlord. - -=Boy King.= Edward VI., who ascended the throne of England in his tenth, - and died in his sixteenth, year. - -=Boz.= Under this _nom de plume_ Charles Dickens published his earliest - “Sketches” of London life and character in _The Morning Chronicle_. - He has told us himself that this was the pet name of a younger - brother, after Moses Primrose in “The Vicar of Wakefield.” The - infantile members of the family pronounced the name “Bozes,” and at - last shortened it into “Boz.” - -=Bradford.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Bradenford_, “broad ford.” - -=Braggadocio.= After _Braggadochio_, a boasting character in Spenser’s - “Faery Queene.” - -=Brahma Fowl.= Originally from the district of the Brahmapootra River in - India. _Pootra_ is Sanskrit for Son; hence the river name means “The - Son of Brahma.” - -=Brandy.= From the German _Brantwein_, burnt wine. A spirituous - distillation from wine. - -=Brazenose College.= The brazen nose on the college gate - notwithstanding, this name was derived from the fact that here stood - an ancient _brasenhuis_, or “brew-house.” Oxford has always been - famous for the excellent quality of its beer. - -=Bravo.= In Italy one who is always boasting of his courage and prowess; - generally a hired assassin. - -=Brazil.= From _braza_, the name given by the Portuguese to the red - dye-wood of the country. - -=Bread Street.= Where the bakers had their stalls in connection with the - Old Chepe, or market. - -=Break Bread.= To accept hospitality. In the East bread is baked in the - form of large cakes, which are broken, never cut with a knife. To - break bread with a stranger ensures the latter personal protection - as long as he remains under the roof of his host. - -=Breakfast.= The morning meal, when the fast since the previous night’s - supper is broken. - -=Break the Bank.= Specifically at the gaming-tables of Monte Carlo. With - extraordinary luck this may be done on occasion; but the winner’s - triumph is short-lived since, the capital of the bank being - unlimited, if he continues to play after fresh stores of gold have - been produced, he must lose in the end. - -=Brecon.= See “Brecknock.” - -=Brecknock.= The capital (also called Brecon) of one of the shires of - Wales, originally _Breckineauc_, after Brychan, a famous Welsh - prince. Brecknock Road takes its name from Lord Camden, Earl of - Brecknock, the ground landlord. - -=Breeches Bible.= From the word “breeches” for “aprons” (Genesis iii. - 7). - -=Brentford.= The ford over the Brent. - -=Breviary.= The name given to an abridgment of the daily prayers, for - the use of priests, during the Seven Canonical Hours, made by Pope - Gregory VII. in the eleventh century. - -=Brevier.= The style of type originally employed in the composition of - the Catholic “Breviary.” - -=Bridegroom.= The word _groom_ comes from the Gothic and Anglo-Saxon - _guma_, man, allied to the Latin _homo_, man. It still expresses a - man-servant who grooms or attends to his master’s horse. - -=Bride Lane.= From the church of St Bride or Bridget. - -=Bride of the Sea.= Venice, in allusion to the ancient ceremony of “The - Marriage of the Adriatic.” - -=Bridewell.= The name anciently given to a female penitentiary, from the - original establishment near the well of St Bride or Bridget in the - parish of Blackfriars. The name is preserved in Bridewell Police - Station. - -=Brigadier.= The commanding officer of a brigade. - -=Bridge.= Twenty years ago two families at Great Dalby, Leicestershire, - paid each other a visit on alternate nights, for a game of what they - called Russian whist. Their way lay across a broken bridge, very - dangerous after nightfall. “Thank goodness, it’s your bridge - to-morrow night!” they were wont to exclaim on parting. This gave - the name to the game itself. - -=Bridge of Sighs.= The bridge forming a covered gallery over the Canal - at Venice between the State prisons on the one hand and the palace - of the Doges on the other. Prisoners were led to the latter to hear - the death sentence pronounced, and thence to execution. No State - prisoner was ever known to recross this bridge; hence its name. - -=Bridgewater Square.= From the town house of the Earls of Bridgewater. - -=Brief.= A brief summary of all the facts of a client’s case prepared by - a solicitor for the instruction of counsel. - -=Bristol.= Called by the Anglo-Saxons “_Brightstow_,” or pleasant, - stockaded place. - -=Britain.= This country was known to the Phœnicians as _Barat-Anac_, - “the land of time.” The Romans called it _Britannia_. - -=British Columbia.= The only portion of North America which honours the - memory, as a place name, of Christopher Columbus. - -=Brittany.= The land anciently possessed by the kings of Britain. - -=Brixton.= Anciently _Brigestan_, the bridge of stone. - -=Broadside.= A large sheet printed straight across instead of in - columns. - -=Broker.= From the Anglo-Saxon _brucan_, through the Old English - _brocour_, to use for profit. - -=Brompton.= Anciently Broom Town, or place of the broom plant. - -=Brook Street.= From a stream meandering through the fields from Tyburn. - -=Brooke Street.= From the town house of Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke. In - this street the boy poet Chatterton poisoned himself. - -=Brother Jonathan.= After Jonathan Turnbull, the adviser of General - Washington in all cases of military emergency. “We must ask Brother - Jonathan” was the latter’s invariable reply to a suggestion made to - him. - -=Brougham.= First made to the order of Lord Brougham. - -=Brought under the Hammer.= Put up for sale by public auction. The - allusion is, of course, to the auctioneer’s hammer. - -=Bruce Castle.= The residence of Robert Bruce after his defeat by John - Baliol in the contest for the Scottish crown. - -=Bruges.= From its many bridges. - -=Brummagem.= The slang term for cheap jewellery made at Birmingham. In - local parlance this city is “Brummagem,” and its inhabitants are - “Brums.” - -=Brunswick Square.= Laid out and built upon at the accession of the - House of Brunswick. - -=Bruton Street.= From the seat of the Berkeleys at Bruton, - Somersetshire. - -=Bryanstone Square.= From the seat, near Blandford, Dorset, of Viscount - Portman, the ground landlord. - -=Bucephalus.= A horse, after the famous charger of Alexander the Great. - -=Buckeye State.= Ohio, from the buckeye-trees with which this state - abounds. Its people are called “Buckeyes.” - -=Buckingham.= The Anglo-Saxon _Boccenham_, or “beech-tree village.” - -=Buckingham Palace.= After the residence, on this site, of John - Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. - -=Buckingham Street.= From the older mansion of John Sheffield, Duke of - Buckingham. The water-gate is still in evidence. - -=Buckle to.= An expression descended from the days of chivalry, when a - knight buckled on his armour for the tournament. - -=Bucklersbury.= Anciently the _bury_ or enclosed ground of a wealthy - grocer named Buckle or Bukerel. - -=Budge Row.= From the vendors of “Budge” or lambskin fur who congregated - here. - -=Bug Bible.= From the word “bugges”--_i.e._ bogies--in place of “the - terror” (Psalm xci. 5). - -=Buggy.= From _bâghi_, the Hindustani for a one-horse vehicle. - -=Bull.= A papal edict, so called on account of the _bulla_, or seal. - -=Bull and Gate.= An inn sign, corrupted from “Boulogne Gate,” touching - the siege of Boulogne and its harbour by Henry VIII. in 1544. - -=Bulgaria.= A corruption of Volgaria, the country of the _Volsci_. - -=Bull-dog.= A dog originally employed in the brutal sport of - bull-baiting. The name is also given to one of the two attendants of - the proctor at a university while going his rounds by night. - -=Bullion State.= Missouri, after Thomas Hart Benton, who, when - representing this state in Congress, merited the nickname of “Old - Bullion,” from his spirited advocacy of a gold and silver currency - instead of “Greenbacks” or paper. - -=Bullyrag.= See “Ragging.” - -=Bullyruffian.= A corruption of the _Bellerophon_, the vessel on which - Napoleon surrendered after the battle of Waterloo. - -=Bungalow.= From the Bengalese _bangla_, a wooden house of one storey - surrounded by a verandah. - -=Bunhill Fields.= Not from the Great Plague pit in Finsbury, but from - the cart-loads of human bones shot here when the charnel-house of St - Paul’s Churchyard was pulled down in 1549. - -=Bunkum.= Originally a Congressman’s speech, “full of sound and fury, - signifying nothing.” An oratorial flight not intended to carry a - proposal, but to catch popular applause. The representative for - Buncombe, in North Carolina, occupied the time of the house at - Washington so long with a meaningless speech that many members left - the hall. Asked his reason for such a display of empty words, he - replied: “I was not speaking to the House, but to Buncombe.” - -=Bureau.= French for a writing-desk, from _buro_, a drugget, with which - it was invariably covered. - -=Burgess Roll.= See “Roll Call.” - -=Burgundy.= A wine produced in the French province of the same name. - -=Burke.= To stop or gag--_e.g._ to burke a question. After an Irishman - of this name, who silently and secretly took the lives of many - peaceable citizens by holding a pitch plaster over their mouths, in - order to sell their bodies to the doctors for dissection. He was - hanged in 1849. His crimes were described as “Burking.” - -=Burleigh Street.= From the residence of Lord Burleigh in Exeter Street, - hard by. - -=Burlington Street= (Old and New). After Richard Boyle, Earl of - Burlington and Cork, from whom Burlington House, refronted by him, - also received its name. - -=Burmah.= From the natives, who claim to be descendants of Brahma, the - supreme deity of the Hindoos. - -=Burton Crescent.= After the name of its builder. - -=Bury St Edmunds.= A corruption of the Borough of St Edmund, where the - Saxon king and martyr was crowned on Christmas Day, 856. Taken - prisoner and killed by the Danes, he was laid to rest here. Over the - site of his tomb Canute built a Benedictine monastery. - -=Bury Street.= Properly Berry Street, after its builder. - -=Bury the Hatchet.= At a deliberation of war the hatchet is always in - evidence among the Indians of North America, but when the calumet, - or pipe of peace, is being passed round, the symbol of warfare is - carefully hidden. - -=Busking.= Theatrical slang for an _al fresco_ performance to earn a few - coppers. To “go busking on the sands” is the least refined aspect of - a Pierrot Entertainment. See “Sock and Buskin.” - -=Buy a Pig in a Poke.= A man naturally wants to see what he is - bargaining for. “Poke” is an old word for a sack or large bag, of - which _pocket_ expresses the diminutive. - -=By Gad.= A corruption of the old oath “By God.” - -=By George.= Originally this oath had reference to the patron saint of - England. In more modern times it was corrupted into “By Jove,” so - that it might have applied to Jupiter; then at the Hanoverian - Succession the ancient form came in again. - -=By Hook or by Crook.= The final word here is a corruption of Croke. - More than a century ago two eminent K.C.’s named Hook and Croke were - most generally retained by litigants in action at law. This gave - rise to the saying: “If I can’t win my case by Hook I will by - Croke.” - -=By Jingo.= An exclamation traceable to the Basque mountaineers brought - over to England by Edward I. to aid him in the subjection of Wales - at the time when the Plantagenets held possession of the Basque - provinces. “Jainko” expressed the supreme deity of these hillmen. - -=By Jove.= See “By George.” - -=By the Holy Rood.= The most solemn oath of the crusaders. “Rood,” from - the Anglo-Saxon _rod_, was the Old English name for Cross. - -=By the Mass.= A common oath in the days of our Catholic ancestors, when - quarrels were generally made up by the parties attending Mass - together. - -=By the Peacock.= See “Peacock.” - -=By the Skin of my Teeth.= An expression derived from Job xix. 20: “My - bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the - skin of my teeth.” - -=Byward Tower.= A corruption of Bearward Tower, the residence of the - Tower “Bearward.” The bear-house at our national fortress in the - time of James I. is mentioned in Nichol’s “Progresses and - Processions.” - - - C - - -=Cab.= Short for “Cabriolet,” or little caperer, from _cabriole_, a - goat’s leap. See “Capri.” - -=Cabal.= A political term formed out of the initials of the intriguing - ministry of 1670--thus: Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and - Lauderdale. - -=Cabinet.= The designation of Ministers of State, who first conducted - their deliberations in a cabinet, from the Italian _gabinetto_, a - small room. A picture or photograph of this size received its name - from the apartment for which it was best suited. - -=Cabin Girls.= Waitresses at the “Cabin” Restaurants Limited. - -=Cablegram.= An Americanism for telegram. - -=Cadiz.= Called Gades by the Romans, from the Phœnician _Gadir_, - enclosed, shut in. - -=Cadogan Square.= From the Earl of Cadogan, the lord of the manor of - Chelsea. - -=Cahoot.= An Americanism for partnership or company, derived from the - French _capute_, hut, cabin. Men who share a cabin or shanty are - said to be “in cahoot.” - -=Caitiff.= An old term of contempt for a despicable person, derived from - the Latin _captivis_, a captive, slave. - -=Caius College.= The name given to Gonville College, Cambridge, after - its refoundation by Dr Caius by royal charter in 1558. - -=Cake Walk.= A musical walking competition round a cake, very popular - among the negroes of the southern states. The couple adjudged to - walk most gracefully receive the cake as a prize. - -=Calcutta.= From _Kalikutta_, “the village of Kali,” the goddess of - time. - -=Caledonia.= The country of the Caels or Gaels; _Gadhel_ in the native - tongue signified a “hidden cover.” - -=Caledonian Road.= From the Royal Caledonian Asylum for Scottish - orphans, now removed. - -=Calico.= First brought from Calicut in the East Indies. - -=California.= Called by Cortez _Caliente Fornalla_, or “hot furnace,” on - account of its climate. - -=Caliph.= From the Arabic _Khalifah_, a successor. - -=Called over the Coals.= A corruption of “Hauled over the Coals.” - -=Camberwell.= From the ancient holy well in the vicinity of the church - of St Giles, the patron saint of cripples. _Cam_ is Celtic for - “crooked.” - -=Cambria.= The country of the _Cimbri_ or _Cymri_, who finally settled - in Wales. - -=Cambric.= First made at Cambray in Flanders. - -=Cambridge.= From the bridge over the Cam, or “crooked” river. See - “Cantab.” - -=Camden Town.= After the Earl of Camden, the ground landlord. - -=Camellia.= Introduced into Europe by G. J. Camelli, the German - missionary botanist. - -=Camera Obscura.= Literally a dark chamber. - -=Cameron Highlanders.= The Scottish regiment of infantry raised by Allan - Cameron in 1793. - -=Camisard.= A military term for a night attack, after the Camisards, - Protestant insurgents of the seventeenth century, who, wearing a - _camise_, or peasant’s smock, conducted their depredations under - cover of night. - -=Camomile Street.= From the herbs that grew on the waste north of the - city. - -=Campania.= An extensive plain outside Rome, across which the “Appian - Way” was constructed. The word comes from the Latin _campus_, a - field. - -=Campden Square.= From the residence of Sir Baptist Hicks, created - Viscount Campden. - -=Canada.= From the Indian _kannatha_, a village or collection of huts. - -=Canary.= Wine and a species of singing bird brought from the Canary - Islands, so called, agreeably to the Latin _canis_, on account of - the large dogs found there. - -=Candia.= Anciently Crete, called by the Arabs _Khandæ_, “island of - trenches.” - -=Candy.= An Americanism for sweetmeats. The Arabic _quand_, sugar, gave - the French word _candi_. - -=Canned Meat.= An Americanism for tinned meat. - -=Cannibal.= See “Caribbean Sea.” - -=Cannon Row.= The ancient residence of the Canons of St Stephen’s - Chapel, Westminster Abbey. - -=Cannon Street.= A corruption of Candlewick Street, where the - candle-makers congregated. - -=Cannucks.= See “K’nucks.” - -=Canonbury.= From the manorial residence of the priors of St Bartholomew - Church, Clerkenwell, of which the ancient tower remains. - -=Cant.= After Alexander and Andrew Cant, a couple of bigoted - Covenanters, who persecuted their religious opponents with - relentless zeal, and at the same time prayed for those who suffered - on account of their religious opinions. - -=Cantab.= Of Cambridge University. The River Cam was anciently called - the Granta; hence the Saxon name of the city _Grantabrycge_, or the - bridge over the Granta, softened later into _Cantbrigge_. - -=Canterbury.= The fortified place or chief town of “Kent.” - -=Canterbury Music Hall.= This, the first of the London music halls, - opened in 1848, grew out of the old-time popular “free-and-easy,” or - “sing-song,” held in an upper room of what was until then a tavern - displaying the arms of the city of Canterbury, and styled the - “Canterbury Arms.” - -=Cantlowes Road.= See “Kentish Town.” - -=Canvas Back.= A species of sea-duck, regarded as a luxury on account of - the delicacy of its flesh. So called from the colour of the plumage - on its back. - -=Cape Finisterre.= Adapted by the French from the Latin _finis terra_, - “land’s end.” - -=Capel Court.= The Stock Exchange, so called from the residence of Sir - William Capel, Lord Mayor in 1504. - -=Cape of Good Hope.= So called by John II., King of Portugal, after Diaz - had touched this point of Africa, as a favourable augury for the - circumnavigation of the globe. - -=Cape Horn.= Named Hoorn, after his birthplace, by Schouten, the Dutch - navigator, who first rounded it. - -=Capri.= From the Latin _caper_, a he-goat, expresses the island of wild - goats. - -=Capuchin Friars.= From the pointed cowl or _capuce_ worn by them. - -=Carat Gold.= So called because gold and precious stones were formerly - weighted against carat seeds or seeds of the Abyssinian coral - flower. - -=Carbonari.= Italian for charcoal-burners, in whose huts this secret - society held its meetings. - -=Carburton Street.= From the Northamptonshire village on the ducal - estate of the ground landlord. - -=Cardiff.= From _Caer Taff_, the fort on the Taff. - -=Cardigan.= After Ceredog, a famous chieftain. - -=Caribbean Sea.= From the Caribbs, which West Indian designation - signifies “cruel men.” Corrupted through the Spanish _Caribal_, we - have derived the word “Cannibal,” for one who eats human flesh. - -=Carlton House Terrace.= From Carlton House, built by Lord Carlton, - later the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of - George III. - -=Carmagnole.= A wild song and dance which came into prominence during - the French Revolution. It received its name from Carmagnolas, a town - in Piedmont, whence the Savoyard boys carried the tune into the - south of France. - -=Carmarthen.= A corruption of _Caer-merlin_, or the fortress built by - Merlin, in the neighbourhood of which he was born. - -=Carmelites.= White Friars of the order of Mount Carmel. - -=Carnarvon.= The fortress on the _Arfon_, or water. - -=Carolina.= After Carollus, the Latinised name of Charles II., who - granted a charter of colonisation to eight of his favourites. - -=Caroline Islands.= In honour of Charles I. of Spain. - -=Carpenter.= Originally one who made only the body or wooden portion of - a vehicle. So called from the Latin _carpentum_, waggon. An ordinary - worker in wood was, and still is in the English provinces, a joiner. - -=Carpet Knight.= A civilian honoured with a knighthood by the sovereign. - One who has not won his spurs on the field, like the knights of old. - -=Carry Coals to Newcastle.= To do that which is altogether superfluous. - It would be ridiculous to take coals to a place where they are found - in abundance. - -=Cartaret Street.= After John Cartaret, Earl of Granville, Secretary of - State, and one of the most popular ministers of the reign of George - II. - -=Carte de Visite.= Photographs received this name because the Duc de - Parma in 1857 had his likeness printed on the back of his large - visiting-cards. - -=Carthage.= From the Phœnician _Karth-hadtha_, New Town. - -=Carthagena.= From _Carthago Novo_, or New Carthage. - -=Carthusians.= Monks of La Chartreuse, near Grenoble. This name is also - given to former scholars of the “Charter House.” - -=Carthusian Street.= Although some distance to the west of it, this - street leads to the “Charter House.” - -=Caspian Sea.= From the _Caspii_, who peopled its shores. - -=Castile.= In Spanish Castilla, from the castles or forts set up for - defence against the Moors. - -=Castle.= An inn sign denoting a wine-house, from the castle in the arms - of Spain. - -=Catacombs.= Italian _Catacomba_, from the Greek _kata_, downward, and - _kumbe_, a hollow, a cavity. - -=Cat and Fiddle.= A corruption of “Caton le Fidele,” the faithful Caton, - Governor of Calais, whose name was honoured by many an inn sign. - -=Cat and Wheel.= A corruption of the old inn sign the “Catherine Wheel,” - the instrument of the martyrdom of St Catherine. - -=Cat Call.= A corruption of _Cat Wail_. When a theatre or music-hall - audience is dissatisfied with the performance, and impatient for it - to be brought to an end, the “Gods” indulging in “Mewing” like a - chorus of cats on the roof by night. - -=Catch a Weasel asleep.= No one ever caught a weasel napping, for the - simple reason that he hides himself in a hole away from the sight of - man. - -=Catchpenny.= Short for “Catnach Penny,” from the penny dying speeches - and yard of songs printed by James Catnach in Seven Dials, and - hawked about the streets. The “Catnach Press” was as great a power - in that day as the trashy “Bits” literature is in our own. - -=Cathedral.= From the Greek _kathedra_, a seat--_i.e._ the chair of a - bishop. See “City.” - -=Caucus.= From the Caulkers of Boston, U.S., who shortly before the - Revolution came into open conflict with the British soldiery. - Meetings were held in the calk houses, and a Caulkers’ Club was - formed. Since that time a political meeting of American citizens has - been styled a Caucus. - -=Cavalier.= From the French _chevalier_, a horseman. - -=Cavendish.= Tobacco pressed into plugs for chewing, from the name of - the first maker. - -=Cavendish Square.= After Henrietta Cavendish, second wife of Lord - Harley, the ground landlord. - -=Centennial State.= Colorado, admitted into the American Union one - hundred years after the Declaration of Independence. - -=Ceylon.= Called by the Portuguese Selen, an abbreviation of the - Sanskrit _Sinhaladwipa_, “Island of Lyons.” - -=Chadwell Street.= After the name of the source of the New River in - Hertfordshire. The well was anciently dedicated to St Chad. - -=Chaff.= A corruption of _chafe_, to make hot with anger, as heat may be - produced by friction. - -=Chalk Farm.= Originally “Chalcot Farm,” a noted resort for duellists of - a past day. - -=Chalk it up.= In allusion to the drink score chalked on a slate against - a customer at a country ale-house. - -=Champagne.= A light wine, from the French province of the same name, - which expresses a plain, from the Latin _campus_, field. - -=Champs de Mars.= Expresses the large open space or “Plain of Mars,” in - Paris, set apart for military reviews. - -=Chancery Lane.= A corruption of “Chancellor’s Lane,” from the town - house of the Bishops of Chichester, afterwards the residence of the - Lord High Chancellor of England. - -=Chandos Street.= From the residence of James Bridges, Duke of Chandos. - -=Chap.= Originally short for “Chapman,” one who sold his wares at a - _chepe_, or market. - -=Chap Book.= A small book or tract sold by chapmen. See “Chap.” - -=Chapel.= A printers’ meeting held in the composing-room, so called - because Caxton set up the first English press in a disused chapel of - Westminster Abbey. The presiding workman is styled “The Father of - the Chapel.” - -=Chapel of Ease.= An auxiliary place of worship, for the convenience of - those who resided at a great distance from the parish church. - -=Charing Cross.= The idea that this spot received its name from the - “good Queen” Eleanor, whose bier was set down here for the last time - on its way to Westminster Abbey has been exploded. It was even then - called the village of Charing, in honour of _La Chère Reine_, the - Blessed Virgin, this being the usual halting-place between London - and the venerable Abbey. - -=Charlatan.= From the Italian _ciarlatano_, a quack, a babbler, a - loquacious itinerant who sold medicines in a public square. - -=Charles Martel.= See “Martel.” - -=Charles Street.= Built upon in the reign of Charles II. - -=Charlies.= The old night watchmen reorganised by Charles I. These were - the only civic protectors down to the introduction of the modern - police system by Sir Robert Peel. - -=Charlotte Street.= After the queen of George III. - -=Charter House.= A corruption of La Chartreuse, one of the English - houses of the Order of monks of the place of the same name in - France. - -=Chartreuse.= The liqueurs prepared at the monastery of La Chartreuse, - near Grenoble. - -=Chauffeur.= The French term for a motor-car driver; it has no English - equivalent. - -=Cheap Jack.= A modern equivalent for “Chap-man.” Jack is a generic name - for man-servant or an inferior person. - -=Cheapside.= The High Street of the city of London, consequently - abutting on the _chepe_, or market-place. - -=Cheese it.= A corruption of “Choose it better,” or, in other words, - “Tell me something I can believe.” - -=Chef.= French for head or master. Employed alone, the word expresses a - head man cook. - -=Chelmsford.= The ford over the Chelmer. - -=Chelsea.= Anciently “Chevelsey,” or “Shingle Island.” See “Chiswick.” - -=Chequers.= An inn sign derived from the arms of the Fitzwarrens, one of - whom had the granting of vintners’ licences. - -=Cherry Bob.= An old summer pastime for boys. A bunch of cherries - suspended from a beam or tree-branch was kept swinging to and fro, - while the boys, with their hands behind them, tried to catch the - fruit with their mouths. - -=Cherry Gardens Pier.= A name reminiscent of a popular resort of bygone - days in connection with the “Jamaica” in front of which rum, newly - arrived from the West Indies, was landed. - -=Cherry Pickers.= The 11th Hussars, because, when captured by the French - during the Peninsular War, some men of the regiment were robbing an - orchard. - -=Chesapeake.= Indian for “great waters.” - -=Chester.= The city built on the Roman _castra_, or camp. - -=Chestnut.= Edwin Abbey, the painter of the Coronation picture, is said - to have been responsible for the term “Chestnut” as applied to a - stale joke. While a member of a club at Philadelphia he always told - a story about a man who had a chestnut farm, but made nothing out of - it because he gave his chestnuts away. Abbey invariably began this - story differently, so that his follow clubmen would not recognise - it, but they soon interrupted him by exclaiming “Chestnuts!” - -=Chestnut Sunday.= The first Sunday in June, when the chestnut-trees in - Bushey Park at Hampton Court are in bloom. - -=Cheyne Walk.= After Lord Cheyne, lord of the manor of Chelsea in the - seventeenth century. - -=Chicago.= Indian for “wild onion.” - -=Chichester.= The Roman camp town taken by Cissa, King of the South - Saxons, thenceforth called _Cissanceaster_. - -=Chichester Rents.= The site of the town mansion of the Bishops of - Chichester. - -=Chili.= Peruvian for “land of snow.” - -=China.= After Tsin, the founder of a great dynasty. Earthenware of a - superior quality was first made in China; hence the name. - -=Chin Music.= An Americanism for derisive laughter. - -=Chip off the Old Block.= A saying in allusion to the “Family Tree.” - -=Chippendale.= Furniture of elegant design, named after its famous - maker. - -=Chiswick.= Anciently “Cheoselwick,” or village of shingles, from the - Anglo-Saxon _ceosal_, sand, gravel. - -=Chocolat-Menier.= The perfection of chocolate, introduced by M. Menier - of Paris, who died in 1881. - -=Choke Him off.= The allusion is to grip a dog by the throat in order to - make him relax his hold. - -=Christiania.= Rebuilt by Christian IV. of Denmark. - -=Christian Scientists.= A modern offshoot of the Peculiar People, or - Faith Healers, who believe that sickness and pain can be cured by - faith and prayer without medicine. - -=Christmas-box.= A relic of Catholic days, when a box was placed in all - the churches to receive Christmas alms for the poor. These were - distributed on the day following. - -=Christmas Island.= Captain Cook landed here on Christmas Day, 1777. - -=Christ’s College.= Founded at Cambridge by Lady Margaret, Countess of - Richmond, mother of Henry VII., for a master and twelve fellows, - corresponding to Christ and His apostles, to whom it was dedicated. - -=Christy Minstrels.= After Charles Christy, who introduced the Negro - Minstrel Entertainment to England. - -=Church Ale.= Specifically the ale brewed by the church-wardens for - merrymakers on the village green at Whitsuntide and other high - holidays. Later the assemblage itself came to be styled a “Church - Ale.” - -=Chute.= The French for “a fall,” applied by the Americans to a - declivity of water. The exciting diversion of boating on such a - waterfall is styled “Shooting the Chutes.” - -=Cicerone.= After Cicero, the prince of speakers. The comparison between - the celebrated orator and the “Roman Guide” befooled by Mark Twain - is rather painful. - -=Cigar.= From the Spanish _Cigarro_, the original name of a particular - kind of Cuban tobacco. - -=Cinderella Dance.= Because it is brought to an end at twelve o’clock, - in allusion to the heroine in the fairy story. - -=Circumlocution Office.= A term first applied to the shuttle-cock - methods in vogue at our public offices by Charles Dickens in “Little - Dorrit.” - -=Cistercians.= An Order of monks established at Cistercium, or Citeau, - near Dijon. - -=City.= The proper and historic distinction between a city and a town - lies in the fact that the former is the seat of a bishop, and - accordingly contains a cathedral. In modern times many burghs or - towns have been advanced to the dignity of a city on account of - their commercial importance. These are, however, cities only in - name. - -=City Fathers.= Aldermen of the city of London. - -=City Golgotha.= Old Temple Bar, from the heads of rebels spiked on its - top. _Golgotha_ is Hebrew for “the place of skulls.” - -=Claim.= A squatter’s term for a piece of land which he has marked off - and settled upon pending its legal acquisition from the Government. - During the gold fever the name also came to be applied to the land - parcelled out to each digger. - -=Clare Market.= The site of Clare House, the residence of the Earl of - Clare. - -=Clarence.= A carriage named after the Duke of Clarence, afterwards - William IV. - -=Clarges Street.= From the mansion of Sir Walter Clarges, afterwards - taken over by the Venetian ambassador. - -=Clarendon.= The black type first used at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, - which owed its foundation to the profits of Lord Clarendon’s - “History of the Rebellion,” presented to the University. - -=Claude Lorraine.= The assumed name of the celebrated landscape painter - Claude Galée, who was a native of Lorraine. - -=Cleaned Out.= Pockets emptied of cash. The allusion is to a saucepan or - other domestic cooking utensil which is cleansed after use. - -=Clerkenwell.= The holy well beside which the parish clerks performed - their miracle plays on festival days. - -=Clifford Street.= After Elizabeth Clifford, wife of the Earl of - Burlington. - -=Closure.= A modern parliamentary term signifying the right of the - Speaker to order the closing of a useless debate. The Closure was - first applied 24th February 1884. - -=Cloth Fair.= The great annual mart for the sale of cloth brought over - by Flemish merchants. - -=Club.= From the German _kleben_, to adhere, cleave to, associate. - -=Clyde.= The strong river, from the Gaelic _clyth_, strong. - -=Coast is Clear.= Originally a smugglers’ phrase relative to - coastguards. - -=Coat of Arms.= During the days of chivalry, when a knight was - completely encased in armour and the vizor of his helmet was drawn - over his face, his sole mode of distinction was by the embroidered - design of his armorial bearings on a sleeveless coat that he wore in - the lists at tournaments. In warfare the coat was dispensed with, - but he was known to his comrades by another device on the crest of - his helmet. - -=Cobbler.= An American drink of spirits, beer, sugar, and spice, said to - have been first concocted by a Western shoemaker. - -=Coblentz.= From the Latin name, _Confluentia_, being situated at the - confluence of the Rivers Rhine and Moselle. - -=Cockade.= From the party badge originally displayed on a cocked hat. - See “Knocked into a Cocked Hat.” - -=Cockade State.= Maryland, from the brilliant cockades worn by the brave - Old Maryland Regiment during the War of Independence. - -=Cockney.= From “Cockayne,” a Fools’ Paradise, where there is nothing - but eating and drinking, described in a satiric poem of the - thirteenth century. The word was clearly derived from _coquere_, to - cook, and had reference to London, where the conduits on occasion - ran with wine, and good living fell to the lot of men generally. - -=Cock-penny.= A penny levied by the master on each of the boys for - allowing the brutal sport of cock-throwing in school on Shrove - Tuesday formerly. The master himself found the bird. - -=Cocktail.= Tradition has it that one of Montezuma’s nobles sent a - draught of a new beverage concocted by him from the cactus plant to - the Emperor by his daughter Xochitl. The Aztec monarch smiled, - tasted it, gulped it down with a relish, and, it is said, afterwards - married the girl; thenceforward this drink became the native tipple, - and for centuries it bore the softened name of Octel. The corruption - of _Octel_ into _Cocktail_ by the soldiers of the American Army - when, under General Scott, they invaded Mexico, about sixty years - ago, was easy. - -=Coger.= A slang term derived from the members of the celebrated Cogers’ - Club in Salisbury Court, Fleet Street. They styled themselves - “Cogers” from the Latin _cogito_, to think deeply. - -=Cohees.= Natives of Western Pennsylvania, owing to their addiction to - the phrase “Quoth he,” softened into _Quo’he_. - -=Coin Money.= To make money as fast as it is turned out at the Mint. Few - men are so fortunate. - -=Coke Hat.= After William Coke, who popularised it. See “Billycock.” - -=Coldbath Fields.= A district of Clerkenwell now long built over, but - famous for a cold bath; the site is marked by the present Bath - Street. - -=Colchester.= The camp town on the Colne. - -=Coldstream Guards.= The regiment raised by General Monk at Coldstream, - Berwickshire, in 1660. - -=Coleman Street.= Said to have been built upon by one Coleman; but long - before his time the coalmen or charcoal merchants congregated here. - -=Colleen.= Irish for girl. “Colleen Bawn” expresses a blonde girl. - -=College Hill.= From a collegiate foundation of Sir Richard Whittington, - thrice Lord Mayor of London. - -=College Port.= Inferior port served up to the older students at - college. It is said to be specially prepared for this market. - -=Collop Monday.= The day preceding Shrove Tuesday, when housewives cut - up all their meat into large steaks or collops for salting during - Lent. - -=Cologne.= The _Colonia Agrippina_ of the Romans, so called after the - mother of Nero, who was born here. - -=Colonel.= A Far-West title of courtesy bestowed upon anyone who owns a - stud horse. - -=Colorado.= The Spaniards gave this name to the state in allusion to its - coloured ranges. - -=Colosseum.= Greek for “great amphitheatre.” - -=Combine.= An Americanism for “Combination.” Applied in a financial or - commercial sense, this term is now well understood in our own - country. - -=Come up to the Scratch.= A prize-fighting expression. A line was - scratched on the ground with a stick, and the combatants were - expected to toe it with the left foot. - -=Commonwealth.= In theatrical parlance, a sharing out of the proceeds of - the week’s performances after all expenses have been deducted. This - generally happens when the manager has decamped with the entire - takings, and left his company stranded. - -=Compton Street= (Old and New). Built upon by Sir Richard Compton and - Bishop Compton respectively. - -=Conduit Street.= From a conduit of spring water set up here before the - land was built over. - -=Confidence Man.= An Americanism for one who in this country is known to - extract money from strangers by the “confidence trick.” - -=Confounded Liar.= Literally one who is covered with confusion on being - brought face to face with the truth. - -=Congleton Bears.= A nickname given to the people of Congleton, - Cheshire. Local tradition has it that the bear intended for baiting - at the holiday sports died, and, to procure another, the authorities - appropriated the money collected for a new Church Bible. - -=Congregationalists.= Independent Nonconformists, who are neither - Baptists nor Wesleyans, and claim the right to “call” their own - ministers, each congregation managing its own affairs. - -=Connecticut.= From the Indian _Quinnitukut_, “country of the long - river.” - -=Conscience Money.= Money sent anonymously to the Treasury in respect of - Income-Tax after the thought of having defrauded the Revenue has - pricked the individual conscience. - -=Constance.= Founded by Constantine, the father of Constantine the - Great; one of the oldest cities of Germany. - -=Constantinople.= The city of Constantine. - -=Constitution Hill.= Where John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, took his - daily constitutional walk while residing at Buckingham House, built - by him in 1703. On the site of this mansion George IV. erected the - present edifice, Buckingham Palace, in 1825. - -=Cook your Goose.= An old chronicler thus explains this saying: “The - Kyng of Swedland coming to a towne of his enemyes with very little - company, his enemyes, to slyghte his forces, did hang out a goose - for him to shoote, but perceiving before nyghte that these fewe - soldiers had invaded and sette their chief houlds on fire, they - demanded of him what his intent was, to whom he replied, ‘To cook - your goose.’” - -=Coon.= Short for racoon, an American animal much prized on account of - its fur. - -=Cooper.= A publican’s term for half ale and half porter. See “Entire.” - -=Copenhagen Street.= From Copenhagen Fields, where stood a noted - tea-house opened by a Dane. - -=Copper.= A policeman, from the thieves’ slang _cop_, to take, catch. - -=Copperheads.= A political faction of North America during the Civil - War, regarded as secret foes, and so called after the copperhead - serpent, which steals upon its enemy unawares. - -=Cordeliers.= Franciscan Friars distinguished from the parent Order by - the knotted waist-cord. - -=Corduroy.= In French _Cord du Roy_, “King’s cord,” because ribbed or - corded material was originally worn only by the Kings of France. - -=Cordwainer.= The old name for a shoemaker, because the leather he - worked upon was Cordwain, a corruption of Cordovan, brought from the - city of Cordova. - -=Cork.= From the Gaelic _corroch_, a swamp. - -=Cork Street.= From the residence of Lord Cork, one of the four brothers - of the Boyle family. - -=Corncrackers.= The Kentuckians, from a native bird of the crane species - called the Corncracker. - -=Corner.= The creation of a monopoly of prices in respect of natural - produce or manufactured goods. The allusion here is to speculators - who agreed in a quiet corner, at or near the Exchange, to buy up the - whole market. - -=Cornhill.= The ancient city corn market. - -=Cornwall.= Pursuant to the Saxon _Wahl_, the horn of land peopled by - foreigners. - -=Corpus Christi College.= At Cambridge, founded by the united guilds or - fraternities of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin. - -=Corsica.= A Phœnician term for “wooded isle.” - -=Cossack.= The Russian form of the Tartar term _kasake_, a horseman. - -=Costa Rica.= Spanish for “rich coast.” - -=Costermonger.= In Shakespeare’s time a Costardmonger, or trader in a - famous species of apple so called. - -=Cottonopolis.= Manchester, the city identified with English cotton - manufacture. - -=Cotton Plantation State.= Alabama, from its staple industry. - -=Cotton to.= An Americanism meaning to cling to a man as cotton would - cling to his garments. - -=Counter-jumper.= The derisive nickname of a draper’s assistant, on - account of his agility in leaping over the counter as a short cut - from one department to another. - -=Country Dance.= A corruption of the French _contre danse_, from the - opposite positions of the dancers. - -=Coup de Grace.= The merciful finishing stroke of the executioner after - a criminal had been tortured by having all his bones broken on a - wheel. One blow on the head then put him out of his misery. - -=Court Cards.= Properly Coat Cards, on account of their heraldic - devices. - -=Court of Arches.= The ecclesiastical Court of Appeal for the - Archbishopric of Canterbury which in ancient times was held in the - crypt of St Mary-le-Bow, or St Mary of the Arches at Cheapside. See - “Bow Church.” - -=Court Plaster.= The plaster out of which ladies of the Court fashioned - their decorative (?) face patches. - -=Covenanters.= Those who entered into a Solemn League or Covenant to - resist the religious and political measures of Charles I. in 1638. - -=Covent Garden.= A corruption of Convent Garden, the site of which was - converted into a market, _temp._ Charles II. The convent and garden - belonged to the Abbey at Westminster. - -=Coventry.= A corruption of Conventry--_i.e._ Convent town. Before the - Reformation it was far famed for the number of its conventual - establishments. The suffix _try_ is Celtic for “dwelling.” - -=Coventry Street.= From the residence of Henry Coventry, Secretary of - State, _temp._ Charles II. - -=Cowcross Street.= Where the cattle crossed the brook in days when this - now congested neighbourhood was pleasant pasture land watered by the - “River of Wells.” - -=Coxcomb.= A vain, empty-pated individual. So called from the cock’s - comb worn on the cap by the licensed jesters, because they were - allowed to crow over their betters. - -=Cracker.= Although the origin of this term when applied to a juvenile - firework would appear to be self-evident, it is really a corruption - of _Cracque_, the Norman description of “Greek Fire.” - -=Crackers.= The people of Georgia, owing, it is said, to the - unintelligibility of their speech. - -=Cranbourn Street.= From the long, narrow stream of this name, when the - whole district hereabouts was open fields. - -=Crank.= One whose notions of things are angular, eccentric, or crooked. - His ideas do not run in a straight line. - -=Cravat.= Introduced into Western Europe by the Cravates or Croatians in - the seventeenth century. - -=Craven Street.= From the residence of Lord Craven prior to his removal - to Drury House in Drury Lane. - -=Cream City.= Milwaukee, from the cream-coloured bricks of which its - houses are built. - -=Credit Draper.= The modern designation of a “Tallyman.” - -=Cree Church.= See “St Katherine Cree.” - -=Creed Lane.= Where the monks recited the Credo in procession to St - Paul’s. See “Ave Maria Lane.” - -=Cremorne Gardens.= Laid out on the site of the mansion and grounds of - Thomas Dawson, Lord Cremorne. - -=Creole State.= Louisiana. In New Orleans particularly a Creole is a - native of French extraction. - -=Crescent City.= New Orleans, built in the form of a crescent. - -=Crimea.= From the _Kimri_ or _Cymri_ who settled in the peninsula. - -=Cripplegate.= From the city gate around which gathered cripples begging - for alms, the neighbouring church being dedicated to St Giles, their - patron. - -=Crokers.= Potatoes, because first raised in Croker’s Field at Youghal, - Ireland. - -=Cromwell Road.= From the mansion and grounds of Richard Cromwell, son - of the Lord Protector. - -=Crop Clubs.= Clubs formed to evade Mr Pitt’s tax on hair powder. _The - Times_ thus noticed one of the earliest in its issue of 14th April - 1795: “A numerous Club has been formed in Lambeth called the ‘Crop - Club,’ every member of which is obliged to have his hair docked as - close as the Duke of Bridgewater’s old bay horses. This assemblage - is instituted for the purpose of opposing, or rather evading, the - tax on powdered heads.” - -=Cross Keys.= A common inn sign throughout Yorkshire, from the arms of - the Archbishop of York. - -=Crowd.= Theatrical slang for members of a company collectively. - -=Crow over him.= A cock always crows over a vanquished opponent in a - fight. - -=Crutched Friars.= Friars of the Holy Trinity, so called from the - embroidered cross on their habits (Latin, _cruciati_, crossed). - Their London house was located in the thoroughfare named after them. - -=Cuba.= The native name of the island when Columbus discovered it. - -=Cully.= A slang term applied to a man, mate, or companion. Its origin - is the Romany _cuddy_, from the Persian _gudda_, an ass. - -=Cumberland.= The land of the Cymri. - -=Cupboard.= See “Dresser.” - -=Curaçoa.= A liqueur first prepared at the West Indian island of the - same name. - -=Currants.= First brought from Corinth. - -=Cursitor Street.= From the Cursitors’ Office that stood here. The - Cursitors were clerks of Chancery, but anciently _choristers_, just - as the Lord Chancellor himself was an ecclesiastic. - -=Curtain Road.= From the “Curtain Theatre,” where Ben Jonson’s “Every - Man in his Humour” was put on the stage. - -=Curzon Street.= From George Augustus Curzon, created Viscount Howe, the - ground landlord. - -=Cuspidor.= The American term for a spittoon, derived from the Spanish - _escupidor_, a spitter. - -=Cut me to the Quick.= The quick of one’s fingers when cut into is most - alive or sensitive to pain. See “Quicksilver.” - -=Cutpurse.= A thief who, in days before pockets came into vogue, had no - difficulty in cutting the strings with which a purse was suspended - from the girdle. - -=Cut the Line.= A printer’s expression for knocking off work. Formerly - compositors finished the line they were composing; nowadays Trades - Unionism has made them so particular that they leave off in the - middle of a line on the first stroke of the bell. - -=Cypress.= A tree introduced to Western Europe from the island of - Cyprus. - -=Cyprus.= From _kupras_, the Greek name for a herb which grew on the - island in profusion. - - - D - - -=Dachshund.= German for “badger-dog.” - -=Daffodil.= An English corruption of the French _d’Asphodel_. - -=Dagonet.= The pseudonym of Mr George R. Sims in _The Referee_, after - the jester at the Court of King Arthur. - -=Daguerreotype.= An early process of photography discovered by L. J. M. - Daguerre. - -=Dahlgreen Gun.= After its inventor, an officer in the United States - Navy. - -=Dahlia.= Introduced to Europe from Mexico in 1784 by Andrew Dahl, the - Swedish botanist. - -=Daisy.= From the Anglo-Saxon _dæges eye_, or “day’s eye,” on account of - its sunlike appearance. - -=Dakota.= From the Dacoits, a tribe of Indians found there. - -=Dale Road.= From the residence of Canon Dale, poet, and Vicar of St - Pancras. - -=Dalmatian.= A species of dog bred in Dalmatia. - -=Dalston.= The town in the dale when the north of London was more or - less wooded. - -=Damage.= See “What’s the Damage?” - -=Damascenes.= From Damascus, famous for its plums. - -=Damascus.= From the Arabic name of the city, _Dimiskesh-Shâm_. - -=Damascus Blade.= From Damascus, a city world famous for the temper of - its sword blades. - -=Damask.= First made at Damascus in Syria. - -=Damask Rose.= Introduced to Europe from Damascus. - -=Damassin.= A Damask cloth interwoven with flowers of gold or silver. - -=Dame School.= The old name for a girls’ school taught by a spinster or - dame. - -=Damsons.= Properly _Damascenes_, from Damascus. - -=Dancing Chancellor.= Sir Christopher Hatton so pleased Queen Elizabeth - by his dancing at a Court masque that she made him a Knight of the - Garter; subsequently he became Lord Chancellor of England. - -=Dandelion.= A corruption of the French _dent de lion_, from its fancied - resemblance to a lion’s tooth. - -=Dandy.= From the French _dandin_, silly fellow, ninny. - -=Dantzic.= Expresses the town settled by the Danes. - -=Danvers Street.= From Danvers House, in which resided Sir John Danvers, - to whom the introduction of the Italian style of horticulture in - England was due. - -=Darbies.= A pair of handcuffs, in allusion to Darby and Joan, who were - inseparable. - -=Dardanelles.= After the city on the Asiatic side founded by Dardanus, - the ancestor of Priam, the last king of Troy. - -=Dark and Bloody Ground.= Kentucky, the great battle-ground of the - Indians and white settlers, as also that of the savage tribes - amongst themselves. - -=Darmstadt.= The _stadt_, or town, on the Darm. - -=Dartford.= From the Saxon _Darentford_, the fort on the Darent. - -=Dartmoor.= The moor in which the River Dart takes its rise. - -=Dartmouth.= On the estuary of the River Dart. - -=Dauphin.= The title borne by the eldest son of the King of France until - 1830, from the armorial device of a _delphinus_, or dolphin. - -=Davenport.= After the original maker. - -=Davies Street.= After Mary Davies, heiress of the manor of Ebury, - Pimlico. - -=Davis Strait.= After the navigator who discovered it. - -=Davy Jones’s Locker.= Properly “Duffy Jonah’s Locker.” _Duffy_ is the - ghost of the West Indian Negroes; Jonah, the prophet cast into the - sea; and “locker,” the ordinary seaman’s chest. - -=D. D. Cellars.= See “Dirty Dick’s.” - -=Dead as a Door Nail.= The reflection that, if a man were to be knocked - on the head as often as is the “nail” on which a door knocker rests, - he would have very little life left in him, easily accounts for this - saying. - -=Dead Beat.= Prostrate from fatigue, incapable of further exertion. Also - the name of an American drink of whisky and ginger-soda after a hard - night’s carousal. - -=Deadheads.= In America persons who enjoy the right of travelling on a - railway system at the public expense; in this country actors and - pseudo “professionals,” who pass into places of amusement without - paying. The origin of the term is as follows:--More than sixty years - ago all the principal avenues of the city of Delaware converged to a - toll gate at the entrance to the Elmwood Cemetery Road. The cemetery - having been laid out long prior to the construction of the plank - road beyond the toll gate, funerals were allowed to pass through the - latter toll free. One day as Dr Price, a well-known physician, - stopped to pay his toll he observed to the gatekeeper: “Considering - the benevolent character of the profession to which I have the - honour to belong, I think you ought to let me pass toll free.” “No, - no, doctor,” the man replied; “we can’t afford that. You send too - many deadheads through here as it is!” The story travelled, and the - term “Deadheads” became fixed. - -=Dead Reckoning.= Calculating a ship’s whereabouts at sea from the - log-book without aid from the celestial bodies. - -=Dead Sea.= Traditionally on the site of the city of Sodom. Its waters - are highly saline, and no fish are found in them. - -=Dean Street.= After Bishop Compton, who, before he became Dean of the - Savoy Chapel, held the living of St Anne’s, Soho. - -=Dean’s Yard.= Affords access to the residence of the Dean of - Westminster, which, with the cloisters, belonged to the abbots prior - to the Reformation. - -=Death or Glory Men.= The 17th Lancers, from their badge, a Death’s head - superposed on the words “Or Glory.” - -=De Beauvoir Town.= From the manorial residence of the De Beauvoirs. - -=Deccan.= From the Sanskrit _Dakshina_, the south, being that portion of - Hindustan south of the Vindhya Mountains. - -=December.= The tenth month of the Roman Calendar when the year was - reckoned from March. - -=Decemvir.= One of the ten legislators of Rome appointed to draw up a - code of laws. - -=Decoration Day.= 30th May, observed in the United States for decorating - the graves of the soldiers who fell in the struggle between the - North and South. - -=Deemster.= See “Doomster.” - -=Dehaley Street.= From the residence of the Dehaleys. - -=Delaware.= After the Governor of Virginia, Thomas West, Lord Delaware, - who died on board his vessel while visiting the bay in 1610. - -=Del Salviati.= The assumed name of the famous Italian painter Francesco - Rossi, in compliment to his patron, Cardinal Salviati, who was born - in the same year as himself. - -=Demijohn.= A corruption of _Damaghan_, in Persia, a town anciently - famous for its glass-ware. - -=Democracy.= From the Greek _demos_, people, and _kratein_, to rule. - Government by the people. - -=Denbigh.= From _Dinbach_, the Celtic for “a little fort.” - -=Denmark.= Properly _Danmark_, the mark or boundary of the land of the - Danes. - -=Depot.= The American term for a railway station. - -=Deptford.= The deep ford over the Ravensbourne. - -=Derby.= Saxon for “deer village.” The Derby stakes at Epsom were - founded by Edward Smith Stanley, Earl of Derby, in 1780. - -=Derrick.= The old name for a gibbet and now for a high crane. So called - after a seventeenth-century hangman at Tyburn. - -=Derry Down.= The opening words of the Druidical chorus as they - proceeded to the sacred grove to gather mistletoe at the winter - solstice. _Derry_ is Celtic for “grove.” - -=Dessborough Place.= From Dessbrowe House, in which resided the - brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. - -=Detroit.= French for “strait.” - -=Deuteronomy.= A Greek word signifying the second giving of the Law by - Moses. - -=Devereaux Court.= See “Essex Street.” - -=Devil’s Sonata.= One of Tartini’s most celebrated compositions. He - dreamt that the Evil One appeared to him playing a sonata on the - violin. At its conclusion his visitor asked: “Tartini, canst thou - play this?” Awaking with his mind still full of the grotesque music, - Tartini played it over, and then recorded it permanently on paper. - -=Devil to Pay.= When money was lost by unsuccessful litigation it passed - into the hands of lawyers, who were thought to spend it where they - spent much of their time--viz. at the Devil Tavern in Fleet Street. - The money, therefore, went to the Devil. - -=Devizes.= From the Latin _Devisæ_, denoting the point where the old - Roman road passed into the district of the Celts. - -=Devon.= After a Celtic tribe, the _Damnonii_. - -=Devonshire House.= The town house of the Duke of Devonshire. - -=Devonshire Square.= From the mansion of William Cavendish, Earl of - Devonshire, who died here in 1628. - -=Diamond King.= The late Mr Alfred Beit, the South African financier, - whose wealth rivalled that of the Rothschilds. - -=Dickey.= A shirt front, which often has to do duty for a clean shirt. - So called from the German _decken_, to hide. - -=Diddler.= A schemer, an artful dodger. After Jeremy Diddler, the chief - character in the old farce, “Raising the Wind.” - -=Die Hards.= The 57th Foot. When the regiment was surrounded at Albuera, - their Colonel cried: “Die hard, my lads; die hard!” And fighting, - they died. - -=Digger Indians.= Tribes of the lowest class who live principally upon - roots. They have never been known to hunt. - -=Diggings.= A Bohemian term for “lodgings.” Not from the Californian - gold diggings, as generally supposed, but from the Galena lead - miners of Wisconsin, who called both their mines and their - underground winter habitations “diggings.” - -=Dime.= A ten-cent piece, from the French _dixme_, or _dîme_, - tenth--_i.e._ of a dollar. - -=Dimity.= First brought from Damietta, Egypt. - -=Dine with Duke Humphrey.= An old saying of those who were fated to go - dinnerless. When the “Good Duke Humphrey,” son of Henry IV., was - buried at St Albans, a monument to his memory was to be erected in - St Paul’s Cathedral. At that time, as for long afterwards, the nave - of our national fane was a fashionable promenade. When the - promenaders left for dinner, others who had no dinners to go to - explained that they would stay behind in order to look for the Good - Duke’s monument. - -=Dining-room Servant.= An Americanism for waiter or male house servant. - -=Diorama.= See “Panorama.” - -=Dirty Dick’s.= The noted tavern in Bishopgate, said to have been - associated with Nathaniel Bentley, the miser, who never washed - himself. As a matter of fact, Dirty Dick was an ironmonger in - Leadenhall Street. After his death his effects were bought and - exhibited at the Bishopgate tavern, together with his portrait as a - sign. - -=Dirty Shirts.= The 101st Foot, who were hotly engaged at the battle of - Delhi in their shirt sleeves. - -=Dissenters.= Synonymous with the Nonconformists. Those who dissented - from the doctrines of the Church of England and those likewise who, - at a later period, separated from the Presbyterian Church of - Scotland. - -=Distaffs’ Day.= The old name for 7th January, when, Christmas being - over with Twelfth Night, women returned to their distaffs or - spindles. - -=Divan.= A Turkish word signifying a Council of State, from the fact - that the Turkish Council Chamber has low couches ranged round its - walls, plentifully supplied with cushions. The name has been - imported into Western Europe specifically to imply a low-cushioned - sofa or couch. - -=Dixie’s Land.= The Negroes’ paradise in slavery days. Dixie had a tract - of land on Manhattan Island. He treated his slaves well, but as they - increased sold many of them off to masters further afield. They - always looked back to Dixie’s Land as an ideal locality, associated - with heaven, and when one of them died his kith and kin said he had - gone to Dixie’s Land. - -=Dizzy.= The nickname of Benjamin Disraeli, afterwards Earl of - Beaconsfield, the great political opponent of Mr Gladstone. - -=Doctor.= There are three kinds of Doctors--of Law, Physic, and - Divinity. The first and the last are essentially University degrees, - with which the vulgar orders of the people have little or no - acquaintance. They know only of one “Doctor,” the medical - practitioner, and since he wears a frock coat and a silk hat he is - entitled to all the respect that they can pay him. - -=Doctors’ Commons.= Anciently a college for Professors of Canon and - Civil Law, who dined in common on certain days in each term, similar - to students at the Inns of Court before they are called to the Bar. - -=Dog and Duck.= A tavern sign indicative of the old sport of duck - hunting by spaniels in a pond. - -=Dog-cart.= Originally one in which sportsmen drove their pointers and - setters to the field. - -=Dog his Footsteps.= To follow close to his heels like a dog. - -=Dog in the Manger.= From the old story told of the dog who did not - require the hay for himself, yet refused to allow the ox to come - near it. - -=Dog Rose.= From the old idea that the root of this rose-tree was an - antidote for the bite of a mad dog. - -=Dog Watch.= A corruption of “Dodge Watch,” being a watch of two hours - only instead of four, by which _dodging_ seamen gradually shift - their watch on successive days. - -=Dolgelley.= Celtic for “dale of hazels.” - -=Dollar.= From the German Thaler, originally Joachims-Thaler, the silver - out of which this coin was struck having been found in the Thal or - Valley of St Joachim in Bohemia. - -=Dollars and Dimes.= An Americanism for money generally. See “Dime.” - -=Dolly Shop.= The old name for a rag shop which had a black doll over - the door for a sign. At one time old clothes were shipped to the - Negroes in the southern states of America. - -=Dolly Varden.= The name of a flowered skirt, answering to the - description of that worn by Dolly Varden in Dickens’s “Barnaby - Rudge.” This dress material became very popular after the novel was - published. It also gave rise to a song, of which the burden was: - “Dressed in a Dolly Varden.” - -=Dolphin.= A gold coin introduced by Charles V. of France, also Dauphin - of Vienne. - -=Dominica.= Expresses the Spanish for Sunday, the day on which Columbus - discovered this island. - -=Dominicans.= Friars of the Order of St Dominic; also called Black - Friars, from their habits. - -=Dominoes.= A game invented by two French monks, who amused themselves - with square, flat stones marked with spots. The winner declared his - victory by reciting the first line of the Vesper service: “Dixit - Dominus Domino Meo.” When, later, the game became the recreation of - the whole convent, the Vesper line was abbreviated into “Domino,” - and the stones themselves received the name of “Dominoes.” - -=Don.= A corruption of the Celtic _tain_, river. - -=Donatists.= A sect of the fourth century, adherents of Donatus, Bishop - of Numidia. - -=Doncaster St Leger.= The stakes at Doncaster races founded by Colonel - Anthony St Leger in 1776. - -=Donegal.= Gaelic for the “fortress of the west”--viz. Donegal Castle, - held by the O’Donnels of Tyrconnel. - -=Donet.= The old name for a Grammar, after Donatus, the grammarian and - preceptor of St Jerome. - -=Donkey.= An ass, from its _dun_ colour. - -=Don’t care a Dam.= When this expression first obtained currency a dam - was the smallest Hindoo coin, not worth an English farthing. - -=Don’t care a Jot.= See “Iota.” - -=Doomster.= The official in the Scottish High Court who pronounced the - doom to the prisoner, and also acted as executioner. In Jersey and - the Isle of Man a judge is styled a “Deemster.” - -=Dope Habit.= An Americanism for the morphia habit. “Dope” is the - Chinese word for opium. This in the United States is now applied to - all kinds of strong drugs or bromides prepared from opium. - -=Dorcas Society.= From the passage in Acts ix. 39: “And all the widows - stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which - Dorcas made while she was with them.” - -=Dorchester.= The Roman camp in the district of the _Dwr-trigs_ or water - dwellers. See “Dorset.” - -=Dorset.= The Anglo-Saxon _Dwrset_, or water settlement, so called from - the British tribe the _Dwr-trigs_, “water dwellers,” who peopled it. - -=Dorset Square.= After Viscount Portman, the ground landlord, who, - before he was raised to the peerage, was for many years Member for - Dorsetshire. - -=Dorset Street.= From the mansion and grounds of the Earl of Dorset of - the Restoration period. Here stood also the Dorset Gardens Theatre. - -=Doss.= Slang for a sleep, a shakedown. From the old word _dossel_, a - bundle of hay or straw, whence was derived _Doss_, a straw bed. - -=Doss-house.= A common lodging-house. See “Doss.” - -=Douay Bible.= The Old Testament translation of the Latin Vulgate - printed at the English College at Douay, France, in 1609. - -=Doublet.= So called because it was double lined or wadded, originally - for purposes of defence. - -=Douglas.= From its situation at the juncture of the two streams, the - _Dhoo_, black, and _Glass_, grey. - -=Douro.= From the Celtic _Dwr_, water. - -=Dover House.= The residence of the Hon. George Agar Ellis, afterwards - Lord Dover. - -=Dover Street.= After Henry Jermyn, Lord Dover, who died at his - residence here in 1782. - -=Dowager.= The widow of a person of high rank, because she enjoyed a - substantial dower or dowry for her maintenance during life. - -=Dowgate.= From the Celtic _Dwr_, water. Hence a water gate on the north - bank of the Thames. - -=Downing Street.= From the mansion of Sir George Downing, M.P., of the - Restoration period. - -=Down with the Dust.= A gold miner’s expression in the Far West, where - money is scarce and necessary commodities are in general bartered - for with gold dust. - -=Doyley.= From the Brothers Doyley, linen drapers in the Strand, who - introduced this species of table napery. - -=Do your Level Best.= This expression means that, while striving to the - utmost you must also act strictly straightforward. - -=Drachenfels.= German for “dragon rocks.” Here Siegfried, the hero of - the Niebelungenlied, slew the dragon. - -=Draft on Aldgate Pump.= A punning phrase for a worthless bill or - cheque. - -=Draggletail.= A slovenly woman who allows her skirts to draggle or - trail in the mire of the street. - -=Dragoman.= From the Turkish _drukeman_, an interpreter. A dragoman is - in the East what a “Cicerone” is in Italy and elsewhere in Western - Europe. - -=Dragoons.= From the ancient musket called a dragon, or “spitfire.” The - muzzle was embellished with a representation of a dragon. - -=Draper.= One who dealt in cloth for draping only, as distinct from a - mercer, milliner, or mantle-maker. - -=Drapers’ Gardens.= The property of the Drapers’ Company, whose hall is - situated here. - -=Drat it.= A corruption of “Odd rot it,” from the old oath, “God rot - them.” - -=Drawer.= The old name for an inn or tavern keeper’s assistant, who drew - the beer from the casks. - -=Drawing-room.= Originally “Withdrawing-room” to which the ladies - withdrew after dinner while the gentlemen sat over their wine. - -=Draw it mild.= Originally a tavern phrase, when anyone preferred - ordinary ale to hot spiced liquor. - -=Draw the Long Bow.= In allusion to the exaggerated skill of the English - archers prior to the introduction of gunpowder. - -=Dress Circle.= That portion of a theatre which, before the introduction - of stalls, was set apart for the superior sections of the audience. - -=Dressed up to the Knocker.= To the extreme height of his resources. - Before the establishment of the modern police system door knockers - were placed as high as possible to prevent them from being wrenched - off by sportive wags after nightfall. - -=Dresser.= The kitchen sideboard, on which the meat was dressed before - serving it up in the dining-chamber. The collection of cups, plates, - and dishes which distinguishes a dresser originally had a place on a - wide shelf or board over this meat dresser; hence cup-board. - -=Drinks like a Fish.= Ready to swallow any quantity of liquor that may - be offered. A great many fish have their mouths wide open whilst - swimming. - -=Drive a Bargain.= An expression meaning to knock down the original - price asked, in punning allusion to “driving” a nail. - -=Drop o’ the Crater.= See “Mountain Dew.” - -=Druid.= In the Celtic _Derwydd_, derived from _dewr_, oak, and _gwydd_, - knowledge. A priest who worshipped and offered sacrifices under an - oak. - -=Drum.= The name for a fashionable evening party of bygone days, from - the noise made by the card players. - -=Drummers.= An Americanism for commercial travellers, who are engaged in - beating up trade. - -=Drunkard’s Cloak.= A large wooden crinoline that hung from a drunkard’s - neck to the ground, causing every bone in his body to ache owing to - the weight resting on his shoulders. The instrument resembled an - inverted flower pot, having a hole in the top for his head to be - thrust through. Under this drastic treatment he soon became sober. - -=Drunk as a Fiddler.= The fiddler was generally incapable of discoursing - further music half way through the night’s jollification, because - the dancers freely plied him with drink. - -=Drunk as a Lord.= When George the Third was King, and long afterwards, - the fine old English gentleman acted up to his character by using - strong language and imbibing strong potations. To be “drunk as a - lord” was the surest mark of gentility, and a “three bottle man” a - pattern of sobriety. After dining it was considered no disgrace to - roll helplessly under the table. - -=Drury Lane.= From Drury House, the residence of Sir William Drury, - _temp._ William III. - -=Dublin.= From _Dubh-linn_, “black pool.” - -=Dub Up.= An expression derived from the very general custom of dubbing - or touching a man on the shoulder when arresting him for debt. - -=Ducat.= Duke’s money, anciently struck in the Duchy of Apulia, Sicily. - -=Duchess Street.= After Lady Cavendish, who became the wife of the - second Duke of Portland. - -=Ducking Stool.= An instrument for the punishment of scolding wives. - This public ducking in a pond effectually served to cool their - temper for the time being. - -=Duck’s Foot Lane.= Properly “Duke’s Foot Lane,” the footway leading - from the town house of the Earls of Suffolk down to the Thames. - -=Dude.= An American name for a fop, derived from a very old English - word, “dudes,” whence we have the slang term “Duds,” for clothes. - -=Dudley.= From the castle built by Dodo, a Saxon prince, and _ley_, - “meadow.” - -=Duds.= See “Dude.” - -=Dug-out.= A Far West Americanism for a boat or canoe hewn out of a - large tree log. - -=Dukeries.= That portion of Nottinghamshire distinguished for the number - of ducal residences, of which Welbeck Abbey is perhaps the most - admired. - -=Duke Street.= In Aldgate, after the Dukes of Norfolk. Near Smithfield, - the ancient property of the Dukes of Brittany. In Grosvenor Square, - after the Duke of Cumberland. Off Langham Place, after the Duke of - Portland. Near Manchester Square, after the Duke of Manchester. In - the Strand, after George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. - -=Dulwich.= The corruption of _Dalewich_, the village in the dale. - -=Duma.= Russian for Parliament or popular representation. - -=Dumb Ox.= One of the sobriquets of St Thomas Aquinas, from the silence - with which he pursued his studies. His master, Albertus Magnus, - however, predicted that “this dumb ox will one day fill the world - with his bellowing.” - -=Dumping.= A word which has come into prominence relative to Mr - Chamberlain’s Fiscal Policy. In various forms the verb _dump_ may be - met with in Teutonic and Scandinavian tongues, meaning to “pitch - down,” “throw down in a lump,” etc. etc. A “Dump Cart” in America is - one that tilts up in front, and so “dumps” its load behind. - -=Dun.= A persistent creditor. After Joe Dun, a noted bailiff, who never - failed to bring a debtor to book. People used to say: “Why don’t you - Dun him for the debt?” meaning they would send Joe Dun to make him - pay or arrest him. - -=Dunce.= From John Duns Scotus, who, it is said, gave no proof of his - remarkable attainments in his early scholastic days. - -=Dundee.= A corruption of _Duntay_, the hill fort on the Tay. - -=Dunedin.= See “Edinburgh.” - -=Dungeness.= A corruption of _Danger Ness_, the Headland of Danger. - -=Dunkirk.= Expresses the “Church in the Dunes,” or sand-hills, built by - St Eloi in the seventh century. - -=Durham.= A corruption of _Dunholm_, from its situation on a hill - surrounded by the river. - -=Dusseldorf.= The village on the Dussel. - -=Dutchman.= A contemptuous epithet applied to our phlegmatic enemies - during the wars with Holland. - -=Dyers’ Buildings.= The site of an ancient almshouse of the Dyers’ - Company. - - - E - - -=Eagle.= An inn sign, the cognisance of Queen Mary. - -=Earl Street.= After Charles Marsham, Earl of Romney. - -=Earl’s Court.= From the Earl of Warwick, whose estate it was until, by - the marriage of the Dowager Countess of Warwick with Lord Holland, - it passed into her husband’s family. - -=East Anglia.= A name still popular as defining the eastern counties. - This was one of the seven divisions or petty kingdoms of England - under the Angles or Saxons. - -=Eastcheap.= The eastern _chepe_, or market, of the city of London. - -=Easter.= From the Teutonic _Ostara_, goddess of light or spring; - rendered by the Anglo-Saxons _Eastre_. This great spring festival - lasted eight days. - -=Easter Island.= The name given to it by Jacob Roggevin when he visited - the island on Easter Sunday, 1722. - -=East Sheen.= A name reminiscent of the original designation of - “Richmond.” - -=Eat Dirt.= An Americanism for a confession of penitence or absolute - defeat in an argument. - -=Eat Humble Pie.= In the days of sumptuous banquets of venison the lords - of the feast reserved to themselves the flesh of the deer. The - huntsmen and retainers had to be content with the heart, liver, and - entrails, collectively called the “umbles,” which were made into - monster pies. - -=Eat my own Words.= To take them back again, to retract a statement. - -=Eaton Square.= From Eaton Hall, near Chester, the seat of the Duke of - Westminster, the ground landlord. - -=Eau de Cologne.= A scent prepared at Cologne. The city itself is not - sweet to the nostrils; it has been said that forty different smells - may be distinguished there. - -=Eavesdropper.= A corruption of _Eavesdripper_, one who, listening under - the eaves of a house, caught the drips from the roof when it chanced - to be raining. - -=Ebro.= After the _Iberi_, who spread themselves over the country from - the banks of this river. See “Iberia.” - -=Ebury Square.= From the ancient manor of Eabury Farm, inherited by Mary - Davies, and which, by her marriage, passed into the possession of - the Grosvenor family. - -=Eccleston Square.= From Eccleston, Cheshire, the country seat of the - Grosvenors. - -=Ecuador.= Expresses the Spanish for Equator. - -=Edgar Atheling.= Signifies “Edgar of noble descent.” - -=Edinburgh.= The fortress or burgh built by Edwin, King of Northumbria. - The Scots called it _Dunedin_. - -=Edinburgh of America.= Albany, in the state of New York, so called on - account of its magnificent public buildings and its commanding - situation. - -=Edmonton.= In Anglo-Saxon days _Edmund’s Town_. - -=Edmund Ironside.= So called from the suit of chain mail that he wore. - Notwithstanding this protection he was treacherously murdered after - a reign of nine months only. - -=Edward the Confessor.= The title bestowed upon the King of the - Anglo-Saxons at his canonisation, on account of his remarkable - asceticism, since, although he made the daughter of Earl Godwin his - queen, he denied himself what are styled conjugal rights. - -=Edward the Martyr.= Murdered at the instance of his stepmother at Corfe - Castle after having reigned scarcely three years. - -=Eel Pie Island.= From the invariable dinner dish served up to river - excursionists. - -=Effra Road.= At Camberwell, from the little river of the same name, now - converted into a sewer. - -=Egalité.= The name assumed by Philippe, Duc d’Orleans, the father of - Louis Philippe, King of France, when, siding with the Republican - Party in 1789, he accepted their motto: “Liberty, Fraternity, and - Equality.” Four years later he met his death by the guillotine. - -=Ehrenbreitstein.= Expresses the German for “Honour’s Broad Stone.” The - castle stands on a precipitous rock, which well merits the - description of the “Gibraltar of the Rhine.” - -=Eisteddfod.= Celtic for a gathering of Welsh bards, from _eistodd_, to - sit. As of old, the annual “Eisteddfod” is held for the - encouragement of national music. - -=Eldorado.= California. _Eldorado_ expresses the Spanish for “golden - region.” - -=Electic Philosophers.= Those who, agreeably to the Greek _ek-lego_, to - pick out, selected what was best in the different schools or - systems, and so built up one of their own. - -=Elephant and Castle.= The famous landmark in South London derived its - sign from the arms of the Cutlers’ Company. A tavern in St Pancras - parish took its sign from the skeleton of an elephant, beside which - was a flint-headed spear, dug up in the neighbourhood. The - connection between these and the battle fought by the followers of - Queen Boadicea against the Roman invaders was unmistakable. - -=Elephant stepped on his Purse.= An Americanism implying that a creditor - or some unlucky speculation has squeezed all the money out of a man. - -=Elgin Marbles.= Brought from Greece by the seventh Earl of Elgin. - Acquired by the nation for the British Museum in 1816. - -=Elia.= The pseudonym of Charles Lamb for his “Essays” contributed to - _The London Magazine_. This was the name of a gay, light-hearted - foreigner, who fluttered about the South Sea House at the time when - Lamb was a clerk there. At the moment of penning his signature to - the first essay he bethought himself of that person, and substituted - the name of _Elia_ for his own. - -=Eltham.= Anciently _Ealdham_, “the old home.” Here Anthony Bec, the - “Battling Bishop of Durham,” built himself a palace midway in the - thirteenth century. After his death it fell to the Crown, and became - a Royal residence, until the time of James I. The original - Banqueting-Hall, used in modern days as a barn, may yet be seen. - -=Ely Place.= Marks the site of the residence of the Bishops of Ely. - -=Ember Days.= This term has no connection with embers or sackcloth and - ashes as a penitential observance. The Saxons called them _Ymbrine - dagas_, or “running days,” because they came round at regular - seasons of the year. - -=Emerald Isle.= Ireland, from its fresh verdure, due to its shores being - washed by the warm waters of the “Gulf Stream.” - -=Empire Day.= May 24th, formerly the Queen’s Birthday. In the last days - of Victoria the British Empire was consolidated through the - assistance lent by the Colonies to the Mother Country in the South - African War. When, therefore, King Edward VII. came to the throne, - the former Queen’s Birthday was invested with a greater significance - than of old. - -=Empire State.= New York, which, owing to position and commercial - enterprise, has no rival among the other states of the Union. - -=Empire State of the South.= Georgia, in consequence of its rapid - industrial development. - -=Ena Road.= In honour of Princess Ena, the consort of the young King of - Spain. - -=Encore.= From the Latin _hauc horam_, till this hour, still, again. - -=Encyclopædia.= A book containing general or all-round instruction or - information, from the Greek _enkylios_, circular or general, and - _paideia_, instruction. An epitome of the whole circle of learning. - -=Endell Street.= After the name of the builder. This is one of the few - streets in London that has preserved its old characteristics, - steadfastly refusing to march with the times. - -=England.= In the time of Alfred the Great our country was styled - _Engaland_, or the land of the Engles or Angles, who came over from - Jutland. - -=Englishman’s House is his Castle.= By the law of the land a bailiff - must effect a peaceable entrance in order to distrain upon a - debtor’s goods; therefore the latter is, as it were, sufficiently - secure in his own fortress if he declines to give the enemy - admittance. - -=Ennis.= Expresses in Ireland, like _Innis_, the Celtic for an island. - Both these words enter largely into Irish place-names. - -=Enniskillen.= The kirk town on an island, the Celtic _kil_, originally - implying a hermit’s cell, and later a chapel. - -=Ennismore Place.= After Viscount Ennismore, Earl of Listowel, the - ground landlord. - -=Enough is as good as a Feast.= Because at no time can a person eat more - than enough. - -=Enrol.= See “Roll Call.” - -=Entente Cordiale.= Expresses the French for cordial good will. - -=Entire.= A word still to be met with on old tavern signs. It meant - different qualities of ale or beer drawn from one cask. - -=Entrées.= French for entries or commencements. Those made dishes are - served after the soups, as an introduction to the more substantial - portions of the repast, the joints. - -=Epicure.= After Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, who taught that pleasure - and good living constituted the happiness of mankind. His followers - were styled Epicureans. - -=Epiphany.= From the Greek _Epiphaneia_, an appearance, a showing; - relative to the adoration of the Magi, who came from the East twelve - days after the birth of the Saviour. - -=Epsom Salts.= From the mineral springs at Epsom. - -=Equality State.= Wyoming, where, first among the communities of the - world, women were accorded the right to vote. - -=Erie.= Indian for “Wild Cat,” the fierce tribe exterminated by the - Iroquois. - -=Escurial.= Properly _Escorial_, Spanish for “among the rocks.” King - Philip II. built this superb convent and palace after the battle of - St Quentin, in the course of which he had been obliged to bombard a - monastery of the Order of St Jerome. He dedicated it to St Lawrence. - He caused the structure to be in the form of a gridiron, the symbol - of the Saint’s martyrdom. - -=Esk.= A river name derived from the Celtic _uisg_, water. - -=Esquimaux.= An Alonquin Indian term signifying “eaters of raw flesh.” - -=Essex.= The kingdom of the East Saxons under the Heptarchy. - -=Essex Street.= From the mansion of Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the - Parliamentary General in Cromwell’s time. - -=Ethelred the Unready.= From his incapacity and unwillingness to accept - _rede_, or counsel. - -=Ethiopia.= From the Greek _aithein_, to burn, and _ops_, the face. - Hence “the country of the blacks.” - -=Etiquette.= A French word for “label.” Formerly a ticket or card of - instructions was handed to visitors on ceremonial occasions. - Nowadays such rules as pertain to deportment or decorum are supposed - to enter into the education of all well-bred persons. - -=Etna.= From the Phœnician _attuna_, a furnace. - -=Eton.= The Anglo-Saxon _Eyton_, “island town.” - -=Ettrick Shepherd.= The literary sobriquet of James Hogg, the poet, of - Ettrick, Selkirkshire. - -=Europe.= From the Greek _euros_, broad, and _ops_, the face; literally - “the broad face of the earth.” - -=Euston Road.= From the seat of the Earl of Euston at Thetford, Norfolk, - the ground landlord. - -=Evacuation Day.= November 25th, observed in the United States as - commemorating the evacuation of New York city by the British after - the War of Independence, 1783. - -=Evangelist.= From the Greek _euanggelion_, “good news.” One of the four - writers of the Gospels of the New Testament. - -=Evelyn Street.= From the residence of John Evelyn, the diarist. One of - his descendants, the Rev. W. J. Evelyn, of Wolton, built the church - of St Luke, Deptford, in 1872. - -=Everglade State.= Florida, from its tracts of land, covered with water - and grass, called Everglades. - -=Ex.= Another form of the Celtic _uisg_, water. - -=Exchequer.= The table of this Court was formerly covered with checkered - cloth, so called from the Old French _eschequier_, chess board. - -=Executive City.= Washington, which contains the White House, the - official residence of the President of the Republic, the House of - Representatives, and the Senate Chamber. - -=Exellers.= The 40th Foot, from the Roman numerals XL. - -=Exeter.= Called by the Saxons _Exancester_, or the Roman camp town on - the Exe. - -=Exeter College.= Founded at Oxford by Walter Stapleton, Bishop of - Exeter and Lord Treasurer of England, in 1316. - -=Exeter Street.= From the mansion and grounds of the Earl of Exeter, the - eldest son of the great Lord Burleigh. - -=Exhibition Road.= This wide thoroughfare formed the eastern boundary of - the plot of ground purchased by the Commissioners for the Great - Exhibition of 1862. - -=Exodus.= The Scriptural narrative of the departure of the Israelites - from the Land of Bondage. - -=Eye.= Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for island. The river Waveney surrounds - the town. - -=Eye-opener.= An American drink of mixed spirits as a remedy for - drowsiness. - - - F - - -=Face the Music.= To bear the jeers and taunts of those who laugh at us. - -=Factory King.= Richard Oastler of Bradford, the promoter of the “Ten - Hours’ Bill.” - -=Fag.= Slang for a cigarette, derived from the fag end--_i.e._ fatigued - or spent end--of a cigar. Also a small boy who acts as a drudge in - the service of another at a public school, so called from the - Anglo-Saxon _fæge_, weak, timid. - -=Fair Cop.= Thieves’ slang for a smart capture by the police. Whereas - another would say “The game’s up!” a thief admits that he has been - fairly caught by the expression “It’s a fair cop.” See “Cop.” - -=Fair Maid of Kent.= Joan, the beautiful and only daughter of the Earl - of Kent, who became the wife of Edward the Black Prince. - -=Fair Street.= A name left us as a reminder of a once celebrated fair on - the Southwark bank of the Thames. - -=Faith Healers.= A sect which upholds the doctrine of healing the sick - by prayer and anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, as set - forth in James v. 13-15. - -=Faix.= An Irishman’s exclamation for “Faith” or “In Faith.” - -=Fake.= To make-believe or cheat. An actor is said to “fake up” an - article of costume out of very sorry materials, which at a distance - looks like the real thing. A photographer can “fake” a spirit photo - by means of two distinct plates. Food also is largely “faked.” The - word is derived from “Fakir.” - -=Fakir.= From the Arabic _fakhar_, poor. - -=Falcon Square.= From an ancient hostelry, “The Castle and Falcon,” hard - by in Aldersgate Street. - -=Falernian.= A celebrated wine, extolled by Horace, Virgil, and other - Latin authors, prepared from grapes grown in the district of - Falernicum. - -=Fall.= An Americanism for autumn, in allusion to the fall of the - leaves. - -=Fallopian Tubes.= Said to have been discovered by Gabriel Fallopius, - the eminent Italian anatomist of the sixteenth century. They were, - however, known to the ancients. - -=Falls City.= Louisville, in the state of Kentucky, because it overlooks - the falls of the Ohio River. - -=Falmouth.= A seaport at the mouth of the Fale. - -=Family Circle.= This expression had a literal meaning in the time of - the Normans, when the fire occupied the centre of the floor, and the - smoke found its vent through a hole in the roof. In Germany and - Russia the domestic apartments are economically warmed by an - enclosed stove in the centre. Amongst ourselves the phrase “sit - _round_ the fire” only conveys a half-truth. - -=Fancy Drink.= An Americanism for a concoction of various spirits, as - distinguished from a Straight Drink of one kind. - -=Fandago.= Spanish for a “lively dance.” - -=Farmer George.= George III., on account of his dress, manners, and - bucolic sporting inclinations. - -=Farm Street.= From an old farm, on the land of Lord Berkeley of - Stratton in the time of Charles I. - -=Faro.= So called from a representation of Pharaoh on one of the cards - originally. - -=Farringdon Road.= After William Farringdon, citizen and goldsmith, who, - for the sum of twenty marks, in 1279 purchased the Aldermanry of the - ward named after him. - -=Farthing.= From the Anglo-Saxon _feorthling_, a little fourth. In olden - times penny pieces were nicked across like a Good Friday bun; so - they could be broken into halves and fourths as occasion required. - -=Farthingale.= A corruption of Verdingale, from the French _vertugarde_, - a guard for modesty. Queen Elizabeth is said to have introduced this - hooped petticoat in order to disguise her figure. - -=Farthing Poet.= The sobriquet of Richard Horne, who published his chief - poem, “Orion,” at one farthing, so that it should not want for - buyers. - -=Fastern’s E’en.= The Scottish description of Shrove Tuesday, being the - eve of the Lenten Fast. - -=Father of Believers.= Mohammed, because he established and promulgated - the faith of the Moslem, or “true believers.” - -=Father of the Music Halls.= The late William Morton, manager of the - Palace Theatre of Varieties, and founder of the earliest London - Music Hall, “The Canterbury,” in the Westminster Bridge Road, which - dates from the year 1848. - -=Fathers of the Church.= The great doctors or theological writers of the - period from the first to the seventh centuries of Christianity. See - “Apostolic Fathers.” - -=Faugh-a-Ballagh Boys.= The 87th Foot, from their battle cry. - -=Feast of Lanterns.= A Chinese festival which occurs on the fifteenth - day of the first moon of the year. Walking by the side of a - beautiful lake one night the daughter of a mandarin fell in, and was - drowned. When her father heard of the accident he, attended by all - his household, carrying lanterns, rushed to the spot. On the - anniversary he caused fires to be lighted beside the lake, and - invited all the people of the country round about to offer up - prayers for the safety of her soul. In course of time the solemn - character of the gathering was forgotten, and the day has ever since - been observed as a national holiday. - -=Feast of Tabernacles.= Commemorative of the forty years’ wandering of - the Israelites in search of the Promised Land, during which long - period they dwelt in temporary huts or tabernacles, formed of tree - branches covered with leaves. Even at the present day the Jews at - least take their meals in temporary structures covered with leaves - throughout the nine days of the festival. - -=Feather in my Cap.= An expression derived from a custom of the North - American Indians, who stuck a fresh feather in their head-dress for - every one of their enemies slain in battle. - -=Feathers.= An inn sign originally, when the painted device appeared in - place of the mere name, signifying the “Plume of Feathers,” or - “Prince of Wales’s Feathers,” the crest of Edward the Black Prince. - -=February.= From the Latin _februare_, to purify, this being the month - appointed by the Romans for the festival of the _Februalia_ of - purification and expiation. - -=Federal States.= During the American Civil War the Treaty States of the - North, which resisted the Separatist or Confederate States in the - South. - -=Feel Peckish.= See “Keep your Pecker up.” - -=Fellah.= Arabic for agriculturist or peasant. In the plural, “El - Fellahin,” the term is specifically applied to the labouring - population of Egypt. - -=Fenchurch Street.= From an ancient church in the fens or marshy ground - through which ran the Lang Bourne from Beach Lane to the Wall brook - behind the Stocks Market, where the Mansion House now stands. - -=Fenians.= Said to express the Gaelic for “hunters,” but the greater - likelihood is that this secret society took the name of the _Finna - Eirinii_, ancient organisation of Irish militia, so called after - Fion MacCumhal, the hero of legendary history. - -=Fetter Lane.= A corruption of “Fewters Lane,” from the Norman-French - _faitour_, an evil-doer, on account of the idle vagabonds who - infested it in days when this lane led to some pleasure gardens. - -=Feuilleton.= Expresses the French for a small leaf. Like the serial - stories nowadays in many English newspapers, articles of a - non-political character were introduced in the French _Journal des - Debatés_ as long ago as the commencement of the nineteenth century, - these being separated from the news by a line towards the bottom of - each page. - -=Fez.= From Fez in Morocco, whence this red cap of the Turks was - introduced into the Ottoman Empire. - -=F. F. V.= Initials well understood in America, implying the “First - Families of Virginia.” - -=Fiddler’s Money.= A threepenny piece. Originally it was a small coin - paid by each of the dancers to the fiddler at a merry-making. - -=Fifth Monarchy Men.= Religious fanatics of the time of Charles I. who - proclaimed the second coming of Christ to establish the fifth - monarchy, or millennium. The four previous great monarchies of the - world were the Assyrian, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman. - -=Fifty Club.= A social club founded in 1899 by G. C. Paterson, - incidentally for the entertainment of its members on the attainment - of their fiftieth birthday. - -=Fighting Fifth.= The 5th Foot, on account of their prowess during the - Peninsular War. - -=Fighting Fitzgerald.= George Robert Fitzgerald, a noted gamester and - duellist of the eighteenth century, with whom no one ever picked a - quarrel without falling by his hand. A sure shot and an expert - swordsman, he was a man to be feared by all. - -=Fight Shy.= Originally a prize-fighting expression, when one of the - combatants betrayed a lack of courage. - -=Filberts.= After St Philibert, on whose feast day, 22nd August, the - nutting season commenced. - -=Filibuster.= A Spanish and French corruption of the German _freibeter_, - derived from the Dutch _vlie-boot_, or fly-boat, a small clipper - vessel. This was introduced into England during the wars with the - Low Countries. The word Freebooter claims the same origin. - -=Finality John.= The sobriquet of John Russell, afterwards Earl Russell, - from his conviction that the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832 - would be a _finality_ to the universal Suffrage Question. - -=Finch Lane.= Properly Finke Lane, after Sir Richard Finke, who resided - in it, and rebuilt the church of St Bennet on the site of the - present Royal Exchange. A tradesman in Cheapside rejoices in the - possession of the full name of this vanished church, St - Bennet-Finke. - -=Fingal’s Cave.= That of Fion MacCumhal, abbreviated into Fingal, a - celebrated legendary hero. - -=Finland.= Properly _Fenland_, the land of lakes and marshes. The native - name of the country is _Suomesimaa_, the watered land of the - _Suomes_. - -=Finsbury.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Fensbury_, the town among the fens or - marshes. - -=Finsbury Pavement.= The first London thoroughfare where the paving of - the side walk with flagstones was introduced. - -=Fire dogs.= These adjuncts to an old-fashioned fireplace received their - name from the small dog that was anciently imprisoned in a wheel at - one end of the spit. Three hours of this canine exercise were - required to prepare the roast beef of Old England for the table. If - the dog refused to exert himself a live coal was put inside the - wheel to accelerate his movements. - -=Fire Water.= The North American Indian designation of rum, and ardent - spirits generally. - -=Fire Worshippers.= The Parsees, who worship the sun as the symbol of - the Deity. - -=First Gentleman of Europe.= The complimentary sobriquet of George IV., - owing to his rank, personal attractions, and the ability, as became - a gentleman of the period, of telling good stories well. - -=Firth of Forth.= _Firth_ expresses the Gaelic for an estuary or arm of - the sea. Forth is the name of the river. - -=Fish Street Hill.= From the fishmongers who first congregated here in - the reign of Edward I. The Hall of the Fishmongers’ Company stands - at the foot of London Bridge. - -=Fit-up.= In theatrical parlance the entire appurtenances of a stage, - excepting the floor only, carried from town to town, and fitted up - in Town Halls, Assembly-rooms, and Corn Exchanges. - -=Fitzroy Square.= From one of the family names of the ground landlord. - -=Fives.= An old game at ball, usually played by five on each side. The - “court” consists of a roomy space with a high wall at one end. - -=Fixings.= An Americanism for dress ornaments or accessories; house, - hotel, or theatre embellishments and decorations generally. - -=Flamingo.= From the bright red colour of this tropical bird. - -=Flanders.= From the native name _Vländergau_, the country of the - Vländer, who from the earliest period of their history were ruled by - counts. - -=Flannelled Fools.= An opprobrious epithet bestowed upon the English - people on account of their all-pervading sport of cricket by Rudyard - Kipling. It gave rise to much acrimony at the time, and tended to - lessen his popularity as a writer. - -=Flash Jewellery.= Spurious, not what it pretends to be. Like a flash of - fire, its brilliance is only fleeting. - -=Flask Walk.= In this pleasant lane stands the old hostelry “The Flash.” - -=Fleet Road.= All that is left us to remind one of the clear stream - which coursed through the meadows down to Holborn (the Old Bourne) - and Clerkenwell, emptying itself into the Thames in what is now - Bridge Street, Blackfriars. - -=Fleet Street.= The River Fleet, which in old days was navigable from - the Thames as far as what is now Ludgate Circus. The old English - word _Fleot_ expressed a tidal stream deep enough for vessels to - float in. - -=Fleetwood Road.= Here stood Fleetwood House, the residence of Charles - Fleetwood, the Parliamentary General. - -=Fleshly School of Poetry.= That of the sensuous order, popularised by - Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Swinburne, and Morris. - -=Flint.= From the flint or quartz which abounds in this country. - -=Floralia.= A Roman festival in honour of Flora, commencing 28th April - and terminating 2nd May. It was said to have been instituted at the - command of an oracle with a view of obtaining from the goddess the - protection of blossoms. - -=Florence.= Expresses “The City of Flowers.” - -=Florida.= Named by Ponce de Leon from the twofold circumstance of his - landing upon it on _Pascua Florida_, or Easter Sunday, and the - luxuriance of its vegetation. - -=Florin.= A silver coin of the value of two shillings, originally struck - at Florence. It still bears on its reverse side a representation of - a lily, symbolical of “The City of Flowers.” - -=Flower Sermon.= An annual observance at the Church of St Katherine - Cree, Leadenhall Street, inaugurated by the rector, the Rev. Dr - Whittemore, in 1853. The flowers of the earth form the text; the - pulpit is richly adorned with flowers; and every member of the - congregation brings a bouquet. The idea of the flower service, if - not the sermon, has been largely copied in various parts of the - country. - -=Flunkey.= From the French _flanquer_, the henchman or groom who ran at - the flank or side of his mounted master. - -=Fly.= Provincial for a hansom cab. When one looks at such a hackney - carriage it suggests a sedan-chair on wheels. Such a vehicle, - introduced at Brighton for invalids, was a great favourite with - George IV. then Prince of Wales, who often requisitioned it for a - night frolic. Called by him on account of its lightness a - “fly-by-night,” its name became abbreviated into a “fly.” - -=Fly Posting.= A showman’s phrase for small bills posted hurriedly in - all possible conspicuous places under cover of night. - -=Fly-up-the-Creeks.= The people of Florida, who were wont to disappear - on the approach of strangers. - -=F. M. Allen.= The pseudonym of Mr Edward Downey at the time when he was - also a publisher. F. M. Allen was his wife’s maiden name. - -=Foley Street.= After the town house of Lord Foley. - -=Fontagne.= A wire structure for raising the hair of ladies, introduced - by the Duchesse de Fontagne, one of the mistresses of Louis XIV. of - France. - -=Fontinalia.= Roman festivals in honour of the nymphs of wells and - fountains. It was from these that the English and French custom of - “Well Dressing” in the month of May found its origin. - -=Foolscap.= A size of paper which from time immemorial has had for its - watermark a fool’s cap and bells. - -=Footpad.= Originally a thief or highway robber who wore padded shoes. - -=Fop.= From the German and Dutch _foppen_, to jeer at, make a fool of. - This word must be very old, since Vanbrugh gave the name of Lord - Foppington to a conceited coxcomb in this comedy “The Relapse,” - 1697. - -=Forecastle.= The quarters apportioned to the seamen in the fore end of - a vessel. Anciently the whole forward portion bore the name of - _Aforecastle_ on account of “The Castle” or State Cabin erected in a - castle-like form in the centre. - -=Forefathers’ Day.= December 21st, commemorated in the New England - States on account of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620. - -=Forest City.= Cleveland (Ohio) and Portland (Maine), on account of the - trees which characterise their beautiful avenues. - -=Forest Gate.= The district which in modern times has sprung up south of - the old gate leading into Epping Forest. A representation of the - gate appears on the curtain of the local public hall, or, as it is - now styled, “The Grand Theatre.” - -=Forest Hill.= A name reminiscent of days when this portion of South - London as far as Croydon was forest land. - -=Fore Street.= The street in front of the London Wall, the Barbican or - watch-tower, and Cripple Gate. - -=Forget-me-not.= A flower emblematical of friendship or a keepsake. The - story goes that a German knight, walking on the banks of the Danube - with his lady, undertook, at her request, to gather a tuft of - _Mysotis palustris_, growing in the water. Encumbered by his armour, - he was carried away by the stream, and sank, after having thrown the - flowers to his mistress, exclaiming: “_Vergess mein nicht!_” - -=Forlorn Hope.= From the German _verloren_, lost. A company of soldiers - ordered upon such a perilous enterprise, that there is small hope of - their return. - -=Formosa.= A Portuguese word signifying “beautiful.” - -=Fortino.= A clipped phrase in several of the states of North America, - from “For aught I know.” - -=Foster Lane.= From the Church of St Vedast, the name of a Bishop of - Arras. How Vedast came to be Anglicised into Foster is not - explained. - -=Foul-weather Jack.= Commodore John Byron, the circumnavigator of the - eighteenth century. Whenever he put out to sea he was sure to - experience foul weather. - -=Four Hundred.= The Select or “Smart” Society of New York city. - -=Fourteen Hundred.= The cry raised when a stranger is discovered in the - Stock Exchange, whereupon he is immediately hustled out. This had - its origin in the circumstance that for a great many years the - recognised full membership on ’Change was 1399. - -=Fourth Estate.= The Press. Edward Burke referred to the Reporters’ - Gallery as more powerful than the three great estates of the - realm--viz. the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the - Commons. - -=Fox in the Hole.= An inn or tavern sign contiguous to the hunting - field. - -=Frame House.= The American term for a house built of timber. Chinatown, - or the Chinese quarter of the city of San Francisco, was entirely - constructed of “frame houses.” - -=Franc.= A silver coin of Franconia or France. - -=France.= Anciently _Franconia_, the country of the Franks, so called - from the _franca_, a kind of javelin with which they armed - themselves when this people effected the conquest of Gaul. - -=Franciscans.= Friars of the Order of St Francis of Assisi. Originally - the Grey Friars, their habits are now brown. One of the rules laid - down by their pious founder was that the brethren should always be - clad like the poorest of the poor. He selected the loose sack of - grey, undyed wool, bound round the waist by a cord of the Umbrian - Shepherds. Towards the close of the fifteenth century the better - classes affected gaudy colours, and the poorer orders, imitating - them so far as the use of dyed materials was concerned, took to - wearing garments of sober brown. Hence the change in the colour of - the Franciscan habit. - -=Frankincense.= Incense brought to the East from “Franconia.” - -=Freak Dinner.= A latter-day term, arising out of the examples set by - American millionaires to outdo all previous attempts in the way of - sumptuous banquets. There have been dinners costing £100 per head. - To please the eye, champagne has been made to flow wastefully from a - fountain. The name is, however, more correctly applied to the scenic - embellishments, as when the banqueting-chamber of the Gaiety - Restaurant was converted into a South African mining tent, and real - Kaffirs were the waiters, to remind the diners of the mode by which - they had acquired their wealth. - -=Freebooter.= See “Filibuster.” - -=Free Church of Scotland.= The adherents of Dr Chalmers, who separated - from the Scottish Presbyterian Church to establish an independent - community, 18th May 1843. - -=Free House.= A public-house, of which the landlord, being his own - master, is at full liberty to change his brewer if the quality of - the liquor supplied to him does not give complete satisfaction. See - “Tied House.” - -=Free-lance.= An unattached journalist who sends out his literary wares - on approval. The term has been derived from those roving companies - of knights who, at the close of the Wars of the Crusades, were ready - to enlist under any banner for a monetary consideration. Like the - mercenaries of the Carthaginians and Romans, these were the first - paid soldiers. - -=Free List.= A list kept by theatrical managers of Men about Town, - barristers, medical men, and others, who can be relied upon to - “dress the house” at short notice when business is bad, and so give - it an air of prosperity. These are not “Deadheads” in the ordinary - sense, because they render the management a service; but being well - able to pay for seats at all times they are apt to be obnoxious in - their demands when the entertainment really draws good houses. Hence - the notice “Free list entirely suspended” at such times. - -=Freemasons.= A brotherhood of masons who in the Mediæval Ages built the - cathedrals which are even now lasting mementoes of their skill. They - travelled from one city to another, always employed in the same - devoted work, and, to prove that they were master craftsmen, - invented various symbols, by which they could be recognised. - Everywhere these masons enjoyed immunity from taxation and military - service. Hence they received the name of “free-masons.” - -=Freeze on to him.= To cling to a man as hoarfrost clings to wood in - winter. - -=Freight Train.= An Americanism for goods train. - -=Freshman.= An undergraduate in his first year at a university. - -=Friar.= Agreeably to the Latin _fratre_, brother. This term signifies a - member of a religious community as distinguished from a monk (Greek, - _monas_, alone), who was originally a hermit, and, except when at - meals or at prayers in the monastery, spends his time in a cell. - -=Friar Street.= Marks the eastern boundary of the monastery of the - Dominicans or Black Friars anciently located south of Ludgate Hill. - -=Friar Tuck.= So called because, like that of all friars, his habit was - _tucked_ or drawn up round the cord that encircled his waist. - -=Friday.= In the Scandinavian mythology this day of the week was set - apart for the worship of Frigga, the wife of Odin. - -=Friday Street.= The fish market of Old London, so called from the - weekly fast day, when it must have been particularly thronged. - -=Friendly Islands.= So called by Captain Cook on account of the - peaceable disposition of the natives. - -=Friesland.= Anciently _Friesia_, the country of the _Frisii_. - -=Frisco.= An American abbreviation of San Francisco. - -=Frith Street.= Originally Fryth Street, after the name of the builder - upon the land in 1680. - -=Frobisher Strait.= Discovered by Sir Martin Frobisher, 1576. - -=Frognal.= That portion of Hampstead once graced by Frognal Priory, - built by “Memory-Corner Thompson.” - -=From Pillar to Post.= This had reference in olden times to the hooting - crowds who followed a public offender from the pillory to the - whipping-post. The “post,” however, was more usually a “cart’s - tail.” - -=Fuchsia.= After Leonard Fuchs, the distinguished German botanist. - -=Fudge.= A word derived from the sound produced by the nasal expression - of contempt, _futsch!_ among the Germans and Dutch. - -=Fulham.= The _Fullenhame_ of Anglo-Saxon days, expressing the home or - habitation of water-fowl. - -=Funeral.= Specifically a torchlight procession, from the Latin _funis_, - a torch. In ancient times burials always took place by night. - -=Furnival Street.= A name left to remind us of Furnival’s Inn, on the - opposite side of Holborn, and where Charles Dickens wrote his - “Pickwick Papers.” Anciently this was the “Inn” or town mansion of - the Lords Furnival, a title which became extinct in the reign of - Richard II. - -=Fusiliers.= Because originally armed with a light musket styled a - _fusil_. - -=Fye Foot Lane.= A corruption of _Five Foot Lane_, the width of this - narrow thoroughfare when it led down to the Thames side. - - - G - - -=Gad-about.= The word “Gad” is Gaelic, signifying “to rove.” - -=Gaelic.= See “Caledonia.” - -=Gaff.= See “Penny Gaff.” - -=Gaffer.= Provincial for an old man; a corruption of “grandfather.” - -=Gag.= An actor’s interpolation of catch phrases at his own sweet will. - Originally, however, _gagging_ was a device to disconcert or stop - the mouth of another actor by the unexpected employment of words not - in the text of the play. - -=Gallivanting.= An old English word for “doing the agreeable.” Its - derivation is clearly traceable to “gallant” and “gallantry.” - -=Galoshes.= From the Spanish _galocha_, a patten or wooden shoe. - -=Galvanism.= After Luigi Galvani, the eminent physician of Bologna in - the eighteenth century, the discoverer of electrical currents - produced by chemical agency. - -=Gamboge.= Brought from Cambogia in Siam. - -=Gamp.= After Mrs Gamp in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” who never went abroad - without her fat, pawky umbrella, and when at home gave it an - honoured position by the side of the fireplace. Charles Dickens must - have had the town of _Guingamp_ in his mind when he invented Mrs - Gamp. See “Gingham.” - -=Gander Party.= An Americanism for a social party composed of men only. - -=Ganges.= The sacred river of the Hindoos, thought by them to flow - through Gang, the earth, to heaven. The name they gave to it, - therefore, was _Ganga_. - -=Garden of England.= The Isle of Wight. The mildness of the climate and - the luxuriance of the vegetation bespeak a perpetual summer. - -=Garden Spot.= The fertile centre of Kentucky, whence the Indians, after - many a sanguinary encounter, were banished by the white settlers. - -=Garden State.= New Jersey, from the fertility of its soil. - -=Garden Town.= The name bestowed upon both Cheltenham and Leamington in - virtue of their spas, public gardens, and promenades tastefully laid - out. - -=Gargantuan.= Anything out of all reasonable limits. We speak of a - “Gargantuan Feast,” a “Gargantuan Thirst,” to express a capacity for - enormous consumption. The word is derived from Gargantua, the hero - of Rabelais’s famous satire of this title. - -=Garlick Hill.= Where garlic was anciently brought to land at - Queenhithe. - -=Garrick Street.= From the Garrick Club, the premier rendezvous of the - leading members of the dramatic profession. - -=Garrotters.= Street marauders of the latter part of the last century - who gripped their victim tightly round the neck while accomplices - rifled his pockets. Their designation was derived from the - _Garrotte_, with which malefactors are strangled in Spain. - -=Gas Bag.= An Americanism for one who is always boasting of his own - importance. - -=Gasconade.= To boast. The people of Gascony had an unenviable - reputation for boasting. - -=Gate.= This old English word does not in all cases express a city gate, - as in London, but a road, street, or passage--_e.g._ Canongate, the - way past the House of the Canons of Holyrood Abbey at Edinburgh; - Lowgate, Whitefriargate, etc., at Hull; Harrowgate, the passage - through the hills; and Boulogne Gate, or entrance to Boulogne - Harbour. - -=Gatling Gun.= Named after R. J. Gatling, its inventor. - -=Gaul.= The _Gallia_ of the Romans, from the Celtic name of the country, - _Gal_, “western.” - -=Gave him a Baker’s Dozen.= As much as he merited, and one blow over as - a finishing stroke. A drubbing that he little expected. - -=Gave him a Roland for an Oliver.= Exactly what he gave me himself; a - tit for tat. Roland and Oliver were two knights in the train of - Charlemagne. Both were equally accomplished; what the one did the - other essayed also with success. In the matter of fighting too they - were exactly on a par, since, after having been put to the test in - single combat, for a long time neither of them gained the least - advantage. - -=Gave him the Cold Shoulder.= Received him with scant ceremony. The - allusion is to the fare generally set before an unexpected visitor - who has not dined. - -=Gave him the Grand Shake.= An Americanism for finally breaking off an - acquaintance. - -=Gavelkind.= A custom among the Anglo-Saxons whereby all the sons of a - family inherited alike. Lord Coke traces it from the Teutonic _gif - eal cyn_, and translates it literally “give all kinde.” Inheritance - by Gavelkind obtained in Kent long after the Norman Conquest; - indeed, it is said that some Kentish lands are still held by this - ancient tenure. - -=Gavotte.= A dance familiar to the Gavots in the French province of - Dauphiny. - -=Gay Lothario.= A seducer. From the leading character in Nicholas Rowe’s - “The Fair Penitent,” produced in 1703. - -=Gazette.= From the Italian _Gazzetta_, the name of a Venetian coin - valued at about ¾d. of English money, which was charged for the - individual reading, from hand-to-hand, of a written sheet at Venice - containing news of the war with Soliman II., _temp._ sixteenth - century. - -=Geneva Gown.= The habit of Low Churchmen, so called from its - resemblance to the gown worn by the Calvinists of Geneva. - -=Genre Painting.= One on a pastoral subject, with figures, that does not - properly come under the definition of a landscape. The word is - French for a kind, a sort. - -=Gentleman in Black.= A chimney-sweep, who, like a clergyman, was - formerly saluted out of respect for “the cloth.” - -=Gentleman Jack.= John Bannister, a favourite actor of Drury Lane - Theatre, respected by all for his integrity even more than for his - histrionic accomplishments. - -=Gentleman Smith.= William Smith of Drury Lane, the _beau ideal_ of a - gentleman on the stage. - -=Gentleman Turkey.= The Far Western description of a turkey cock. - -=George.= An inn sign in honour of the patron saint of England. After - the Hanoverian Succession, by which time pictorial signs had for the - most part disappeared, and the name alone stood for a sign, the - omission of the “St” made the sign complimentary to the reigning - monarch. Reading of the execution of Charles I., we are told that - the ill-fated King handed his “George” to Juxon, the Archbishop of - Canterbury, who attended him on the scaffold. This was the badge of - the Order of the Garter, representing St George on horseback - piercing the fallen dragon with his lance. - -=George and Dragon.= See “George.” - -=George Ranger.= H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, who was appointed Ranger - of the Royal Parks. - -=Georges Sand.= This literary pseudonym of Mademoiselle Dupin, - afterwards Madame Dudevant, arose out of her attachment to a young - student named Jules Sandeau, with whom she collaborated in the - production of her first novel, “Rose et Blanche.” - -=Georgia.= In compliment to George II., the reigning monarch when this - state was colonised. - -=German Silver.= See “Sterling Silver.” - -=Germany.= Called by the Romans _Germania_, from a Gaulish or Celtic - word meaning “neighbours.” - -=Gerrard Street.= After the family name of the Earl of Macclesfield, the - ground landlord, when it was first built upon at the close of the - seventeenth century. - -=Gerrymandering.= An American political term for subdividing a - constituency in such a way as to give one party an unfair advantage - over all others. Its adoption was due to Elbridge Gerry, Governor of - Massachusetts. When a map of this new electoral distribution was - shown to an artist he remarked that it looked very much like a - salamander. “A salamander, you say? Why not a Gerrymander!” was the - reply. And a Gerrymander the name of the scheme remained. - -=Get there all the same.= An Americanism meaning to succeed in any - enterprise, despite all obstacles or opposition. - -=Ghost.= One employed by an author or an artist to do his work for him, - so called because, his name and personality being withheld from the - public, he is kept in the shade. In other words, he is a mere shadow - of his master. Originally, however, the term had reference to the - friend who had inspired or suggested the work. - -=Ghost walking.= A theatrical phrase. Actors assembling at the theatre - for their weekly salaries generally put the question among - themselves: “Is the ghost walking?” While those about to accept an - engagement with a manager of whom they know nothing ask: “Does the - ghost walk?” Its origin is as follows:--Many years ago a manager of - the Bogus type had in his company a self-willed actor whose strong - part was the Ghost in “Hamlet.” If his salary was not forthcoming on - a Saturday morning he exclaimed: “Then the ghost won’t walk - to-night.” Indispensable actor as he was, the manager invariably - acceded to his demands. Sometimes it happened that he received only - a portion of his salary, with a promise of the remainder in the - course of the performance, in which case he refused to go on until - the money was actually paid. It is said that the other members of - the company would wait on a Saturday morning about the time for - “Treasury” until they received word by a messenger that the ghost - _would_ walk. - -=Giaour.= From the Arabic _kiafir_, “unbeliever.” The Turks bestow this - name on all European Christians, enemies of the Mohammedan faith. - Readers of Lord Byron’s poem “The Giaour” may require to be informed - of its meaning. - -=Gibberish.= After Geber, an Arabian alchemist of the eleventh century, - who employed an unintelligible jargon to mystify the ecclesiastics, - lest by plain speaking he might be put to death as a sorcerer. - -=Gibraltar.= From the Arabic designation, _Jebel-al-Tarik_, the Mountain - of Tarik, in honour of Ben Zeyad Tarik, a Moorish General, to whose - prowess the conquest of Spain in the eighth century was due. - -=Gibraltar of America.= The city of Quebec, from its commanding and - impregnable position on the heights. - -=Gibson Girl.= A new type of womanhood popularised in America by the - drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, and introduced to London by Miss - Camille Clifford. - -=Gibus.= An opera or crush hat, so called after its inventor. - -=Gift of the Gab.= “Gab” is a very old word; it was used by the - Anglo-Saxons for speech. The Scots employed it to describe the - mouth; hence to “gabble.” The French had it too in the forms of - “gaber,” to boast or talk wildly. - -=Gig.= A term claiming the same origin as “Jig”--_i.e._ the French - _gigue_, a lively dance--because this vehicle moves lightly. - -=Gilbertines.= An English religious Order of the twelfth century, - founded by St Gilbert of Sempringham, Lincolnshire. - -=Gilly flower.= A corruption of _July flower_, from the month when it - blossoms. - -=Giltspur Street.= Said to have received its name from the gilt spurs of - the knights riding to the tournaments in Smithfield. The greater - probability is that the makers of gilt spurs congregated in this - street. - -=Gimnal Ring.= A love token of bygone days, so called from the Latin - _gemellus_, joined. This ring was composed of two separate bands - fitted into each other with little teeth. When lovers were betrothed - it was divided, only to be put together again at the nuptial - ceremony. - -=Gin.= Short for Geneva. Not after Geneva in Switzerland, because this - is the national spirituous drink of the Dutch, called at first by - them _giniva_, from the French _genievre_, juniper. Juniper berries - were originally employed to flavour the spirit distilled from - unmalted rye. The native name for Dutch gin is now Schiedam, after - the town where it is made. Dutch gin brought to England is called - Hollands. - -=Ginger.= Red-haired people are said to be _ginger_ because Guinevre, - the Queen at the Court of King Arthur, had red hair. - -=Gingham.= A corruption of Guingamp in Brittany, where the cotton stuff - brought from Java, there called _gingang_, was dyed and made into - umbrella covers before silk and alpaca came into use for this - purpose. Hence the slang term for an umbrella. See “Gamp.” - -=Gin Sling.= An American drink composed of equal parts of gin and water. - See “Sling.” - -=Gipsies.= A corruption of _Egyptians_, because, when first heard of in - Europe, they spread themselves over Bohemia, and were thought to - have arrived there by way of Egypt. - -=Giraldus Cambrensis.= The Latinised pen name of Gerald de Barri, - Archbishop of St David’s, and historian of Cambria or Wales. - -=Girasole.= The Italian name of the sunflower, from the Latin _gyara_, - to turn, and _sol_, the sun. - -=Girondists.= Deputies from the Department of the Gironde who formed the - Moderate Republican Party in the French Revolution. - -=Girton Girl.= A student of Girton College, Cambridge. - -=Give him Beans.= An expression derived from a French proverb: “If he - gives me peas I will give him beans”--_i.e._ I will be quits with - him. - -=Give him plenty of Rope.= Let him do just what he thinks is best, and - everything will come out right in the end. Following in your train, - and, metaphorically, attached to your rope, the longer the rope the - wider will be the sweep he can command; he can always be pulled in - when it becomes necessary to check his movements. - -=Given Name.= An Americanism for a Christian or forename. - -=Gives himself Airs.= One who assumes a manner out of keeping with his - social position. “Air” was formerly synonymous with deportment. - -=Give up the Ghost.= Literally to yield up the Spirit. - -=Gladiator.= From the Latin _gladius_, a sword. A slave trained to - defend himself with a short sword in the mortal combats of the Roman - arena for the amusement of the Emperors and the populace. - -=Glad Rags.= An Americanism for holiday clothes or festive garments. - -=Gladstone Bag.= So called in compliment to Mr W. E. Gladstone when, as - leader of the Liberal Government, his name was “familiar in men’s - mouths as household words.” - -=Glamorgan.= From _Gwlad-Margam_, “the territory of Margam,” a Welsh - chieftain of the tenth century. His name is correctly preserved in - Margam Abbey. - -=Glenlivet.= Whisky distilled in the Vale of Glenlivet in Banffshire. - -=Globe.= An inn sign, the name of which was derived from the arms of the - King of Portugal. - -=Globe Trotter.= A tourist, a traveller in foreign lands. - -=Glorious Fourth of July.= Another name for “Independence Day.” - -=Gloucester.= The _Gloicastra_ of the Romans, in honour of Gloi, son of - the Emperor Claudius, who was born here. - -=Gloucester Road.= From Oxford Lodge, the one-time residence of the - Duchess of Gloucester. - -=Go ahead.= From the nautical phrase “The wind’s ahead”--_i.e._ blowing - from the stern towards the vessel’s head. - -=Goat and Compasses.= A corruption of the Puritan motto “God encompass - us.” - -=Goatee.= An Americanism for the typical Yankee chin tuft, in allusion - to the beard of a goat. - -=Gobelin Tapestry.= Made under royal patronage in the house originally - occupied by Jean Gobelin, a wool dyer in Paris, _temp._ seventeenth - century. - -=God help you.= Anciently an invocation on behalf of a person subjected - to the Ordeal of Fire. - -=Godstone.= A corruption of “Good Stone,” relative to the excellence of - the stone quarried here. - -=Goggles.= Shaded spectacles, so called in allusion to gig lamps. - -=Go in for Banting.= See “Banting.” - -=Gold Coast.= The coast of Guinea, West Africa, where gold was found. - -=Golden Cross.= The device of the Crusaders, extensively adopted as an - inn sign. - -=Golden Gate.= The entrance to San Francisco Harbour. This name had been - bestowed upon it by the Spaniards centuries before the outbreak of - the gold fever in 1847, from their own knowledge that this was the - gate to the Land of Gold. - -=Golden Lane.= A corruption of “Golding Lane,” after the builder. - -=Golden Square.= Properly “Gelding Square,” from an old inn of this - name. - -=Go Marooning.= A southern state American expression for a picnicking - party on the shore or up country which is to last for several days. - See “Maroons.” - -=Gone over to the Majority.= A Parliamentary phrase equally, if more - generally, applied to one who has passed from the scene of his - life’s labours to the spirit world. Ancient and modern authors - contain passages in the latter connection. The Rev. Robert Blair in - “The Grave” says: “’Tis long since Death had the majority.” - -=Gone to Pot.= Vanished possessions. The reference is to the - metalliferous melting pot. - -=Gone to Rack and Ruin.= A corruption of “wreck and ruin.” - -=Gone to Texas.= An American expression for one who has decamped leaving - debts behind him. It was (and is) no unusual thing for a man to - display this notice, perhaps only the initials “G.T.T.” on his door - for the information of callers after he has absconded. - -=Gone to the Devil.= From the twofold circumstance that money lost - through lawyers would surely be spent by them at their regular - resort, the celebrated “Devil Tavern,” hard by Temple Bar, and the - not unusual answer tendered by a subordinate to a caller at a place - of business in Fleet Street that his master had “gone to the - ‘Devil.’” - -=Gone to the Dogs.= Money that has been squandered uselessly, as the - remains of a feast in Eastern countries are thrown to the dogs - instead of being given to the poor. A vicious man is said to have - gone to the dogs because in the East social outcasts are often - worried by ravenous dogs that prowl about the streets by night. - -=Gone under.= One who has sunk in the social scale; never recovered from - financial embarrassments; who found it impossible to “keep his head - above water.” The allusion is, of course, to drowning. - -=Gone up the Country.= An expression implying that a person is - insolvent; originally introduced into England from the Colonies. - When a man could not make ends meet in the coast cities he went - prospecting up the country. - -=Gong Punch.= The American term for the bell ticket punch used by - conductors on tramcars. - -=Gonville College.= The original name of Caius College, Cambridge, - founded by Edmund Gonville in 1348. - -=Good enough Morgan.= An American phrase for an imposition, or any - person or thing likely to pass muster for the reality. This - originated during the Anti-Masonic riots in the state of New York, - when it was alleged that the Freemasons had drowned a man called - Morgan for having betrayed their secrets. A body was actually found - in the river near Fort Niagara, and identified by Morgan’s wife - chiefly on account of a missing tooth. It was, however, proved that - the whole story had been trumped up for political ends. A prominent - politician who had a hand in the affair indeed confessed that, when - reminded that the body would never pass for Morgan’s, he declared: - “It’s a good enough Morgan.” Hence the phrase. - -=Goodge Street.= After the name of the builder. - -=Goodman’s Fields.= After the owner of the lands upon a portion of whose - farm the Prioresses or Nuns of St Clare built their priory. This - name recurs in the “Life of David Garrick,” who established his fame - at the old Goodman’s Fields Theatre before he migrated to Drury - Lane. - -=Good Old Town of Hull.= A name originally bestowed upon the “Third - Port” by tramps and beggars, who, in common with the deserving poor, - fared exceeding well out of the bounty of the Dominican and - Carmelite Friars. The streets Blackfriargate and Whitefriargate fix - the locality of these conventual establishments. - -=Good Time.= An Americanism for a very pleasurable or festive time. See - “High Time.” - -=Good Wine needs no Bush.= An ivy bush was in former times displayed at - the end of a stake wherever wine was sold, the ivy being sacred to - Bacchus. Travellers who had once tasted good wine took careful stock - of the place before leaving it; consequently they needed no bush to - direct them when next they visited the neighbourhood. - -=Goodwin Sands.= At the time of the Norman Conquest this comprised the - estate of Earl Godwin, from whom it was filched and bestowed upon - the Abbey of St Augustine at Canterbury. Neglect of the repair of - the sea-wall caused the waves to rush in and overwhelm the land. - -=Go off the Handle.= To lose one’s head or go insane. The allusion is to - the head of an axe flying off the handle. - -=Go one better.= Originally a sporting expression, meaning that by - jumping farther a contestant would make a scratch on the ground - beyond the one just scored. - -=Goose.= The tailor’s smoothing iron, from the resemblance of its handle - to the neck of a goose. - -=Gooseberry.= A corruption of _Gorseberry_, rough or coarse, on account - of the hairs or diminutive prickles which distinguish this berry. - -=Gordon Hotels.= Established by the late Frederick Gordon, a solicitor - of Bloomsbury. These middle-class hotels have supplied a long-felt - want in London and elsewhere. - -=Gordon Square.= In compliment to Lady Georgina Gordon, wife of the - sixth Duke of Bedford, the ground landlord. - -=Gospel.= From the Anglo-Saxon _God-spell_, “good news.” - -=Gospel Oak.= From the oak-tree marking the juncture of St Pancras and - Hampstead parishes, beneath which the Gospel was annually read. - -=Goswell Road.= From an ancient spring, styled “God’s Well,” discovered - in this neighbourhood. - -=Gotham.= The city of New York. Washington Irving first gave it this - name in his “Salmagundi.” Its people in his time were anything but - fools, yet he may not have appreciated the singular wisdom - attributed to them. By referring to the city as Gotham he made a - playful allusion to Gotham in Nottinghamshire, England, which for - centuries had merited a reputation for being a town whose - inhabitants did and said the most foolish things. - -=Go the whole Hog.= An expression derived from Cowper’s poem entitled - “Of the Love of the World reproved,” in which he discusses the - eating of pork by the Turks: - - “But for one piece they thought it hard - From the whole hog to be debarred.” - -=Got my Back up.= In allusion to cats, which set up their backs on being - confronted by their own species or by a ferocious dog. - -=Got my Dander up.= The word _dander_ here is a corruption of dandruff, - which, though it means only the scurf on the head, has come to be - curiously applied to the hair itself; as when the fur of enraged - animals is raised. - -=Got the Bullet.= Suddenly discharged from one’s occupation; “fired - out,” as it were. - -=Got the Push.= Ousted from one’s place of employment. Metaphorically to - have been pushed off the premises. - -=Got the Sack.= An expression derived from the sack in which mechanics - and artisans generally carried their own tools. When engaged to work - the tools were assigned to a proper place in the workshop, while the - master took possession of the sack. On discharging his men he - returned them the sack. - -=Go to.= An Old English expression which leaves something to the - imagination. Originally it must have implied a place where there is - much caloric. In its popular acceptation it meant simply “Get along - with you!” - -=Go to Bath.= An expression signifying that a person is talking - nonsense. When the west of England was the fashionable health resort - silly and slightly demented folk were recommended to “Go to Bath, - and get your head shaved.” - -=Go to Bungay.= The curt answer received by persons who asked where they - could get the once fashionable leather breeches. Bungay, in Suffolk, - was the only place where they were made. This expression travelled - over to New England with the first emigrants, and is still common in - that portion of the United States. - -=Go to Jericho.= Jericho was the name given by Henry VIII. to the Manor - of Blackmore, near Chelmsford, whither he often retired quite - suddenly from affairs of State. At such times his courtiers - suspected some fresh freak of gallantry, and said he had “gone to - Jericho.” Moreover, when in a testy mood, his Queen would tell him - to “go to Jericho!” - -=Go to Putney.= A very old expression, tantamount to consigning a person - beyond the pale of London society or civilisation. - -=Got out of Bed the wrong Way.= From the old superstition that planting - the left foot on the ground first on rising in the morning was a - harbinger of ill luck for the day. - -=Government Stock.= The origin of the word Stock is interesting. Down to - the year 1782, when the practice was abolished, public money - invested in Government securities was acknowledged on the two - opposite ends of a piece of wood called a stock, from the - Anglo-Saxon _stocc_, a trunk. The stock was then cut in two, one - portion being handed to the investor and the other consigned to the - Tally Office. - -=Gower Street.= After the name of the builder on this portion of the - Bedford estate. - -=Gowk.= The Scottish equivalent for an “April Fool,” signifying a - foolish person. - -=Gracechurch Street.= From the herb market anciently held around the - Church of St Benet, called the Grass Church. This edifice has in - modern times been pulled down, and the money realised for the site - devoted to the erection of a new St Benet’s in the Mile End Road. - -=Gramercy.= From _grand merci_, “great thanks,” a phrase introduced when - French was the language of the Court. - -=Granby Street.= In honour of John Manners, Marquis of Granby, whose - name is also perpetuated by many a tavern sign. - -=Grand Hotel.= Not in the sense of magnificence, but true to the French - meaning of the word “great”; hence Grand Theatre, the Grand Tour, - and the Grand Canal at Venice. - -=Grand Old Man.= The name applied by Mr Labouchere to Mr W. E. Gladstone - on the occasion of Mr Bradlaugh’s expulsion from the House after his - election for Northampton because he refused to take the oath in the - prescribed manner. Referring to a conversation in the tea-room Mr - Labouchere said: “I told some friends that before I left Mr - Gladstone came to me, and that grand old man, with tears in his - eyes, took me by the hands, and said: ‘Mr Labouchere, bring me Mr - Bradlaugh back again.’” - -=Grand Tour.= More than a hundred years ago each of the sons of - gentlemen in their turn made the Grand or Extended Tour through - France, Germany, and Italy, just as nowadays daughters are presented - at Court as a preliminary to moving in fashionable society. - -=Grange Road.= Marks the situation of an old mansion called “The - Grange.” The word Grange expresses the French for a barn or granary. - -=Granite State.= New Hampshire, from its staple product. - -=Grapes.= An inn or public sign, denoting that the house contained a - vinery. - -=Grass Widow.= A married woman separated from her husband, but not - divorced. In the eyes of the world she passes for a widow by grace - of courtesy. The correct description is, therefore, a “Grace Widow.” - The corruption came about quite easily. - -=Grays.= Anciently the estate of the noble family who gave their name to - Gray’s Inn, their town mansion. Lady Jane Grey came of this stock. - -=Gray’s Inn.= The Inn or mansion of the Earls Gray, made over to the law - students, _temp._ Edward III. See “Inn.” - -=Gray’s Inn Road.= From Gray’s Inn, the eastern wall of which it skirts. - -=Great Bear Lake.= On account of its situation under the northern - constellation of the Great Bear. - -=Great Belt.= The great strait leading to the Baltic Sea. Both these - names are derived from the Norse _bält_, strait. - -=Great College Street.= At the southern extremity of this thoroughfare - in Camden Town stands the Royal Veterinary College. - -=Great Coram Street.= From the Foundling Hospital built and endowed by - Captain Thomas Coram in 1739. - -=Great Dover Street.= The London portion of the old Roman highway to - Dover. - -=Great George Street.= Stands on the site of the stable-yard of a famous - old coaching inn, “The George and Dragon.” - -=Great Marlborough Street.= In honour of the Duke of Marlborough, the - people’s idol after the victory of Blenheim. - -=Great Ormond Street.= After the British General, James Butler, second - Duke of Ormond. - -=Great Peter Street.= Contiguous to Westminster Abbey, dedicated to St - Peter. - -=Great Portland Street.= The business thoroughfare on the Duke of - Portland’s estate. - -=Great Queen Street.= First laid out across the fields in the time of - Queen Elizabeth, and named after her. - -=Great Russell Street.= In honour of the ill-fated Lord William Russell, - whose wife, Rachel, was the daughter of the Duke of Bedford, the - great ground landlord. - -=Great St Helen’s.= Occupies the site of the ancient priory of St - Helen’s, of which the church remains. - -=Great St Thomas Apostle.= Marks the site of a vanished church of this - name. - -=Great Stanhope Street.= From the mansion of Philip Stanhope, Earl of - Chesterfield. - -=Great Suffolk Street.= After Suffolk House, in which resided George - Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. - -=Great Sutton Street.= Perpetuates the memory of Thomas Sutton, the - founder of the Charter House. - -=Great Titchfield Street.= After the Duke of Grafton and Marquis of - Titchfield, father of the Earl of Euston, the ground landlord. - -=Great Winchester Street.= From Winchester House, the residence of the - first Earl of Winchester. - -=Great Windmill Street.= A couple of centuries ago, when this district - was open fields, a large windmill stood hereabouts. - -=Greece.= Called _Græcia_ by the Romans, after the _Graikoi_, a tribe of - settlers in Epiros. - -=Greek Street.= At one time a colony of Greek merchants who contributed - to the erection of a Greek church here. - -=Greenaway Gardens.= After the late Miss Kate Greenaway, the lady - artist, who resided in its vicinity. - -=Greenbacks.= The paper currency of the United States, printed in green - and with a device of the same colour on the back. Mr Chase, - Secretary of the Treasury in 1862, claimed the honour of having - added this word to the American vocabulary. - -=Green Dragon.= An inn sign anciently depicting the combat of St George - with the dragon. - -=Greengage.= The greenish plum introduced to England by Lord Gage from - the monastery of La Chartreuse in France. - -=Greengrocer.= See “Grocer.” - -=Greenhorn.= A raw, inexperienced youth. The allusion here is to the - undeveloped horns of a young ox. - -=Green Horse.= The nickname of the 5th Dragoon Guards, from their green - facings. - -=Greenland.= From the moss which grows abundantly in this otherwise - sterile region. Iceland or Greenland moss is said to be very - efficacious in the treatment of consumption. - -=Green Man.= An inn sign denoting that the house was kept by a retired - gamekeeper of the lord of the manor. Mediæval gamekeepers always - dressed in green. See “Inn.” - -=Green Man and Still.= A tavern sign pointing to the existence on the - premises of a still where cordials were distilled from green herbs. - In this case the house was not kept by a gamekeeper, but by a - herbalist. It may, however, have belonged to an innkeeper or a - “Green Man” further afield on the same estate. - -=Green Mountain State.= Vermont, as its name implies. - -=Green Park.= On account of its delightful grassy surface. - -=Green-room.= From the green-coloured walls of the room set apart by - David Garrick behind the scenes of Drury Lane Theatre for members of - the company in the intervals of playing their parts. This colour was - chosen as a relief to the eye after the glare of the stage lights. - -=Green Sea.= From the aspect of its waters looking towards the shores of - Arabia. - -=Greenwich.= Expresses the Saxon for “green village.” - -=Grenadiers.= Anciently a company of soldiers who marched in front of - every regiment of foot, it being their function to throw - hand-grenades into the ranks of the enemy. - -=Gresham Street.= After Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal - Exchange. His residence in Old Broad Street, on the site of the - present Gresham House, was converted by him into a college, which in - 1843 was removed into Gresham Street. The word Gresham comes from - the German _Grassheim_, “grass home”; hence the grasshopper on the - summit of the Royal Exchange. - -=Greville Street.= Marks the site of the mansion of Fulke Greville, Lord - Brooke, one of the ministers of James I. - -=Grey Friars.= See “Franciscans.” - -=Greyhound.= An inn sign derived from the badge of Henry VII. The dog of - this name originally came from Greece, and was accordingly styled a - _graihund_, after the _Graikoi_, the people of that country. - -=Gripsack.= An Americanism for a travellers’ hand-bag, corresponding to - an English carpet bag. - -=Grisette.= A generic name for a Parisian shop or work girl, from the - _gris_, or grey cloth, which was at one time generally worn by the - inferior classes in France. - -=Grocer.= A term derived from the same root as _Gross_, “the great - hundred,” and applied to a provision dealer who in former times was - the only trader rejoicing in the monopoly of dealing in large - quantities. - -=Grocery.= An Americanism for a grocer’s store or shop. Also used in the - plural sense for commodities dealt in by a grocer; corresponding to - our “groceries.” - -=Grog.= The name originally given by the sailors under Admiral Edward - Vernon to the rum diluted with water he served out to them on board - ship. They called him “Old Grog” because he always appeared on deck - in a long grogram cloak when the weather was “dirty.” - -=Groggery.= An Americanism for a “grog shop” where spirituous liquors - only are purveyed; answering to our “Gin Palace.” - -=Grosvenor Square.= The centre of the London estate of the Grosvenor - family. Sir Richard Grosvenor was Grand Cup-bearer to George II. The - word Grosvenor is Norman-French--_i.e._ _Le Gros Veneur_, “the chief - hunter.” - -=Groundlings.= The common spectators at the plays referred to by Hamlet - in his “Advice to the Players.” The earliest London playhouses were - the inn-yards, whose galleries corresponded to our box tiers, while - the yard itself was given up to the audience generally. - -=Growler.= A four-wheeled cab, so called from the surly manners of the - driver. Since the advent of the “Hansom” his vehicle is rarely in - request, save when the “fare” has much luggage to convey to a - railway station or when a patient is being driven to the hospital. - -=Guadalquiver.= From the Arabic _Wad-al-Kebir_, “great river.” - -=Guildford Street.= After Francis North, Lord Keeper, who resided in it. - -=Guildhall.= The Hall of the City Guilds. The old word Guild expressed - the fee paid for membership in an association of artisans; from the - Anglo-Saxon _gild_, money, _gildan_, to pay. - -=Guinea.= A West African term for “abounding in gold.” The English coin - of this name was first struck in 1663 out of gold brought from the - coast of Guinea. - -=Guinea Fowl.= Originally brought from Guinea, West Africa. - -=Guinea Pig.= A South American rodent, somewhat resembling a pig. Its - name is a corruption of _Guiana pig_. - -=Gulf of Carpentaria.= Discovered by Captain Carpenter, a Dutch - navigator, in 1606. - -=Gulf States.= Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas--all - bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. - -=Gulf Stream.= The warm equatorial waters of the Amazon River, which, - after coursing round the coasts of South America and the Gulf of - Mexico, make their way across the Atlantic, direct for the British - Isles and Norway. This ocean stream, never less than forty miles in - breadth, is distinguished by a deep indigo colour. - -=Gunnersbury.= The name of a Saxon village, after the Lady Gunylda, a - niece of King Canute, who took up her residence here while England - was under the sway of the Danes. - -=Gutta-percha.= A Malay term, _gutta_, gum, and _percha_, the tree which - provides it. - -=Gutter Lane.= A corruption of “Gutheron Lane,” from a Danish burgher - who resided in it. - -=Guy’s Hospital.= The generous benefaction of Thomas Guy, a wealthy - Lombard Street bookseller, in 1722. His large fortune was chiefly - due to the buying up, at a large discount, of seamen’s prize-money - tickets, and investing the proceeds in South-Sea Stock. - -=Gyp.= The college servitor at Cambridge, so called because he subsists - on the perquisites of those whom he waits upon. _Gyp_ expresses the - Greek for a vulture. - - - H - - -=Haberdasher.= Anciently one who sold Hapertas cloth, a mixture of silk - and wool. In modern times a haberdasher is a vendor of smallwares, - such as handkerchiefs, neckties, tapes, etc. The origin of the word - Hapertas has been traced to the Anglo-Saxon _Habihr das_: “Will you - buy this?” a trader’s exclamation similar to that of the London - ’prentice of a later period: “What do you lack?” However this may - be, the German _tauschen_ stands for sale, exchange, barter. - -=Hack Author.= See “Hackney Coach.” - -=Hackney.= The whole of this district originally belonged to a Danish - Chief named Hacon. The suffix _ey_ expresses an island--_i.e._ land - intersected by rivulets (in this case of the Lea)--or low, marshy - ground. The suggestion that coaches were first let out for hire in - this neighbourhood is not correct. See “Hackney Coach.” - -=Hackney Coach.= One let out for hire. In France a _coche-a-haquenée_ - expresses a coach drawn by a hired horse. Originally the word - _haquenée_ meant any kind of horse but a thoroughbred. The Dutch - _hakkenei_ means hack horse, an ambling nag. From the French - _haquenée_ we have derived the term hack author, or literary hack, - one whose services are hired for poor pay by a bookseller. - -=Haggerston.= A Saxon village called “_Hergotstein_,” “Our God’s Stone.” - The stone is believed to have had relation to a miraculous well, - beside which an altar was set up. - -=Hague.= Properly, according to the Dutch name of the place, - _Gravenhaag_, the ancient seat of the _Gravs_ or Counts of Holland. - -=Hail.= An exclamation of greeting derived from the Anglo-Saxon _hæl_, - “health.” The Scandinavian _heill_ expressed the same sentiment. See - “Wassail.” - -=Halberd.= From two Teutonic words, _hild_, battle, and _bard_, axe. - -=Halcyon Days.= Days of peace and tranquillity. This was the name - anciently given to the seven days before and after the shortest day, - because, according to fable, there were always calms at sea during - this period while the halcyon or kingfisher birds were breeding. - -=Half-and-half.= Originally a mixture in equal proportions of strong ale - and small beer. In modern days it consists of half ale and half - porter. See “Entire” and “Porter.” - -=Half Moon Street.= After an ancient tavern, “The Half Moon,” which - stood in this neighbourhood. This sign was derived from the crescent - or ensign of the Turks. - -=Halfpenny.= The original penny pieces were deeply indented crosswise, - so that halfpennies and farthings (or fourthlings) could easily be - broken off, as occasion demanded. - -=Half Seas Over.= A nautical phrase applied to a drunken man staggering - along, who is in danger of falling to the ground at any moment. When - a ship has all her sails spread a sudden change in the direction of - the wind often threatens to lay her on her side. - -=Halifax.= A corruption of the Saxon “Haligfock,” from _halig_, holy, - and _fock_, people. For what reason the inhabitants of this place - were considered more saintly than people elsewhere local tradition - does not say. Halifax in Nova Scotia was named, on the foundation of - the city in 1749, by the Hon. Edward Cornwallis, after the Earl of - Halifax. - -=Halifax Gibbet Law.= An ancient enactment for the protection of the - local woollen manufacture. Owing to the systematic theft by the - employées in the trade of material supplied to them, it was found - that the fabric lacked body and weight. To put a stop to this - pilfering a law was passed, making the theft of anything whatsoever, - to the value to thirteen pence halfpenny, subject to the death - penalty. On conviction before a magistrate the thief was publicly - executed on the next market day. The mode of execution was not by - hanging, but by beheading, the instrument used being a kind of - guillotine. Taylor, the Water Poet, speaks of this - - “Jyn that wondrous quick and well, - Sends thieves all headless into heaven or hell.” - -=Hallelujah.= From the Hebrew _halelu_, “praise ye,” and _Iah_, - “Jehovah.” - -=Hallelujah Victory.= That gained by the newly baptised Bretons under - Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, in 429. As they marched to the attack - they cried “Hallelujah!” - -=Hall Mark.= The test mark of Goldsmiths’ Hall stamped upon gold and - silver plate as a guarantee of its purity. - -=Hamiltonian System.= A novel method of teaching languages, invented by - James Hamilton, a merchant, whose death took place at Dublin, 1831. - The peculiarity of this system was that it dispensed with the - initiatory grammatical stages. - -=Hamilton Place.= After Colonel James Hamilton, Ranger of Hyde Park, - _temp._ Charles II. - -=Hammer and Scourge of England.= The sobriquet of Sir William Wallace, - the Scottish warrior patriot. - -=Hammer and Tongs.= A corruption of “Hammer and Tongues.” A wordy - warfare is well described as a hammering of tongues; hence the - saying: “They went at it hammer and tongs” (tongues). - -=Hammer-cloth.= It has been suggested that this is the covering for the - box-seat of a coach that contained the hammer, bolts, nails, etc., - useful to remedy a breakdown on a journey. The true meaning of the - term is, however, that it is properly “Hammock-cloth,” the driver’s - seat being formed of stout straps or webbing stretched upon - crutches, after the fashion of a sailor’s hammock. - -=Hammered.= A stockbroker is said to be “hammered” when he is driven out - of the Stock Exchange on account of his failure to meet his - liabilities. - -=Hammersmith.= Originally _Hammerschmiede_, literally Saxon for - blacksmith’s shop. In the early periods of its history this village - had a great number of smithies. - -=Hampshire= (or =Hants=). The shire of the Hamptune, Hantone, or Anton, - which river gives its name to the county town and “Southampton - Water.” - -=Hampstead.= From “Homestead,” signifying the enclosed property--_i.e._ - farm buildings--of a rural mansion. - -=Hampton.= From the Saxon _heim_, home, to which _ton_ or town was - added. “Hampton Wick” expresses the village home on a creek. - -=Hampton Court.= In the thirteenth century the manor of Hampton belonged - to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. Cardinal Wolsey built - himself a sumptuous palace here, and lived in luxurious style. - Eventually he presented it to Henry VIII., since whose time Hampton - Court has remained Crown property. The last monarch who resided here - was George II. - -=Hand in your Checks.= An Americanism for dying, giving up the ghost; - meaning properly to make your will and settle your earthly affairs. - All over the United States it is the custom at German restaurants to - give a certain amount of credit to known regular patrons, who now - and again are asked to hand in their checks or vouchers for - settlement. - -=Handkerchief.= Anciently a kerchief, which term was a corruption of - “Coverchef,” from the French _couvrir_, to cover, and _chef_, the - head, reserved for hand use in wiping the face, and carried in the - left sleeve of the garment. At a later period, until the reign of - Elizabeth, when pockets came into vogue, the handkerchief found a - place in the pouch worn on the left side of the girdle. - -=Handsel Monday.= The first Monday in the New Year, when _handsels_ or - gifts were bestowed upon servants. The word “Handsel” is - Anglo-Saxon, meaning the delivery of something into another’s hands; - also the first instalment of a series of payments as an earnest of - good faith. - -=Handyman.= The modern designation of a bluejacket or man-of-war’s-man. - Since 1882, when, after the bombardment of Alexandria, he was sent - ashore to cooperate with our troops in Egypt, he has proved himself - not only an expert fighting man with the cutlass and musket, but an - agile auxiliary to the artillery--in short, a handy man in all - respects. - -=Hangbird.= The Baltimore oriole, which suspends its nest from a tree - branch. - -=Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered.= The former capital sentence for treason. - The criminal was drawn to the place of execution upon a hurdle, - hanged, and his body was hewn into four quarters, each being spiked - in a public place as an example to the multitude. This quartering - was substituted, in the fifty-fourth year of the reign of George - III., for the disembowelling of the hanged criminal while he was yet - alive. - -=Hang of the Thing.= An Americanism for the mechanism or the - understanding of a thing--_e.g._ “I can’t get the hang of the thing - nohow.” - -=Hanover Square.= In honour of the Hanoverian Succession, because laid - out and built upon in the reign of George I. - -=Hansards.= Parliamentary debates and papers, so called because they - were printed by Luke Hansard and his successors from the year 1752 - until comparatively recent days. - -=Hanse Towns.= Those towns of Northern Germany embraced by the Hansa or - Hanseatic League, as long ago as the thirteenth century, for the - protection of commerce against pirates at sea and marauders on land. - The word _Hansa_ is Gothic for a league, society, federation. - -=Hans Place.= After Sir Hans Sloane, the original ground landlord. See - “Sloane Square.” - -=Hansom Cab.= The “Safety Cab” patented in 1883 by Joseph Aloysius - Hansom. This was not so much an improvement upon the Four-Wheeler as - a horse-drawn adaptation of the invalids’ chair introduced at - Brighton at the commencement of the century. See “Fly.” - -=Hants.= See “Hampshire.” - -=Hanway Street.= Here resided Jonas Hanway, the founder of Magdalen - Hospital, who, newly arrived in England from Persia, and in delicate - health, excited much ridicule because he was the first male - pedestrian to carry an umbrella through the London streets as a - protection against the rain. Hackney coachmen were especially wrath - at this innovation, foreseeing that their business would be ruined - if it caught on with the public. - -=Happify.= An Americanism for to make happy--_e.g._ “One ought to try to - happify mankind.” - -=Hapsburg.= The name of the Imperial family of Austria, derived from - _Habichtsburg_, or “Hawk’s Castle,” built by Werner, Bishop of - Strasburg, on the right bank of the Aar, in the Swiss canton of the - Aargau--_i.e._ country of the Aar River. - -=Hard pushed.= See “Hard up.” - -=Hard-shell Baptists.= The American term for the hard and strait-laced - sect of Baptists; corresponding to that which in England is - designated the “Particular Baptists.” - -=Hard up.= The allusion is to being pushed hard by circumstances into a - tight corner. - -=Harem.= Expresses the Arabic for “Sacred Spot.” - -=Harewood Square.= From the town house of the Earls of Harewood. - -=Harlequin.= From the Italian _arlechino_, a satirist, a jester. - -=Harlequinade.= The comic scenes of a pantomime. In the original form of - this entertainment the Harlequinade was by far the longer portion, - and the principal character was Harlequin, the lover of Columbine. - To his ingenuity in evading the clown and pantaloon, and confusing - them by wondrous changeful tricks brought about by his magic wand, - the success of the good old English pantomime was due. Speaking - clowns did not come into existence before the days of Grimaldi. - -=Harley Street.= After Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, the - ground landlord. - -=Harmonium.= From the sustained harmonies produced on this wind - instrument by means of the keys and finger-board. - -=Harold Harefoot.= Harold I., the Saxon King of England, surnamed - “Harefoot” because he was fleet of foot as a hare. - -=Harpsichord.= An old form of pianoforte, so called because it was a - harp encased longitudinally, and its chords were produced by the - player on a key or finger board. - -=Harpur Street.= After Sir William Harpur, Lord Mayor in 1562, the owner - of a considerable estate in this neighbourhood. - -=Harrier.= A dog specially suited for hunting the hare owing to his keen - scent; also one who engages in a foot race according to the rule - that each individual contestant makes for the goal by a different - route. - -=Harringay.= Expresses a neighbourhood or district abounding in hares. - -=Harrington Square.= The property of one of the Earls of Harrington, - whose daughter married the seventh Duke of Bedford. - -=Hart Street.= Both these thoroughfares, in Bloomsbury and off Drury - Lane, received their names from an adjacent inn sign, “The White - Hart.” - -=Harum-scarum.= One who is such a fright that he scares all beholders, - causing them to fly from him with the swiftness of a hare. - -=Harvard University.= The foundation and endowment of the Rev. John - Harvard at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1638. - -=Harvest Festival.= This distinctly religious observance by way of - thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth really originated in or - grew out of the Harvest Supper which landlords were accustomed to - give their tenants after the harvest had been gathered in, because - what was the ancient “Lammas Day” fell into abeyance at the - Reformation. - -=Harz Mountains.= Both these mountain ranges are for the most part - forest clad. _Harz_ is Old Saxon for wood, forest. - -=Hasn’t a Leg to stand on.= A figurative expression applied to one whose - argument has no support or firm basis. - -=Has the true Ring.= A phrase generally applied to poetry, in allusion - to the common test of genuine or debased coin by “ringing” it on a - board or table. - -=Hatton Garden.= Laid out across the extensive grounds attached to - Hatton House, in which resided Sir Christopher Hatton, the - Chancellor of Queen Elizabeth. - -=Hauled over the Coals.= An expression dating back to the Ordeal by - Fire, where persons accused of a crime were made to walk barefooted - over red-hot iron shares or glowing embers. If they did so unharmed - that was considered a proof of their innocence. - -=Hautboy.= From the French _hautbois_, literally “high wood,” being a - high-toned reed instrument. - -=Havelock.= The white cloth forming part of the military cap as a - protection against the scorching rays of the sun, introduced by - General Havelock during the Indian Mutiny. - -=Haversack.= Provincial English for Oatsack, derived from the German - _habersack_. The word _hafre_, oats, is Scandinavian. - -=Haverstock Hill.= From a stockaded dwelling among the oats. See - “Haversack.” - -=Havre.= Originally “Le Havre de Notre Dame de Grace,” the Harbour of - Our Lady of Mercy, afterwards shortened into “Havre de Grace.” - -=Hawker.= From the German _hoken_, to carry on the back. A pedlar who - carried his wares in a sack over his shoulder. - -=Hawkeye State.= Iowa, owing to the sanguinary conflicts with the savage - tribe led by the chief “Hawkeye.” Its people are called “Hawkeyes.” - -=Hawthorn.= Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “hedge thorn.” - -=Haydon Square.= After the ground landlord, John Heydon, Alderman of the - city of London towards the close of the sixteenth century. - -=Hay Hill.= Marks the situation, together with Hill Street and Farm - Street, of an old farm on the lands of John, Lord Berkeley of - Stratton, _temp._ Charles I. - -=Haymarket.= Where hay was sold in open market prior to January 1831. - -=Hayti.= West Indian for “mountainous country.” - -=Hazing.= An Americanism for a mad sport or frolic. Specifically it - expresses the tricks played upon, and the ignominious treatment - meted out to, an unpopular comrade in the army and the Military - Schools; what in our own country is called “Ragging.” Like most - other Americanisms, the word cannot be explained on etymological - grounds. - -=Hear, Hear.= A modern form of the ancient parliamentary exclamation - “Hear him!” to enjoin silence while a Member was addressing the - House. - -=Hearse.= From the French _herse_ and German _hirsch_. Both these terms - expressed a harrow or triangular candlestick set at the head of a - coffin at a funeral service in church. At a later period they - implied a sepulchral mound temporarily distinguished by a triangular - stake setting forth a number or other identification mark. The - modern application of the term to a vehicle specially designed for - the conveyance of a body to the grave was an easy transition. - -=Heart-breakers.= Artificial ringlets formerly worn by ladies to enhance - their beauty. It is said that the most inveterate woman-hater was - not proof against the attraction of these Heart-breakers. - -=Heathen.= Literally a dweller on a heath in the open country. The - Romans applied the term to those who, having no communion with the - dwellers in cities, were cut off from all knowledge of their - complicated system of mythology. When Rome became converted to - Christianity the untutored inhabitants of the country at large were - the last to receive the Gospel. A heathen nation therefore, in a - religious sense, is one far removed from civilisation, which offers - a fruitful field for missionary work. - -=Heaven-sent Minister.= William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham, one of the - most eminent statesmen that England has ever possessed. His intense - love of his own country prompted him to measures which made the - success of British arms pre-eminent. Had his colleagues during the - later portion of his career been actuated by the same patriotism as - himself, and heeded his warnings, our American colonies might never - have separated from the Mother Country. - -=Heavy Hill.= Holborn Hill, because the hearts of those riding in the - fatal cart to the place of execution at Tyburn were heavily laden. - -=“He” Bible.= The first edition of the Authorised Version, containing a - typographical error in Ruth iii. 15: “And _he_ went into the city.” - The subsequent edition, published in the same year, in which the - passage was rectified, became known as “The ‘She’ Bible.” - -=Hebrews.= Said to be descendants of Eber, the great-grandson of Shem, - one of the ancestors of Abraham. The greater probability, however, - is that the term has been derived from the native _ebher_, the - region on the other side--_i.e._ of the Euphrates. - -=Hebrides.= Expresses the “Western Isles” of the Norwegians. - -=Hector.= To swagger, bully, treat with insolence, after Hector, the - celebrated Trojan warrior. From the known character of this hero of - antiquity it is not easy to conceive that he could ever have been a - braggart. The inference is rather that this word in its accepted - sense was derived from the brutal manner in which Achilles treated - the body of Hector after he had slain him in single combat. - -=Hedge Priest.= Specifically in Ireland an itinerant cleric unattached - to any mission; one admitted to Holy Orders without having studied - theology. - -=Hedge School.= An open-air school in the poor rural districts of - Ireland beside a hedge. - -=Heel of Achilles.= When Thetis, the mother of Achilles, dipped her son - in the River Styx to make him invulnerable the water laved every - portion of his body save that by which she held him. It was - accordingly in the heel that he received his mortal wound. - -=Heir Apparent.= The rightful heir to the crown, whose succession is - beyond a doubt provided he survives the reigning monarch. - -=Heir-Presumptive.= The presumed heir to the crown provided no child in - the direct line of succession is born to supersede his claim. - -=Heligoland.= Danish for “Holy Land,” which name was bestowed upon it - after the conversion of its people by St Willibrod in the seventh - century. A great many conventual establishments sprang up on the - soil, but the encroachments of the sea had swept them away by the - seventeenth century. Prior to their conversion the _Anglii_ were - wont to repair to this isle from the opposite mainland for the - worship of the goddess Hertha, also known as Foseta, of whose temple - it is said some ruins yet remain. - -=Heliotrope.= From the Greek _helios_, sun, and _tropos_, to turn. The - flowers of this plant are said always to turn towards the sun. - -=Hello Girls.= A nickname popularly bestowed upon the telephone girls in - the Post Office Department at St Martin’s-le-Grand. - -=Hellespont.= The older name of the “Dardanelles,” where Helle in - fleeing from her stepmother was drowned. This occurred at the point - where Xerxes with his army had crossed the strait on a temporary - bridge. - -=Hell Kettles.= Three very deep pits full of water at Oxenhall, Durham. - The people of the neighbourhood declare them to be bottomless. They - are really disused coal pits, the water in which cannot be drained - off. - -=Helmuth the Taciturn.= The sobriquet of Count Von Moltke, Field Marshal - of the German Empire, on account of his habitual reserve. - -=Helot.= The name given by the Spartans to a slave from the Greek town - of _Helos_, whose inhabitants they reduced to slavery. - -=Henbane.= A plant which is poisonous to poultry. - -=Henchman.= A corruption of “Haunchman,” the groom or servant who out of - doors was in constant attendance upon his master at the flank or - haunches of his horse. See “Flunkey.” - -=Heneage Lane.= After the residence of Sir Thomas Heneage, Chancellor of - the Duchy of Lancaster in the sixteenth century. - -=Henrietta Street.= In Covent Garden, after Henrietta Maria, Queen of - Charles I. On the north side of Oxford Street, after Henrietta - Cavendish, who, by her marriage, carried not only a goodly portion - of the Cavendish estate, but also that of her father, Lord Holles, - into the Harley family. - -=Henry Irving.= See “Irving.” - -=Heptarchy.= The Saxon division of England comprising Kent, Sussex, - Wessex, Essex, East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria, each having - originally its own ruler. - -=Herculaneum.= The foundation of this buried city was by the Romans - traditionally ascribed to Hercules. - -=Hereford.= Expresses the Saxon for “army ford” over the River Wye. - During the Heptarchy this was the military headquarters of Mercia. - -=Heroic Verse.= That usually selected for epic poetry, since the - exploits of Achilles at the siege of Troy were set forth by Homer in - hexameters. - -=Hertford.= Originally “Hartford,” being the ford of the River Lea - crossed by harts. - -=He’s a Brick.= This expression, if not quite as old as the hills, - carries us back to the time of Plutarch, who in his “Lives” gives - the following account of its origin:--“On a certain occasion, an - ambassador from Epirus paid a visit to Argesilaus, King of Sparta, - on a mission of diplomatic importance. By that monarch he was shown - over the capital. But the ambassador failed to see any massive walls - reared to defend the city, and openly expressed his astonishment to - the King. ‘Sire!’ he said, ‘I have visited most of your principal - towns, and find no walls reared for defence. Why is this?’ ‘Indeed, - Sir Ambassador,’ Argesilaus replied, ‘thou canst not have looked - carefully. Come with me to-morrow, and I will show thee the walls of - Sparta.’ On the following morning the King conducted his guest out - upon the plains, where his army was drawn up in full battle array, - and, proudly pointing to the serried host, he exclaimed: ‘There, Sir - Ambassador, thou beholdest the walls of Sparta--ten thousand men, - and every man a brick!’” - -=He’s joined the Majority.= See “Gone over to the Majority.” - -=Hessel Street.= The recent change from Morgan Street to Hessel Street - in Stepney is accounted for by the discovery that here a celebrated - character, in the person of Phœbe Hessel, was born. For many - years she served as a private soldier in the Fifth Regiment of Foot, - and fought at the Battle of Fontenoy, in which engagement she was - wounded. A long inscription on her tombstone in Brighton churchyard - would have us believe that she was at the time of her death, 21st - December 1821, no less than one hundred and eight years of age. - -=Hessian.= An Americanism for a hireling, a fighter for pay, a mercenary - politician. The Hessian soldiers have always been ready to enlist in - a foreign service for pay. - -=Hessian Fly.= An insect which has caused the utmost destruction among - young wheat in North America, so called because it was said to have - been introduced by the Hessian troops in their horse straw during - the Revolution. - -=Hetman.= The Russian title of the general or headman of the Cossacks, - derived from the Tartar _Ataman_. This too supplies the origin of - the German _Hauptmann_, captain, chief, or headman of a village. - -=Hibernia.= See “Ireland.” - -=Hickory.= See “Old Hickory.” - -=Hicksite Friends.= An American offshoot of the Society of Friends or - Quakers under Elias Hicks in 1827. - -=Highbury.= From the _bury_ or enclosed land belonging to the Knights of - St John of Jerusalem in Clerkenwell. In 1271 they built a priory - here, of which the barn remained standing until modern days. - Compared with the low-lying district round about, this was elevated - ground. - -=Highbury Barn.= Originally a cake and ale house contiguous to the - ancient barn of the Clerkenwell Priory. This place of public resort - developed into a theatre in 1865; subsequently it degenerated into a - dancing saloon, and was finally abolished in 1875. - -=Highfalutin.= A corruption of “high-flighting.” This word originated in - the western states of North America. - -=Highgate.= The village that sprang up around the ancient toll gate on - the road from London to Barnet. The tolls levied here were for the - benefit of the Bishop of London. Even in our time this elevated - situation commands a good view of London. The absurd ceremony of - “swearing on the horns” was formerly imposed on all travellers - passing through the gate. - -=High Seas.= The great ocean highways out of sight of land and common to - mariners of all nations. - -=High Tea.= A substantial meat tea towards the close of the day in place - of the fashionable set dinner. This is the invariable custom in - Germany. In English it is usual to designate such a meal as a “Knife - and Fork Tea.” See “High Time.” - -=High Time.= A phrase employed in the same sense as High Street, High - Seas, Highway, etc.--_i.e._ great. The German word for wedding is - _Hochzeit_, literally a “high time.” In America the expression for a - festive occasion or a pleasurable trip is “a good time.” - -=Hilary Term.= In law the sittings of the Courts from 11th to 13th - January, so called from the festival of St Hilary, Bishop of - Poitiers, on the latter date. - -=Hill Street.= See “Hay Hill.” - -=Himalaya Mountains.= From the Sanskrit _hima_, snow, and _alaya_, - abode. - -=Hinde Street.= After James Hinde, a speculative builder, who more than - a century ago laid out many of the streets now covering what was the - estate of Marylebone Park. - -=Hindustan.= Agreeably to the Persian _stan_, the country traversed by - the Hindu or Indus; both terms are derived from the Sanskrit - _Sindhu_, “great river.” - -=Hippodrome.= Expresses the Greek for a race-course, from _hippos_, a - horse, and _dromos_, a course. - -=Hippocras.= A cordial of spiced wine, so called by the apothecaries - because it was supposed to have been made from the prescription of - Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine. - -=His Nibs.= A corruption of “His Nobs”; used ironically for “His - Highness” in reference to a parvenu or a conceited upstart. - -=Hispania.= See “Spain.” - -=Hoboken.= Indian for the “smoke pipe,” or pipe of peace. This was the - place where the chiefs first met the white settlers, and while - passing round the calumet entered into a friendly treaty. - -=Hobson’s Choice.= In the seventeenth century Tobias Hobson kept a - livery stable at Cambridge. When the students at the University - wished to hire a horse for the day he led out the occupant of the - first stall. If they demurred, he said abruptly: “It’s this one or - none.” So Hobson’s choice settled the question. - -=Hock.= The general name for Rhenish wines, but properly that made at - Hockheim on the Maine. - -=Hockey.= Expresses the diminutive of _hook_, the club used in this game - being only slightly hooked at the end. - -=Hocking.= See “Hock Tuesday.” - -=Hockley.= Anglo-Saxon for a miry field. Clerkenwell was at one time - called “Hockley-in-the-Hole,” after a bear garden dating from the - Restoration period. - -=Hock Tuesday.= Anciently a high festival throughout England, in - commemoration for the final expulsion of the Danes, who had ravaged - the eastern portions of our country for more than two centuries. - This occurred on Easter Tuesday 1074. Most of the Danes were - slaughtered off-hand by first hamstringing, or cutting their hams or - houghs, which prevented them from making for their boats; hence the - term _Hock_ for the festival. The English landlords levied what was - called “Hock Money” on this day from their tenants, in return for - which they treated them to a good supper. In modern times people - stopped pedestrians in the streets with ropes, and declined to - release them until they had parted with hock money. - -=Hocus-pocus.= The gibberish of a conjurer when performing his tricks; - said to have been derived from one Ochus Bochus, a celebrated wizard - of Northern Europe, three centuries ago. The early conjurers were - thought to use these words as an invocation to this magician. - Nowadays our sleight-of-hand professors dispense with words, and - fire off a pistol, doubtless to prove that they can do the trick in - a crack. - -=Hodge.= The generic name for a farm labourer; a corruption of _Hedger_. - -=Hoist with his own Petard.= Caught in his own trap, blown up with his - own engine of destruction. The petard was an ancient infernal engine - filled with gunpowder; he who fired it stood in great danger of - sacrificing his own life. - -=Holborn.= Anciently spelt “Holeburne,” the bourn or stream in a hollow. - This was the River Fleet, which had an outlet into the Thames. - Further north, in Clerkenwell, it was called “the River of Wells.” - -=Holborn Bars.= The western limits of the city of London. - -=Hold hard.= This exclamation, when the advice really means to stop or - “leave go,” sounds ridiculous. It originally meant, as it still does - in the Emerald Isle, to keep a firm hold with both hands on the back - rail of an Irish jaunting car lest the rider might be thrown out of - it. - -=Hole in the Wall.= A tavern sign, derived from the fact that this house - was originally approached either through an opening made in the - ancient city wall or else through another house that stood in front - of it. - -=Holiday.= The modern form of “Holy Day,” expressive of a great feast in - the Church calendar. - -=Holland.= From the Danish _ollant_, “marshy ground.” The linen cloth of - the same name was first made in Holland. - -=Holland Road.= From Holland House, the residence of Henry Rich, Earl of - Holland, _temp._ Charles I. By his marriage with the Dowager - Countess of Warwick, widow of Lord Holland, in 1710, Joseph Addison - became nominally master of this noble mansion, and here he died. - -=Hollands.= See “Gin.” - -=Holles Street.= In the West End, after John Holles, the last Duke of - Newcastle, whose only daughter by her marriage carried the entire - estate hereabouts into the possession of the Harleys. In Drury Lane, - the name given by Gilbert, Earl of Clare, whose house stood in what - became Clare Market, in honour of his uncle, Denzil, Lord Holles, - _temp._ Charles I. - -=Holloway.= At one time a miry highway in a hollow between Highbury and - Highgate. - -=Holloway College.= Founded in 1883 for the higher education of women at - Egham, Surrey, by Thomas Holloway, the pioneer of modern advertising - on a lavish scale. - -=Hollyhock.= A species of mallow, called by the Anglo-Saxon _hoc_, and - first brought to Europe from the Holy Land. Hence _holy-hoc_. - -=Holly Village.= A modern settlement at Highgate founded by the Baroness - Burdett Coutts-Bartlett but a short distance removed from her rural - retreat known as Holly Lodge. - -=Holy Boys.= The regimental nickname of the 9th Foot, because they - sacked monasteries and sold Bibles in the street during the - Peninsular War. - -=Holy Cross Day.= Otherwise the “Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross,” - 14th September, commemorates, the restoration of the Cross of Christ - to Jerusalem, A.D. 628. - -=Holy Land.= Palestine, the scene of the birth, life labours, and death - of the Redeemer. - -=Holy Maid of Kent.= The name given to Elizabeth Barton, a poor Kentish - servant girl, who, subject to trances, foretold events, and - afterwards entered a convent at Canterbury. Her fame as a religious - enthusiast increased, until, for pronouncing sentence against the - divorce of Queen Catherine of Aragon, she, in company with five - monks, was hanged at Tyburn. - -=Holyrood Palace.= This residence of the ancient kings of Scotland grew - out of the Abbey of the Holy Rood built by David I. as the permanent - abode of the Black Rood, brought to Scotland by St Margaret in 1070. - This precious relic was a piece of the true cross set in gold and - ebony. It fell into the hands of the English at the battle of - Neville’s Cross in 1344, after which all trace of it was lost. James - II. was born at Holyrood; here too he was buried. The foundations of - the new palace were laid by James IV. in 1500. - -=Holywell.= From the miraculous well of St Winifred in Flintshire, the - scene of her martyrdom. - -=Holywell Lane.= Here, in Shoreditch, stood an ancient Priory of Nuns of - St John the Baptist, in the grounds of which a “sweet, holy well” - was discovered. - -=Holywell Street.= This now vanished thoroughfare, east of the Strand, - received its name from a Holy Well close to the Church of St Clement - Danes. That in Westminster marks the site of the town house of the - Grosvenors, whose rural estates lay around “Holywell” in Flintshire. - -=Homely.= An Americanism for “plain,” “ugly;” applied to persons only. - -=Home Office.= The official department of the Secretary for - Home--_i.e._, internal, Affairs. - -=Homerton.= A corruption of “Heimathton,” which expressed the town that - grew out of the Saxon village styled _Heimath_, “home” or “native - country.” - -=Honduras.= Spanish for “deep water.” - -=Honey Lane.= In this lane stood an ancient market-house or hall for the - sale of honey. Owing to the dearness of sugar prior to the discovery - of America and the colonisation of the West Indies, honey was in - general request. - -=Honeymoon.= From the custom of the Scandinavians, who drank Hydromel, - or diluted honey, for thirty days after a marriage feast. - -=Honiton Lace.= A superior kind of “Pillow Lace” made at Honiton in - Devonshire. This industry was introduced into England by the - Lollards, _temp._ Elizabeth. - -=Honor Oak.= From the famous boundary oak beneath which Queen Elizabeth - once dined. Prior to that event it bore the name of Gospel Oak, - under whose shade, in common with all other parish boundary oaks, - the Gospel was read there once a year. - -=Hoodlum.= A street rough, originally a product of San Francisco, - but now common in New York and most cities of the American - Union. The origin of the term was thus accounted for by _The - Congregationalist_, 26th September 1877: “A newspaper man in San - Francisco, in attempting to coin a word to designate a gang of - young street Arabs under the beck of one named ‘Muldoon,’ hit - upon the idea of dubbing them _Noodlums_--that is, simply - reversing the leader’s name. In writing the word the strokes of - the _N_ did not correspond in height, and the compositor, taking - the _N_ for an _H_, printed it _Hoodlum_. ‘Hoodlum’ it is, and - probably ever will be.” - -=Hoodman Blind.= The ancient form of the game of “Blind Man’s Buff.” - Instead of being bandaged the Blind Man had the hood, which everyone - wore, drawn over his eyes. - -=Hook it.= A variant of “Sling your Hook.” - -=Hook of Holland.= From the Dutch _hoek_, a cape, a corner. The same - perverted designation obtained in all the early Dutch settlements of - New York State, notably “Sandy Hook.” - -=Hooligan.= A London rough. This term is of quite modern date, and - clearly an adaptation of that which has become common all over the - United States. See “Hoodlum.” - -=Hooter.= A United States corruption of _iota_. The people of New York - State in particular are addicted to the saying: “I don’t care a - hooter whether I do or not.” “This note isn’t worth a hooter,” etc. - -=Hoosier State.= Indiana, from the nickname given to its people. - “Hoosier” is really a corruption of _Husher_, touching the power of - a bully to silence a stranger. The Hoosiers are noted for their - brusque manners. The state is also called “Hoosierdom.” - -=Hopkinsians.= An American Calvinistic sect named after their founder, - Samuel Hopkins of Connecticut. - -=Hornbill.= A bird distinguished for a horny excrescence on its bill. - -=Horn Book.= A primitive text-book for children. It was really no book - at all, but a piece of paper containing the alphabet, the nine - digits, and at times the Lord’s Prayer, mounted on a small flat - board, over which was stretched a transparent sheet of horn; below - was a handle to hold it by. - -=Hornpipe.= A lively sailor’s dance, which had its origin in the west of - England to the accompaniment of a Welsh musical instrument of the - same name composed of a wooden pipe with a horn at each end. - -=Hornsey.= A corruption of “Harringsey,” a watered meadow of hares. - -=Horse Chestnut.= Some say this term is a corruption of “Coarse - Chestnut,” in contradistinction to the edible chestnut; others that - these chestnuts were formerly ground up and given to horses for - food. - -=Horseferry Road.= Where horses were conveyed across the Thames on a - ferry boat in bygone times. - -=Horse Latitudes.= A portion of the Atlantic distinguished for its - tedious calms, where old navigators were wont to throw overboard the - horses they had to transport to the West Indies in order to lighten - the ship. - -=Horsleydown.= A corruption of “Horsadown”; formerly a down or hilly - ground used for grazing horses. - -=Horse Marines.= There can be no Horse Marines; but the 17th Lancers - were at one time made to bear this opprobrious nickname from the - circumstance that two men of this regiment had originally served as - Marines on board the _Hermione_ in the West Indies. - -=Horse Shoe.= A large public-house at the Oxford Street end of Tottenham - Court Road, this sign being derived from the trade mark of Messrs - Meux’s brewery adjoining. - -=Hose.= From the Icelandic _hosa_, stocking. - -=Hosier Lane.= From the hosiers who congregated in it. - -=Hospice.= From the Latin _hospes_, a stranger, guest. This term is now - confined to an Alpine retreat for the reception of travellers. - Elsewhere the French word Hospital obtains for any establishment set - apart for the temporary accommodation of the poor. Formerly, - however, it implied a lazar-house or a refuge for fallen women; in - its modern sense a hospital is exclusively an institution for the - sick poor. - -=Hospice of St Bernard.= See “Bernardine Hospice.” - -=Hospital.= See “Hospice.” - -=Hostelry.= From the old French _hostellerie_, an inn, through the Latin - _hospes_, a stranger, a guest. The modern French form is “Hotel,” - which implies not only an establishment for the entertainment of - travellers, but also a superior house or palace. - -=Hotel.= See “Hostelry.” - -=Hotel des Invalides.= A magnificent establishment in Paris, originally - designed as an asylum for invalided and disabled soldiers by Henry - IV. in 1596. Prior to that time no provision existed for warriors - who had spent their best energies in their country’s service save - the charity of the monastic institutions. - -=Hotspur.= The surname of Harry Percy, on account of his mad courage - when mounted on his charger. A man of fiery, ungovernable temper is - said to be “a regular Hotspur.” - -=Houndsditch.= The dry ditch outside the city wall which was made the - receptacle for all kinds of refuse, and dead dogs in particular. - -=Houp la.= This exclamation on the part of a circus ringmaster as the - signal for an equestrienne to leap over horizontal barriers or - through paper hoops has been derived from the Californian stage - drivers’ ejaculation to their horses. - -=Housemaids’ Knee.= Housemaids are specially liable to this affection of - the sac under the knee-pan through kneeling on hard or damp floors. - -=House of Keys.= The Representative Council of the Isle of Man, so - called from the Manx _Kiare-as-feed_, four and twenty, this being - the number appointed by statute to form the “Court of Tynwald.” - Tynwald is an artificial mound in the centre of the island whence a - new law has from time immemorial been promulgated. - -=Housewarming.= The name given to a party or reception of guests on - taking possession of a newly built mansion. This was of old a winter - function, when the lighting of large fires in all the rooms for the - occasion proved serviceable in drying the plastered walls and - ceilings. - -=Howard Street.= From the town house and grounds of the Howards, Dukes - of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and Surrey, that stood on the large - plot of ground now covered by the four streets bearing these names. - -=Howitzer.= A German cannon, properly called a _haubitze_, from the - Bohemian term _haufnice_, a sling. - -=Hoxton.= Little more than a hundred years ago this district bore the - name of _Hogsdon_ on account of the great number of pigs bred here. - Hog Lane still exists off the High Street. - -=Hub.= The proud pet name of the city of Boston, the social centre of - the United States, in the same sense as the hub is a centre for a - wheel. The origin of the term is ascribed to Dr Oliver Wendell - Holmes who, in one of his books spoke of the State House at Boston - as “the hub of the solar system.” - -=Hudibrastic Verse.= That which is in imitation of the measure and - doggerel style of Samuel Butler’s “Hudibras.” - -=Hudson River.= After Captain Henry Hudson, who discovered it in 1609. A - year later, when searching for a north-west passage, he navigated - the bay and the strait named in his honour. - -=Huggin Lane.= After Hugan, a wealthy citizen who resided here, _temp._ - Edward I. - -=Huguenots.= The name borne by the adherents of the Reformation in - France, after Hugh, a Genevese Calvinist, their leader, and the - German _eidgenossen_, confederates. - -=Hull.= From the river upon which it stands. Its ancient name was - Kingston-upon-Hull, a town founded by Edward I. in 1299. - -=Hull Cheese.= A strong ale for which the “Good Old Town of Hull” was at - one time famous. To “eat Hull cheese” was to get incontinently - drunk. - -=Hull, Hell, and Halifax.= In olden times, before Kingston-upon-Hull - could be approached direct from the Humber, the River Hull was - navigable, as now, only at high water, and even then it required - very skilful pilotage on account of the many sandbanks at its mouth; - it was therefore dreaded by seafaring men. Taylor, the Water Poet, - wrote: “From Hull, Hell, and Halifax, good Lord, deliver us!” The - reference to Halifax arose out of the knowledge that in his day a - man could be executed there for stealing property to the value of - thirteen pence halfpenny. See “Halifax Gibbet Law.” - -=Humanitarians.= Those who believe in the complete humanity of Christ, - namely--that He was capable of committing sin like any other mortal. - -=Humble Bee.= A corruption of “Humming Bee.” - -=Humbug.= The old mode of expressing approbation of a speech or at the - play was by humming, but since the sincerity of this form of - applause could not always be relied upon, intermingled as it may - have been with suppressed murmurs of disapproval, the word _Hum_ - came to be applied to mock admiration or flattery, intended only to - deceive. Hence the saying: “That’s all hum.” The added word _Bug_ is - very old, signifying a frightful object, a thing to be shunned. To - humbug is to deceive; to prefer candour to humbug is to be proof - against flattery. - -=Humming Bird.= So called from the sound caused by the rapid motion of - its wings in flight. - -=Hummums.= A hotel in Covent Garden built on the site of a Persian or - Turkish sweating bath so called in the seventeenth century. The name - is Arabic. - -=Hundred.= A Saxon subdivision of the English shires said to have been - introduced by Alfred the Great. Each hundred comprised a colony of - “ten times ten” families--that is to say, ten divisions of ten - freeholders and their dependents in each. In all then there were one - hundred champions to defend the common cause. In legal and - ecclesiastical documents relative to lands such property is still - said to be situate in a particular “hundred” as well as parish. - -=Hungary.= The country of the Huns, who swarmed over from Asia and - expelled the Goths from this portion of Europe in the fourth - century. When first heard of in China, about a hundred years - previous, the natives designated them _Hiong-nu_, signifying - “Giants.” These Huns were really the Mongolian race still known as - the _Kalmucks_. The suffix _gary_ is a Western modification of the - Teutonic _gau_, district or country. - -=Hungary Water.= A perfume, properly called “The Queen of Hungary’s - Water” from the circumstance that the recipe had been given by a - hermit to one of the queens of Hungary. - -=Hung on Wires.= An American expression for one suffering from “nerves,” - a nervous or fidgety person. - -=Huns.= See “Hungary.” - -=Huntingdon.= Expresses the shire most favoured for hunting, this being - anciently a vast deer forest. - -=Hurly-burly.= An expression derived from the tumult of ancient warfare, - with especial reference to the hurling of spears and battle-axes. - The witches in _Macbeth_ say: - - “When the hurly-burly’s done, - When the battle’s lost and won.” - -=Huron.= This lake was so called by the French settlers on account of - the profusion of hair of the Indian tribe, the Wyandots, whom they - encountered on its shores. _Hure_ is French for “head of hair.” - -=Hurrah.= This exclamation is from the Scandinavian _Hurra_, said to - have been originally _Thor-aie_, an invocation to the god Thor for - aid in battle, just as the battle cry of the Normans was _Ha-Rou_, - in honour of Rollo. - -=Hurricane.= From the West Indian _urican_, “a violent wind.” The word - was introduced to Europe by seamen, and so became incorporated in - various languages. - -=Hurry up.= An exclamation derived, both in England and America, from - the custom of eating-house keepers anxious to expedite the service - from the kitchens below stairs. - -=Husbands’ Boat.= The steamboat by which city men and others go down to - Margate for the week-end holiday in order to join their families who - are staying there for the season. - -=Hussar.= Expresses the Hungarian for a “twenty-paid soldier”--_husz_ - meaning twenty, and _ar_ the price of. When Matthias Corvinus - ascended the throne of the Magyars he decreed that, in order to - provide a regular cavalry, each twenty families must enrol and equip - one mounted soldier free of all cost to the State. An interesting - point in connection with the uniform of the Hussar regiments - everywhere was that they always allowed the right sleeve of the - upper jacket to hang loose on their backs. This was only in keeping - with the general custom of the Magyar peasantry, who had the right - arm free on all occasions. - -=Hussites.= The Protestants of Bohemia, after John Huss, the Reformer. - -=Hussy.= A corruption of “housewife.” The epithet now implies a - slatternly sort of woman. - -=Hustings.= The ancient name for the Court of Aldermen in the city of - London. In modern days it came to imply the platform from which - candidates for election delivered their addresses to the populace. - The word _Husting_ expressed the Anglo-Saxon for a council-house: - from the Scandinavian _hus_, house, and _thing_, an assembly. - -=Hustler.= An Americanism for a smart, energetic tradesman, more - especially a caterer or restaurateur, who hustles about and never - keeps his customers waiting. The word “Hustle” comes from the Dutch - _hutselen_, to shake together or to and fro. - -=Hyacinth.= According to the Greek fable this flower sprang from the - blood of the beautiful youth Hyacinthus, who, having aroused the - jealousy of Zephyr, received his death-blow at her hands by casting - Apollo’s quoit at his head. - -=Hyde Park.= Anciently described as the Hyde Manor belonging to the - Abbots of St Peter’s, Westminster. - -=Hyde Park Corner.= Of old the western extremity of London, defined by a - toll gate. - -=Hydro.= Short for a hydropathic establishment. - -=Hythe.= From the Anglo-Saxon _hithe_, a haven. - - - I - - -=Iambic Verse.= Poetical satires written in _Iambics_, or two-syllable - foot measure, were originally so called after Iambe, an attendant - upon one of the queens of Sparta, who kept a commonplace book of - lively, free, and satirical pieces. - -=Iberia.= The ancient name of Spain, from the _Iberi_, its original - inhabitants. These were maritime adventurers from Phœnicia who - penetrated the country by way of the River Ebro. When in course of - time the Celts descended upon them from the Pyrenees, they spread - themselves to the south and west. On reaching the sea at the - farthest limit of their wanderings they imagined themselves at the - end of the world, and so gave the name of _Iber_, a Phœnician - word of that import, to the country. Its principal eastern river, - the Ebro, retains the original name. - -=Iceland.= So called because its north and west coasts are generally - blocked with ice that has drifted down from Greenland. - -=Iceland Moss.= A lichen indigenous to Iceland and Greenland which is - said to be very efficacious in the treatment of consumption. - -=Ice Plant.= Found in South Africa, and so called on account of its - glittering, watery vesicles which give it the appearance of being - covered with ice. - -=Ich Dien.= German for “I serve.” The motto assumed by Edward the Black - Prince after he found it under the plume of John, King of Bohemia, - slain by him at the battle of Cressy. - -=Iconoclast.= An image breaker, from the Greek _eikon_, image, and - _klazo_, I break. - -=Idolater.= From the Greek _eidolon_, a figure, and _latres_, - worshipper. The root of this word, _eidein_, to see, furnishes the - key to its true meaning. An idolater is one who worships that which - he sees, not on account of its intrinsic worth, but because it is a - visible representation, or it may be merely a symbol, of the deity - that he is taught to venerate. - -=Idol Lane.= Said to be a corruption of Idle Lane, because this was - perhaps the only thoroughfare in the neighbourhood not given up to - business--_i.e._ either as a market or a hive of industrious - artisans. - -=Il Bassano.= See “Bassano.” - -=Il Furioso.= The sobriquet of Jacopo Robusti, better known as - “Tintoretto,” owing to the rapidity with which he turned out his - wonderful paintings. - -=Iliad.= The title of Homer’s epic treating of the destruction of Troy; - originally called _Illium_, after _Ilos_, the founder of the city. - -=I’ll be through directly.= An Americanism for “I’ll be ready very - soon,” or “I’ll have it finished directly.” - -=Illinois.= The Indian _illini_, men, with the French suffix _oix_, a - tribe. - -=I’ll take my Davy on it.= The word “Davy” is a corruption of - “affidavit.” - -=Il Perugino.= The better-known name of the celebrated Italian artist - Pietro Vanucci, who, born at Citta della Pieve in Umbria, - established himself and remained all his life in the neighbouring - city of Perugia. - -=Il Tintoretto.= See “Tintoretto.” - -=Imperial.= The name given to the once fashionable chin tuft, after - Napoleon III., who was the first to wear his beard in this - diminutive fashion. - -=In a Crack.= Done instantly, in no more time than it takes for a gun to - go off. - -=In a Jiffy.= The word “jiffy” is a corruption of the now obsolete - _gliff_--_i.e._ a mere glance. - -=Inch of Candle.= In some parts of the country land is still disposed of - at auction by inch of candle. This was the ancient form of - auctioneering. Candles of inch length were provided, and when the - candle went out the bidding was closed. - -=Inchcolm.= Expresses the _inch_ or isle of St Columba, who dwelt here - while labouring to convert the Picts to Christianity. - -=In Clover.= In a contented frame of mind because provided with - everything necessary for the time being. Cattle always make for the - clover when turned out to graze. - -=Incog.= Short for _Incognito_, an Italian word signifying “not known.” - Royal personages desirous of avoiding ceremony often travel - _incog._, or under an assumed title. - -=Independence Day.= The fourth of July, in commemoration of the American - Declaration of Independence, 1776. - -=Independents.= The same as “Congregationalists.” - -=India.= From the Indus or Hindus, a Persian corruption of the Sanskrit - _Sindhu_, “great river.” By the Greeks this river was known as the - _Hindus_, which with the Persian suffix _stan_ gave the name - “Hindustan” to the whole country. In the time of Columbus, and long - afterwards, the Asiatic continent east of the Ganges was generally - styled India. This accounts for such names as “Indian Ink,” etc., - products really of the Far East. - -=Indiana.= From the great number of Indians that overran this state in - the early days of its history. - -=Indianapolis.= The capital of the state of Indiana. _Polis_ is Greek - for city. - -=Indian Corn.= Maize, brought from the West Indies. - -=Indian File.= A march in single file, as is the custom of the North - American Indians. - -=Indian Gift.= A reclaimed present. When a North American Indian gives - anything he expects a gift equivalent in value, or else his own back - again. - -=Indian Ink.= Originally brought from China, but now made from - lamp-black and animal glue in England. See “India.” - -=Indian Liquor.= See “Indian Whisky.” - -=Indian Reservation.= A considerable tract of land on the plains - reserved for the Indian tribes. - -=Indians of North America.= When Columbus discovered the “New World” he - was under the impression that he had happened on that vast tract of - country east of the Ganges vaguely known as India. This shows that, - sailing westward as he did, he must have regarded the earth as a - globe. - -=Indian Summer.= The equivalent of what is called St Martin’s Summer in - England. The North American Indians always avail themselves of the - pleasant weather during the early part of November for harvesting - their corn; they say there is an unfailing nine days’ second summer - just before the winter sets in. - -=Indian Whisky.= The name given to specially adulterated whisky for sale - to the Indians of North America. - -=India Paper.= A special kind of paper, made of vegetable fibre in China - and Japan, on which the first impressions, called India proof, of - engravings are taken. See “India.” - -=India Proof.= See “India Paper.” - -=India-rubber.= Caoutchouc, first imported from China, but now found - elsewhere. See “India.” - -=India-rubber Railway Sandwich.= The typical refreshment-room sandwich, - the bread slices of which are as a rule so stale that they defy - hasty mastication. - -=Indigo.= A blue dye prepared from the _Indicus_, or Indian plant. - -=Industrial Schools.= Also known as Ragged Schools, of which the - scholars are waifs and strays brought together for the acquirement - of some useful industry. - -=Infra.= Latin for below, beneath. A word very generally met with in - library catalogues: “See _Infra_.” It is the antithesis of _Supra_, - above. - -=Infra Dig.= Short for _Infra Dignitatem_, which expresses the Latin for - “beneath one’s dignity.” - -=Infant.= In law, any person under the age of twenty-one. - -=Infanta.= The title of princesses of the royal blood in Spain and - Portugal, except the heiress-apparent. - -=Infante.= The corresponding title of the sons of the kings of Spain and - Portugal. - -=Infant Roscius.= William Henry Betty, the celebrated boy actor, named - after the greatest historian of antiquity. His public career was - brief--viz. five years only, 1803-1808--but during that period he - became the rage; so much so, that while at Covent Garden, where he - received a salary of fifty guineas a night, the military had to be - called out to maintain order. - -=Infantry.= Foot soldiers, so called, not because, like children, they - have to be trained to walk, but for the reason that one of the - _Infantes_ of Spain collected a body of armed men, unmounted, to - rescue his father, the King, from captivity at the hands of the - Moors. Afterwards foot soldiers in Spain and Italy received the name - of _Enfanteria_. - -=Infirmary.= The older and more correct description of an institution - for the sick and infirm. See “Hospice.” - -=Inn.= The Anglo-Saxon word _Inne_ expressed a mansion. The Inns of - Court were originally the town houses of noble families, whose name - they still bear--_e.g._ Gray’s Inn. Our first inns set apart for the - entertainment of travellers were in all cases the mansions of the - nobility left in charge of the trusted servant, the gamekeeper, - during the prolonged absence, either in the wars at home or in the - Crusades abroad, of their owners. The family arms served as a sign. - After the return of his master the servant, now an innkeeper, set up - an inn of his own contiguous to the original, and adopted the same - sign. Here we have an explanation of such grotesque inn signs--now - that their names have taken the place of the painted device--as the - Blue Boar, the Red Lion, etc. At times the innkeeper preferred the - sign of the “Green Man.” - -=Innocents’ Day.= December 28th, commemorating the massacre of the Holy - Innocents by Herod. Anciently children were soundly whipped in their - beds before rising on this day. Being undeserving of such - punishment, they were taught to suffer pain for Christ’s sake. - -=Inns of Court.= See “Inn.” - -=In Quad.= This is not altogether thieves’ slang, though the gipsy word - for prison is _quaid_. Boys at our public schools say they are “in - quad” when they are confined to their own quadrangle. The phrase - became popular in connection with a prison when debtors were - confined in the Fleet, the Marshalsea, and Whitecross Street, - because they were free to receive visitors in the exercise court or - quadrangle. - -=Insect.= From the root _seco_, to cut, because this tiny species of the - animal world is, as it were, cut deeply into three distinct parts: - the head, thorax, and abdomen. - -=Interlaken.= The Swiss village situated “between the lakes” Brienz and - Thun. - -=In the Jug.= Slang for “in prison.” The term is derived from the - Scottish _joug_, a kind of iron yoke or pillory for the head - designed for the punishment of rogues and vagabonds. When at a later - period a round house of stone was set up in the market-place for - such offenders, this earliest prison was popularly called “The Stone - Jug.” - -=In the Nick of Time.= This expression originated in the nicks or - notches made in a piece of wood called a Tally, both as an - acknowledgment of money paid and by way of registering a person’s - arrival at a place of assembly. If, in the latter case, he arrived - late, his tally would not be nicked, as evidence of having put in an - appearance. - -=In the Odour of Sanctity.= The ancient idea was that the bodies of - saints after death emitted a peculiar fragrant odour. This - originated in the profuse employment of incense at the - administration of the last solemn rites of the Viaticum. - -=In the Soup.= An Americanism for “out of the running.” This had - reference originally to the hunting field when a rider was pitched - into a ditch of foul water after leaping a hedge. - -=In the Stone Jug.= See “In the Jug.” - -=In the Straw.= An expression denoting that a woman has been brought to - bed with a child. Straw was the usual stuffing of a bed formerly - among the poorer orders of the people. - -=In the Suds.= An Americanism for being unprepared to receive visitors. - The allusion is to a washerwoman with her hands in the soapsuds. - -=In the Swim.= To be admitted to a certain professional or financial - clique. River fish generally keep together, and an angler’s object - is to get what he calls “in the swim.” By so doing he may hook fish - after fish without difficulty. - -=In the wrong Box.= The origin of this expression is simply this: When - Vauxhall, Cremorne, Ranelagh, Highbury Barn, and similar alfresco - resorts were in existence, they had rows of cosy hutches or boxes - all around for the benefit of those who wished to do their courting - in private, while they could at the same time listen to the music - and see the illuminations. It was no easy matter for anyone to find - his own box again among the many if he left it; consequently on - returning to his partner after sallying forth, he rendered his - presence obnoxious to strangers by suddenly finding himself in the - wrong box. - -=Intrepid Fox.= A historic tavern in Soho named after Charles James Fox, - the great Whig Minister. At the time of the famous election of 1784 - the redoubtable Sammy House, the landlord, served all customers - free, and also entertained several notable Whigs. - -=Invention of the Cross.= The name of this Church festival, 3rd May, - commemorative of the finding of the True Cross by those sent in - quest of it by St Helena, sounds peculiar, but the word “invent” is - really from the Latin _invenire_, to find, discover, come upon. - -=Inverary.= The county town of Argyleshire, “at the mouth of” the River - Aray. - -=Inverness.= Situate at the mouth of the River Ness. - -=Invincibles.= See “Irish Invincibles.” - -=Ionia.= The ancient name of Asia Minor, settled by the _Ionians_, so - called after Ion, the son of Apollo according to Greek fable. - -=Ionic.= The style of architecture so called was peculiar to Ionia in - Greece. The earliest of the Greek philosophers so called too were - all natives of Ionia. - -=Iota.= From the name of the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. - “Jot” is a softened form of this word. - -=Iowa.= Indian for “the sleepy-ones”; applied by the Sioux to the Pahoja - or Graysnow tribe. - -=Ireland.= From _Ierne_, Gaelic for “western isle.” The Greeks, who - heard of it through the Milesians, called this remote land of the - west _Iernis_, and the Romans _Hibernia_. - -=Ireland Yard.= This property in Blackfriars was made over by its owner, - William Ireland, to Shakespeare, as appears in the deed of - conveyance now preserved in the Guildhall Library. - -=Irish Invincibles.= A secret society whose members made it their boast - that they defied extermination. Carey, the informer, openly declared - that their mission was “the making of history by killing tyrants.” - The Phœnix Park murders were the work of the “Invincibles.” - -=Irishman’s Crossing.= An Americanism for the mode of many people - anxious to cut off corners by crossing and recrossing the street, by - which process one’s way is actually made longer. - -=Irish Stew.= So called because among the Irish peasantry the beef is - generally absent, the stew consisting wholly of onions and potatoes. - -=Iron Chancellor.= The sobriquet of Prince Bismarck, Chancellor of the - German Empire, on account of his iron will. - -=Iron City.= Pittsburg, world renowned for its ironworks. - -=Iron Devil.= An inn sign corrupted from “The Hirondelle,” or swallow. - -=Iron Duke.= The Duke of Wellington, distinguished for his unbending - will. - -=Ironmonger Lane.= Where the artificers in iron congregated during the - reign of Edward I. Later they removed into Thames Street. - -=Ironside.= The surname of the Anglo-Saxon king, Edmund II., on account - of the iron armour that he wore as a preservative against - assassination. - -=Ironsides.= The name given to the Cromwellian soldiers on account of - their heavy armour and iron resolution. - -=Irrawaddy.= Hindoo for “the father of waters.” - -=Irving.= The patronymic of the late Sir Henry Irving was Brodribb. When - he went on the stage he took the name of Irving, out of his - admiration of the writings of the American author, Washington - Irving. Half-a-century ago no one ever thought of entering the - dramatic profession under his own name. Now that the stage has - become fashionable actors need no longer be actuated to select a - _nom de theatre_ out of regard to family pride. - -=Irvingites.= The followers of the Rev. Edward Irving, who maintained - the sinfulness of Christ’s nature in common with that of ordinary - mankind. Deposed from his living by the Presbytery of the Church of - Scotland in 1830, he founded the “Apostolic Catholic Church.” - -=Isabel.= The name given to a yellowish brown colour from the - circumstance that at the memorable siege of Ostend in 1601 Isabella, - the wife of the Duke of Austria, vowed she would not change her - linen until the town was taken. Unhappily for her, it held out - nearly three years. Rash vows are always followed by leisurely - repentance. - -=Isis.= From the Celtic _uisg_, water. The word enters into many English - river names, notably the “Thames.” The University of Oxford is - called _Isis_ from the river upon which it stands. - -=Islam.= From the Arabic _islama_, to bend. This term expressed an - entire submission or resignation to the will of God. By the - Mohammedans “Islam” is described as the true faith. - -=Isle of Bourbon.= A French settlement named in compliment to the House - of Bourbon. - -=Isle of Desolation.= When discovered by Captain Cook this island was - utterly devoid of animal life. - -=Isle of Dogs.= A corruption of “Isle of Ducks,” owing to the great - numbers of water-fowl settled on the marshes. In our time it might - well be described as the “Isle of Docks.” - -=Isle of Man.= Properly “Mona Isle,” from the Celtic _mæn_, a stone; - hence “Isle of Rocks.” - -=Isle of St Helena.= Discovered on the Feast of St Helena, 1502. - -=Isleworth.= Expresses a manorial dwelling beside the river. Sion House, - in which Lady Jane Grey resided for a time, was built upon the ruins - of an ancient nunnery. It is now the property of the Duke of - Northumberland, who removed thither the famous lion on the top of - the demolished Northumberland House at Charing Cross. The popular - belief that when this lion heard the clock of St Martin’s Church - strike it would wag its tail and turn round was on a par with that - of the washing of the Tower lions on the first of April. - -=Islington.= The family settlement of the Islings. - -=Is the Ghost walking?= See “Ghost walking.” - -=Italics.= Thin sloping types, altogether different from the older - Roman, first used in an edition of Virgil by Aldo Manuzio, the - celebrated printer of Venice, in 1207. - -=Italy.= The modern form of the Roman description of the country, - _Latium_, or “broad plain.” This resulted in the designation of all - the tribes of the conquered districts as _Latini_, or the _Latins_. - -=Ivan the Terrible.= Ivan IV., son of the founder of the Russian Empire, - who rose to power from the position of Grand Duke of Moscow. This - second Ivan, at the age of fourteen, during the regency of his - mother, had the triumvirate put to death; whereupon he assumed the - title of Czar. His reputation for cruelty soon began to assert - itself. In the space of six weeks he caused to be put to death no - less than 25,000 (some authorities say 60,000) persons at Novogorod, - from the idea that they were plotting to deliver up that city to the - King of Poland. To crown all, in a fit of passion he killed his own - son. - -=Ivory Black.= A pigment originally obtained from calcined ivory, but - now from bone. - -=Ivy Lane.= From the ivy-covered houses of the prebendaries attached to - St Paul’s Cathedral. - - - J - - -=Jackanapes.= Properly “Jack-of-apes,” an impudent fellow who apes the - manners of his social superiors. - -=Jackass.= The male ass. - -=Jack-boots.= When first worn by cavalry these high leather boots were - covered with metal plates as a protection for the leg. The term Jack - is derived from the Norman-French _jacque_, a leathern jerkin worn - over a coat of mail. At a later period the _jacque_ itself was made - sword-proof by metal plates on its under side. - -=Jacket.= Expressed originally the diminutive of the _jacque_--viz. a - short or sleeveless coat of leather. See “Jack-boots.” - -=Jack Ketch.= The name formerly given to the common hangman, after - Richard Jacquett, who owned the manor of Tyburn, where malefactors - were executed previous to 1783. - -=Jack-knife.= The name formerly given to a large folding pocket-knife, - and now used by sailors, in contradistinction to a “Penknife.” See - “Jack Tar.” - -=Jackson.= The name of a river and several towns of the United States, - after General Andrew Jackson, the seventh President. - -=Jack Straw’s Castle.= A noted hostelry at Hampstead, said to have been - built on the spot where Jack Straw, one of the leaders in Wat - Tyler’s insurrection, made his habitation on the hillside. - -=Jack Tar.= A sailor, because he wears tarpaulins in “dirty weather.” - Jack is a generic name for a man or servant. - -=Jacobins.= The French designation of the Black Friars or Dominicans, - from the situation of their earliest convent in the Rue St Jacques, - Paris, 1219. - -=Jacobites.= The Catholic adherents of James II. and his lineal - descendants after the accession to the English throne of William - III. _Jacobus_ was the Latinised form of the King’s name. - -=Jacobus.= The Scottish sovereign, valued at 25s., which became current - in England also at the union of the two crowns in the person of King - James I. - -=Jacquard Loom.= After its inventor, Marie J. Jacquard of Lyons, who - died in 1834. - -=Jacquerie.= The name given to an insurrection of French peasants in - 1358. _Jacques_ is the generic name for a member of the artisan - class in France, owing to the _jacque_, or sleeveless white cotton - jacket, worn by them. The leader of this insurrection called himself - Jacques Bonhomme, being of the artisan class himself. - -=Jag.= An Americanism for drunkenness. The word is employed in a variety - of ways: “He’s got a jag on”--“He’s on a drinking bout”; “He’s on - his jags”--“He knows how it is to have the jags”; “He has the jags - just now,” etc. etc. - -=Jail Bird.= So called because the earliest kind of prison in this - country was an alfresco iron cage. - -=Jailed.= An Americanism for being put in jail, sent to prison. - -=Jalap.= From _Jalapa_ in Mexico, whence the root of this plant was - first brought to Europe for medicinal purposes in 1610. - -=Jamaica.= From the West Indian _Caymaca_, signifying “a country - abounding in springs.” - -=Jamaica Road.= See “Cherry Gardens Pier.” - -=James Bay.= After James I., in whose reign this arm of Hudson’s Bay was - completely explored. - -=James River.= After James I., in the fourth year of whose reign it was - navigated, and the English settlement called Jamestown, thirty-two - miles inland, formed. - -=James Street.= In Covent Garden, in compliment to the Duke of York, - afterwards James II. That on the south side of the Strand received - the Christian name of one of the Brothers Adam, builders of the - Adelphi. - -=Jamestown.= See “James River.” - -=Jamie Duff.= The Scottish designation for a mourner or weeper at a - funeral. So called after an Edinburgh eccentric of this name; - nothing pleased him better than to attend a funeral, perhaps because - he enjoyed the ride in the coach. - -=Jane Hading.= This famous French actress was christened Jeanne, but, - appearing on the stage while she was quite a child, her parents - habitually called her Jane, because, as she has herself explained, - being shorter, it would admit of the family name appearing in larger - letters on the playbill. - -=Janissaries.= A militia of Turkish footguards originally composed of - the sons of Christian subjects, this being the tribute levied upon - the parents for allowing them to live in peace and safety. The - native term is _Jeniaskari_, new soldier. - -=Janitor.= The American description of a caretaker or doorkeeper. This - term has long been obsolete in England; it was derived from the - Latin _janua_, door. - -=Jansenists.= A religious sect headed by Cornelius Jansen, Bishop of - Ypres, France, early in the seventeenth century. - -=January.= Called by the Romans _Januarius_, after Janus, the sun god, - who presided over the beginnings of things. In the temple of Janus - the figure of this god had two faces: one supposed to look on the - past, the other on the future. - -=Japan.= A Western corruption, through the Portuguese _Gepuen_, of the - native name _Niphon_, or “land of the rising sun.” The brilliant - black varnish called “Japan” was first made by the people of the Far - East. - -=Jarvey.= A cabman or car driver, so called after the name of a hackney - coach driver who was hanged. - -=Jaunting Car.= The characteristic light vehicle in Ireland in which the - people enjoy a jaunt or excursion. English folk newly arrived in the - Emerald Isle do not always appreciate it. See “Hold hard.” - -=Java.= A Malay word meaning “the land of nutmegs.” - -=Jayhawker State.= Kansas, from the nickname borne by the soldiers of - Colonel Jennison of New York, who, being a jovial fellow, was called - a “Gay Yorker,” afterwards corrupted into “Jayhawker.” The people of - this state in process of time came to be styled “Jayhawkers.” - -=Jedburgh.= A royal burgh situate at the confluence of the Rivers Tefy - and Jed. The ancient form of justice meted out here of hanging a man - first and trying him afterwards is frequently alluded to as - “Jedwood” or “Jeddart” justice. - -=Jefferson.= The name of a river, a city, and a mount in the United - States, after Thomas Jefferson, the third President. - -=Jeffreys Street.= After one of the family names of the Earl of - Brecknock, Marquis of Camden, the ground landlord. - -=Jehu.= A cabman, in allusion to Jehu, the son of Nimshi, who, we are - told in 2 Kings ix. 20, drove furiously. - -=Jeremiad.= A tale of woe, a doleful story. So called after the Prophet - Jeremiah, who wrote the “Book of Lamentations.” - -=Jerked Meat.= Dried meat, more particularly beef dried in the open air. - The term is derived from the Chilian _charqui_, applied to dried - beef throughout Spanish America. - -=Jerkin.= Expresses the diminutive of the Dutch _jurk_, coat, frock; - hence a short coat or jacket. - -=Jermyn Street.= From the town house of Henry Jermyn, Earl of St Albans. - -=Jerry Builder.= A speculative builder who runs up whole streets of - houses as cheaply as possible in order to sell them. The word - “Jerry,” derived from the French _jour_, day, is a corruption of - _joury_, meaning temporary, unsubstantial. - -=Jersey.= From Czar’s-ey, or “Cæsar’s Isle,” so called by the Romans in - honour of Julius Cæsar. The close-fitting rowing shirt and female - bodice received the name of a Jersey because it was first worn by - the inhabitants of this isle. - -=Jersey Lily.= The punning pet name of Mrs Langtry, when, as a society - star, she first adopted the stage as a profession. Her Christian - name is Lillie, and she was born in Jersey. - -=Jerusalem.= Expresses the Hebrew for “habitation of peace.” - -=Jerusalem Artichoke.= A corruption of “Girasole Artichoke,” from the - resemblance of the leaf and stem of this flower to the “Girasole,” - or sunflower. - -=Jerusalem Chamber.= This apartment of Westminster Abbey, in which Henry - IV. died, received its name from the pictures of the Holy Land, in - connection with the Crusades, that adorned its walls. - -=Jesuits.= The members of a powerful missionary order styled “The - Society of Jesus” which was founded in 1534 by Ignatius Loyola, on a - military basis, having himself been a soldier. - -=Jesuits’ Bark.= Another name for the Peruvian or Cinchona Bark, because - discovered by the Jesuit missionaries in Peru. - -=Jewin Street.= The ancient burying ground of the Jews while they were - permitted to reside within the city walls--viz. in the Old Jewry. - The suffix _in_ is a corrupt form of the Anglo-Saxon _en_, - expressing the plural, as in Clerken or clerks’ well. - -=Jewry Street.= All that remains of the old name given collectively to - the Jewish quarter of London after this oppressed race had been - driven eastward of the city proper. This street was the Jews’ later - burial ground. The suffix _ry_ denotes a place or district. - -=Jews’ Harp.= A corruption of “Jaws’ Harp,” because it is held between - the teeth. - -=Jezebel.= A daring, vicious woman, so called after the wife of Ahab, - King of Israel. - -=Jig.= From the French _gigue_, a lively dance, and the Italian _giga_, - a romp. - -=Jilt.= From the Scottish _gillet_, a giddy young woman. This word - expressed the diminutive of Jill or Julia, a name used in a - contemptuous sense after Julia, the daughter of Augustus Cæsar, who - disgraced herself by her dissolute conduct. - -=Jimmy.= A crowbar used by house burglars. The word is not so much - thieves’ slang as a corruption of _Jenny_, expressing the diminutive - of gin or engine, the general term formerly for a machine or - mechanical appliance. - -=Jimpson Weed.= Properly “Jamestown Weed,” from the place in Virginia - where it was introduced. - -=Jingo.= See “By Jingo.” - -=Jingoes.= The British war party during the Russo-Turkish struggle of - 1877-8, when there was grave likelihood of this country interfering. - The term became popular through the refrain in G. H. Macdermott’s - famous song: - - “We don’t want to fight, but, by Jingo, if we do, - We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the money too.” - - For a time the Jingo Party was in the ascendant. - -=Joachims-Thaler.= See “Thaler.” - -=Jockey.= The diminutive of Jock, which is the Scottish form of Jack or - John, expressive of a servant. The first jockeys engaged in horse - racing were boys, on account of their light weight; hence the term. - -=Joe Miller.= A stale joke, corresponding to the modern “Chestnut.” Joe - Miller was a witty comedian whose sayings were compiled by John - Mottley in the reign of James II. Until about a hundred years ago - this was the only book of jests extant, and everyone who wished to - “set the table in a roar” freely drew upon it. - -=Joey.= The popular nickname of Mr Joseph Chamberlain, of Fiscal Policy - fame. - -=Johannis.= From Johannisberg, near Wiesbaden. This name is literally - “John’s Rock,” on which stands the famous castle. - -=John Audley.= An old showman’s phrase, which still obtains in what is - called a portable theatre. As soon as a sufficient crowd for another - “house” has collected outside, the money-taker, or the showman - himself, calls out at the door “John Audley!” (originally it was the - question “Is John Audley here?”) as a hint to the performers to - finish quickly and dismiss the audience. This, it is said, was the - invention of Shorter, the comedian, while he was playing in booths - at country fairs. - -=John Bull.= The Representative Englishman, bluff, long-suffering, and - open-hearted. This national nickname was derived from a satire of - the same title published by Dr John Arbuthnot in 1721. - -=John Carpenter Street.= After the founder of the City of London School, - which occupies one side of this modern thoroughfare, having been - removed hither from Bow Lane in 1882. John Carpenter was town clerk - of the city of London in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. - -=John Chinaman.= Ever since the outbreak of the gold fever in California - a Chinaman in that part of the United States has been addressed as - “John,” the Transatlantic generic name for a man-servant, - corresponding to the old English Jack. - -=John Doe and Richard Roe.= Fictitious names, which prior to 1852, when - they were abolished, appeared in every legal process of ejectment in - place of the names of the real parties. - -=John Dory.= The name of this fish is a corruption of the French - _Jaune-dorée_, yellow, golden, relative to the colour. - -=Johnnies.= Overdressed, empty-pated scions of good families who spent - their surplus cash upon burlesque actresses, and hung about for them - at the stage door when the “sacred lamp of burlesque” burned - brightly at the Gaiety Theatre. Since “Jack” was the generic name - for a man or servant, so one distinguished for the possession of - more money than brains was, and is still, dubbed a “Johnnie.” - -=John of Gaunt.= Properly of Ghent, his birthplace, in Flanders. - -=John o’ Groat’s House.= Formerly the most northern habitation on the - mainland of Scotland, said to have been that of Johnny Groat, for - the accommodation of travellers who wished to cross the ferry to the - Orkney Isles. Its site may now be recognised by a green knoll. - -=Johnson’s Court.= Although the great lexocographer, Dr Johnson, spent - ten years of his life in this Fleet Street court, it was not named - after him, but after another Johnson, whose property it was, and who - also resided in it. - -=John Street.= In the Adelphi, after the Christian name of one of the - brothers Adam. In Piccadilly, after one of the family names of the - Berkeleys, the ground landlords. - -=Joiner.= The provincial term for one who in London is called a - “Carpenter.” Literally a joiner of wooden building materials. - -=Joint Ring.= Another name for a “Gimnal Ring.” - -=Joint-Stock Company.= So called because the stock is vested jointly in - many persons. - -=Jonathan’s.= The original name of the Stock Exchange, after a - coffee-house keeper whose house was the rendezvous of the earliest - dealers in stock. - -=Jollies.= The sailors’ nickname for the Marines, because they are about - as useful to a ship as the “Jolly Boat” which floats behind it. - -=Jolly Boat.= A corruption of “Jawl boat,” from the Danish _jolle_, a - small boat. - -=Jordan.= Expresses the Hebrew for “the flowing.” - -=Journeyman.= An artisan who hires himself out to labour, conformly to - the French _jour_, day, a day labourer. - -=Juan Fernandez.= After the navigator, who discovered it in 1567. On - this isle Alexander Selkirk was the sole inhabitant from September - 1704 until February 1707. Daniel Defoe made this adventurer the hero - of his celebrated story “Robinson Crusoe.” - -=Jubilee Plunger.= The sobriquet of Ernest Benzon, who lost £250,000 on - the turf in two years after embarking upon his betting career in - 1887, the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria’s reign. - -=Judd Street.= The property of Sir Andrew Judd, Lord Mayor of London in - 1551. By his will he bequeathed it to the endowment of a school at - Tonbridge, his native place. - -=Judges’ Walk.= So called because a number of judges and barristers of - the King’s Bench made themselves temporary habitations in tents on - this breezy height of Hampstead during the Great Plague. - -=Jug.= Thieves’ slang for prison. See “In the Jug.” - -=Juggins.= A fool, a reckless fellow, so called after a noted character - of this name, who about twenty years ago squandered his whole - fortune by reckless betting on the turf. - -=Juggler.= From the French _jougleur_, a jester or miscellaneous - entertainer who was the invariable companion of a troubadour during - the Middle Ages. - -=Julep.= An American spirituous beverage, also a preparation to make - medicines less nauseous. The word is derived from the Arabic - _julab_, rose-water. - -=July.= In honour of Julius Cæsar, who was born in this month. - -=Jump a Claim.= A Far West expression meaning to deprive another of his - lawful claim; literally to jump into his diggings and take - possession. - -=Jump on it with both Feet.= The Transatlantic mode of saying “I’ll - denounce it to the utmost of my power.” - -=Jump the Game.= An Americanism for running away from one’s creditors. - -=June.= The sixth month of the year; that of growth, agreeably to the - Latin _juvenis_, young. The Romans dedicated it to the “Juniores,” - or young soldiers of the State. - -=Jungfrau.= Two reasons are assigned for the name (German, “The Maiden”) - given to this, one of the highest peaks of the Bernese Alps. - Firstly, because of the unsullied purity and dazzling whiteness of - the snow with which it is eternally clad; secondly, owing to the - fact that, its summit being inaccessible, no man has ever conquered - or ravished this mountain maiden. - -=Junk.= A seaman’s term for rope ends and also the salt beef served out - on board ship. The word is derived from the Latin _Juncus_, a - bulrush, out of which ropes were anciently made. In the second sense - of the term the toughness of the meat is sarcastically implied. - -=Jury.= From the Latin _jurare_, to swear. - -=Jury Mast.= Properly “Joury Mast,” from the French _jour_, day, because - it is only a temporary mast put up to replace one carried away by - stress of weather. - -=Justice is Blind.= An expression derived from the allegorical - representation of Justice, who, holding the scales, is blindfolded. - See “Scales of Justice.” This really had its origin in the custom of - the ancient Egyptians, who conducted their trials in a darkened - chamber, in order that the prisoner, the pleader, and the witnesses - being alike unseen, the judges could not be moved to undue sympathy, - and their judgment might be the more impartial. - -=Justice Walk.= In this portion of Chelsea resided a London magistrate - whose name has not been handed down to posterity. - -=Juteopolis.= The name given to Dundee on account of its staple - industry. - -=Jutland.= The land of the Jutes. - -=Juveniles.= In theatrical parlance the lovers’ parts. The principal - stage lover’s part, such as _Romeo_, is called the “juvenile lead.” - Other young men’s parts, that do not call for love making on the - stage, are styled “walking gentlemen.” - - - K - - -=Kaaba.= The stone building inside the great Mosque at Mecca; said to - have been erected over the spot where Adam first worshipped after - his expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The name is Arabic for - “square house.” - -=Kaffraria.= The country of the Kaffirs or “unbelievers,” from the - Mohammedan standpoint. This term was applied not only to the natives - south of Abyssinia and the desert regions of Africa, but also to the - people of a country in Central Asia east of the Hindu Cush known - accordingly as Kafiristan. _Kaifer_ is Arabic for “infidel,” and the - suffix _stan_ expresses the Persian for “country.” - -=Kailyard.= Scottish for cabbage garden. - -=Kaisar.= The German form of the title of the Roman Emperors, “Cæsar.” - -=Kalmucks.= A Western corruption of the native _Khalmick_, or - “Apostates,” the name given to this large family of the Mongolian - race because they rejected the doctrines of Buddha. It was these - Kalmucks who, under the name of “Huns,” descended upon Europe in the - fourth century. - -=Kamptulicon.= From the Greek _Kampto_, to bend. - -=Kansas.= The Indian name for the river, signifying “smoky water”; - afterwards applied also to the state. - -=Keble College.= A memorial college at Oxford of the Rev. John Keble, - author of “The Christian Year,” whose death took place in 1866. - -=Keelhaul.= To haul under the keel of a vessel from stem to stern by - means of ropes on either side. This was the most dreaded, because - the most dangerous, punishment meted out to seamen or apprentices by - tyrannical captains in former times. Readers of Captain Marryat’s - “Snarleyyow, or the Dog Fiend” will recollect what that meant to the - hapless victim. - -=Keeping Crispin.= An old phrase for the shoemakers’ annual holiday on - the Feast of St Crispin, their patron saint, 25th October. In some - parts of the country we hear of it in connection with what passes - elsewhere under the name of “Cobblers’ Monday.” - -=Keep it Dark.= The reference was originally to treasure kept in a place - of concealment. - -=Keep on Pegging at it.= See “Peg Away.” - -=Keep the Ball Rolling.= An expression derived from the game of Bandy, - in which the two sets of players, armed with hooked sticks, - continually sent the ball rolling to opposite goals. - -=Keep the Pot Boiling.= The antithesis of a hand-to-mouth existence; - meaning the command not only of something for the stock pot but also - needful fuel. - -=Keep the Wolf from the Door.= By paying one’s way others will prosper - likewise, and ravenous creditors clamouring at the door for their - just demands will be non-existent. The wolf is represented by a - greedy landlord hungering for his rent, or, failing that, the - household goods. - -=Keep your Nose to the Grindstone.= To continue hard at work without - cessation. If a tool is not held close to the grindstone the stone - will go round all the same, but the tool does not get sharpened. So - a man may loiter over his work, but the actual accomplishment is - nil. - -=Keep your Pecker up.= Have courage, and hold your head erect. _Pecker_ - is slang for the mouth, in allusion to fowls which peck their - food--in other words, they strike at it with the _beak_. - -=Keep your Weather Eye open.= Be on a sharp look-out in the right - direction. A sailor looks towards the wind in order to forecast the - weather. - -=Kendal.= Expresses the dale of the River Ken. - -=Kendal Green.= Green cloth made at Kendal in Westmoreland, for which - this town was long famous. The cloths produced here still bear the - name of “Kendals.” - -=Kennington.= The town which grew up in the king’s meadow. Henry VIII. - had a rural retreat erected here. - -=Kensington.= Described in Anglo-Saxon records as _Kynsington_, or - king’s meadow town. - -=Kensington Gore.= After Gore House, the residence of the Countess of - Blessington, that occupied part of the site of the Royal Albert - Hall. - -=Kent.= Called by the Romans Cæsar Cantium after the _Cantii_, who - peopled this _Kenn_, headland or corner, of Albion’s Isle. - -=Kentish Fire.= The name given to rapturous volleys of cheers, such as - that which distinguished the Kentish men when they applauded the “No - Popery” orators in 1828-9. - -=Kentish Man.= A native of the county of Kent, west of the Medway. - -=Kentish Town.= A corruption of “Kantelowes Town,” built upon the manor - of the same name. The modern spelling of this family name is - “Cantlowes,” which is that given to a street on the south side of - Camden Road. - -=Kent Street.= Leads out of London to the great Kentish highway to - Dover. At one time the landlords in this street took away the front - doors of tenants who were more than a fortnight in arrears of paying - their rent. This, styled a “Kent Street Ejectment,” was found - effectual in getting rid of unprofitable tenants. - -=Kentucky.= Indian for “long river.” - -=Keppel Street.= From the “Admiral Keppel” at the corner of this street - and Fulham Road. - -=Kerchief.= See “Handkerchief.” - -=Kersey.= From Kersey, in Suffolk, once famed for its woollen - manufacture. - -=Kettledrum.= A rounded drum, so called from its shape; also the name - given to a tea party, both on account of the noise made by the - guests, and because the hostess metaphorically beats them up at the - time of sending out her invitations. See “Drum.” - -=Kettle of Fish.= See “Pretty Kettle of Fish.” - -=Kew.= Styled in ancient documents Kay-hoo, meaning a quay on a _hoo_ or - _oe_, which expressed the Danish for an island; also a spit of land - at the mouth of a river or creek. - -=Keystone State.= Pennsylvania, geographically considered as seventh - among the thirteen original states of the Union. - -=Khaki.= Expresses the Hindoo for “colour of cow dung.” This term came - into prominence during the South African War, when all British - uniforms were made of materials of this hue, so as to make our - troops less conspicuous to the enemy. - -=Khan.= Expresses the Persian, from a Tartar word, for a lord or prince. - -=Khedive.= From the Persian _khidiw_, a king. In the Turkish _khadiv_ - the title expresses a ruler one grade removed from a Sultan. - -=Kicker.= An Americanism for one who at a public meeting objects to a - proposal. - -=Kick the Bucket.= An expression derived from the primitive mode of a - man hanging himself by standing on a bucket, and then kicking it - aside. The “drop” in this case could not have been a long one. - -=Kidnap.= Not only is this word accepted English in the absence of a - more refined equivalent, but it is also made to do service in the - case of an adult taken away against his will. Kid, of course, - expresses a young goat, and is slang for a child. The second portion - of the term is likewise slang, from _nab_, to steal. - -=Kidney Bean.= The coarse bean shaped like a kidney. - -=Kiel.= From the Danish _keol_, a ship. - -=Kilbride.= The church of St Bride or Bridget. - -=Kilburn.= Expresses the _kil_, or cell, of “one Godwynne, a holy - hermit,” beside the _bourn_, or brook. - -=Kildare.= From the Celtic _kildara_, the cell or hermitage among the - oaks. A monastery was founded here by St Bridget towards the close - of the fifth century. - -=Kilkenny.= The _kil_, or church, of St Kenny or Canice in connection - with the ancient abbey dedicated to St John. - -=Killarney.= A corruption of “Killeaney,” from the church of the - Dominican monastery on the banks of the River Leane. - -=Kindergarten.= Expresses the German for a children’s garden or - playground. The system of juvenile education so called aims at - self-tuition by means of toys and games. - -=Kinetoscope.= The name originally given to our modern “living - pictures,” from the Greek _kinetikos_, “putting in motion.” See - “Mutoscope.” - -=King Charles Spaniel.= The small species of “Spaniel” which was such a - favourite with Charles I. - -=King Edward’s Grammar School.= A superior academical institution - founded and endowed for the tuition of Latin and Greek grammar by - Edward VI. - -=King Edward Street.= After Edward VI., the “Boy King,” founder of - Christ’s Hospital, or Blue Coat Grammar School, hard by. - -=Kingfisher.= The king of fisher birds that dive into water for their - prey, so called on account of its gay plumage. - -=King James’s Bible.= The Authorised Version ordered to be prepared and - given to the people by James I. - -=King-maker.= Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, so called because he was - instrumental in placing both Edward IV. on the Yorkist and Henry VI. - on the Lancastrian side on the throne after espousing their - individual cause. - -=King of Bath.= The sobriquet of Richard Nash, also known as Beau Nash, - who for more than half-a-century was Master of Ceremonies at the - fashionable Assembly Rooms of Bath. - -=King’s Arms.= An inn sign, originally representing the counterfeit - presentment or royal arms of an individual sovereign, but now a mere - name, which must have done duty alike in honouring a long line of - monarchs. - -=King’s Bench.= Anciently the superior Court of Law presided over by the - King in person, when he sat on an oaken bench. Wherever he went in - state this Court followed him. Judges and magistrates are still said - to occupy the Bench. - -=King’s College.= At Cambridge, founded in 1441 by Henry VI. In London, - the foundation by a royal charter of George IV. in 1828. - -=King’s County.= In honour of Philip of Spain, the husband of Queen - Mary. The original name was Ossaly. - -=King’s Cross.= So called from a statue of George IV. set up here at the - accession of that monarch, and taken down in 1842 to make way for - the Great Northern Railway terminus. It is highly probable that an - ancient cross stood on the same spot, since, quite apart from the - fact that Queen Boadicea was defeated by the Romans at Battle Bridge - hereabouts, it was in this neighbourhood too that King Alfred waged - a sanguinary conflict with the Danes. - -=King’s Evil.= The name given to scrofula, from the old superstitious - idea that it could be cured by the touch of a king or queen. - -=Kingsgate Street.= So called from the gate through which James I. - passed across the meadows to Theobalds in Hertfordshire, his - favourite hunting seat. - -=King’s Head.= See “King’s Arms.” - -=Kingsland.= This district marked the southern limits of the ancient - royal domain of Enfield Chase. - -=King’s Lynn.= Anciently called “Lynn Episcopi,” being the property of - the Bishop of Norwich. At the dissolution of the monasteries Henry - VIII. sequestered this estate, and gave the town the name of Lynn - Regis, or King’s Lynn. The word _Lynn_ is Celtic for “pool.” - -=King’s Own Men.= The 78th Foot, so called from their Gaelic motto: - “Cuidichr Rhi” (Help the King). - -=King’s Road.= In compliment to Charles II., who caused this highway - between Chelsea and Fulham Palace to be made passable. - -=Kingston.= The capital of Jamaica, after William III., in whose reign - (1693) it was founded. - -=Kingston-on-Thames.= From the ancient stone on which seven of the - Anglo-Saxon kings were crowned. This interesting relic is now - enclosed with iron railings near the Town Hall. - -=Kingstown.= Originally “Dunleary,” the name was changed in honour of - the visit of George IV. in September 1821. - -=King Street.= That in Covent Garden, after Charles I., in whose reign - it was laid out. In St James’s, after James I. In Cheapside, in - honour of Henry IV., who passed down it to open the new Guildhall. - At Westminster, because this was the direct road between the Court - and the Abbey. - -=Kingsway.= The name given by the London County Council to the new - thoroughfare from Holborn to the Strand opened by King Edward VII. - in 1905. - -=King William Street.= In the city, after William IV., who performed the - inaugural ceremony of declaring the London Bridge open for traffic, - 1st August 1831. The street of the same name west of the Strand was - newly laid out in his reign as a direct thoroughfare to Leicester - Square. - -=Kirkcudbright.= Expresses the Celtic for “the Church of St Cuthbert.” - -=Kirkdale.= The church in the dale or vale of Pickering. - -=Kirke’s Lambs.= The nickname bestowed upon the 2nd Foot, under the - command of Captain Kirke, during the “Bloody Assizes,” and having - for their badge the Paschal Lamb. - -=Kirschwasser.= German for “Cherry Water,” this beverage being distilled - from the juice of the black cherry. - -=Kiss-me-Quick.= The name of a small bonnet popular in England midway - during the last century. Though of the “coal scuttle” pattern it did - not extend beyond the face, and was chiefly worn by ladies going to - parties or the play. - -=Kiss the Place and make it better.= The expression, commonly employed - by mothers and nurses to pacify children when they have hurt - themselves, is a survival of the days of the sorcerers, who - pretended to cure a disease by sucking the affected part. - -=Kiss the Scavenger’s Daughter.= See “Scavenger’s Daughter.” - -=Kit.= A soldier’s outfit, which he carries on his person when on the - march. The name is derived from the Dutch _kitte_, a wooden beer-can - strapped on the soldier’s belt. - -=Kit-Cat.= The name given by artists to a three-quarter length portrait, - and also to a canvas measuring 28 by 36 inches, in allusion to the - portraits of uniform size, and all painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller, - to suit the dimensions of the apartments occupied by the famous - Kit-Cat Club. This club was long held at the house of a pastrycook - called Christopher Cat in Shire Lane, Fleet Street (now Serle’s - Place), after whom, familiarly styled “Kit-Cat,” it took its name. - His own mutton pies were the staple refreshment, from which - circumstance such pies were until quite modern times also called - “Kit-Cats.” - -=Kleptomania.= The name given to an impulsive desire to steal or - appropriate that which is ready to hand; so called from the Greek - _kleptes_, thief, and _mania_, madness. - -=Knacker.= From the Icelandic _knakkr_, a saddle; hence a dealer in and - slaughterer of old horses. - -=Knapsack.= From the Dutch and German _knappen_, to bite or chew, and - _zak_, a sack. Like the original German and Dutch forms of this - receptacle for a soldier’s necessaries on the march, the Swiss still - carry a bag made of goatskin. - -=Knave.= From the German _knabe_, a boy. The tricks peculiar to a boy no - doubt caused this term to be applied to a deceitful or otherwise - reprehensible fellow. The knave in a pack of cards represents, of - course, the knight or servant to the king and queen. - -=Knife-board.= The advertisement-board on either side of an omnibus - roof, so called on account of its fancied resemblance to the - domestic knife-sharpener. On the old-fashioned omnibuses the roof - passengers sat back to back, with their feet touching the - “knife-board,” and it was facetiously said they thereon sharpened - their wits. - -=Knife and Fork Tea.= See “High Tea.” - -=Knight.= From the Saxon _knicht_, a servant, which is the origin also - of the modern German _knecht_, a man-servant. - -=Knight Bachelor.= One who in the days of chivalry forswore marriage - until he had performed some feat of valour, and so merited renown. - -=Knight Banneret.= A knight hastily created on the field of battle in - recognition of signal bravery. This was done by tearing off a - streamer from a banner and handing it to him as a token of - investiture. - -=Knight Errant.= One who went forth in quest of adventures, more - particularly to win the admiration of fair ladies, by rescuing them, - in common with the weak and oppressed, from the feudal lords whose - rapacity in those barbarous ages knew no bounds. The word _errant_, - like its modern equivalent _errand_, was derived from the Latin - _errare_, to wander. It was in ridicule of this system of - knight-errantry that Cervantes wrote his immortal romance “Don - Quixote.” - -=Knight of the Yard Stick.= An Americanism for a draper’s assistant or a - retail dry-goods salesman; what in England people often style a - “Counter Jumper.” - -=Knightrider Street.= The place of assembling of the knights of old on - their way in procession to the Smithfield tournaments. - -=Knightsbridge.= Tradition has it that two knights who went to receive a - blessing from the Bishop of London at Fulham Palace suddenly - quarrelled, and fought a deadly combat on the bridge which anciently - spanned the Westbourne where now stands Albert Gate. A public-house - close by, demolished within the last three years, bore the sign of - “The Fulham Bridge.” - -=Knights Hospitallers.= The Second Order of Knights of the Crusades, who - founded and protected the hospital at Jerusalem for the - accommodation of pilgrims to the Holy Places. When at a later period - they erected a larger hospital in connection with the church - dedicated to St John the Baptist, they assumed the title of “Knights - of St John of Jerusalem.” - -=Knights of Malta.= The Knights Hospitallers who, having taken Rhode - Island, were at length expelled therefrom by the Turks, and took up - their establishment permanently at Malta. - -=Knights of St John of Jerusalem.= See “Knights Hospitallers.” - -=Knights of the Road.= Highwaymen, who were always good horsemen. - -=Knights Templars.= The military Order of Knights of the Crusades, - styled “Soldiers of the Temple.” Their aim was to wrest the Holy - Sepulchre from the hands of the Saracens, and maintain it through - futurity. - -=Knights Teutonic.= An independent Order of Knights of the Crusades - composed of nobles from the cities of Bremen and Lubeck for the - protection of German pilgrims to the Holy Land. - -=Knickerbockers.= The people of the city of New York. When Washington - Irving wrote his “History of New York” he assumed the name of - Diedrich Knickerbocker, in allusion to the wide breeches worn by the - early settlers of the colony, then called by them New Amsterdam; - hence the application of the term “Knickerbockers” to knee-breeches - generally. New York is known as “The Knickerbocker City.” - -=Knocked into a Cocked Hat.= Prostrated or completely flattened out like - a cocked hat, which, as its name implies, could be cocked or carried - under the arm. - -=Know-nothings.= A secret society in the United States pledged to the - checking of foreign immigration and political influence by - foreigners which came into existence about the year 1848, and - finally split upon the slavery question in 1860. When asked what its - party or political aims were, all the members merely replied: “I - don’t know; I know nothing.” - -=Knows the Ropes.= Said of one who thoroughly understands his calling. A - naval phrase, since a sailor must know all the ropes belonging to - his ship. - -=K’nucks.= In Canada the name given to French Canadians; elsewhere to - Canadians generally. It has been stated on the authority of an - intelligent French Canadian, by way of accounting for the origin of - this term, that “the word ‘Cannuck’ is a corruption of ‘Connaught,’ - the name we usually apply to the Irish, who are mostly emigrants - from that province of Ireland.” - -=Kohinoor.= A famous diamond which came into the possession of Queen - Victoria on the annexation of the Punjaub in 1849. Its name - expresses the Hindoo for “Mountain of Light.” - -=Kolis.= The nickname of the 51st King’s Own Light Infantry, from the - initials of their regimental name. - -=Koordistan.= Pursuant to the Persian _stan_, the country of the Koords, - “fierce, strong.” - -=Kopeck.= A Russian copper coin of the value of three-eights of an - English penny. So called from _kopye_, the native term for a lance, - because this coin originally had upon it the representation of a - lancer on horseback. - -=Kops Ale.= A non-alcoholic ale brewed from the best Kentish hops, and - not to be distinguished by appearances from the intoxicant. The name - was chosen as a near approach to Hops Ale. - -=Koran.= Properly _Al Koran_, Arabic for “the book,” “the reading,” or - “the thing to be read.” - -=Koumiss.= A Mongolian term for an intoxicating beverage made by the - Kalmucks from camels’ or mares’ milk by fermentation and - distillation. “Koumiss” is the popular Russian beverage. - -=Kraal.= The Kaffir term for a collection of huts shaped like a beehive - and arranged in circular form, a native South African village. - -=Kremlin.= The citadel of Moscow, so called from the Russian _krem_, a - fortress. - -=Krems White.= A pigment extensively produced at Krems in Austria. - -=Kreuzer.= A copper coin of Germany conspicuous for a _kreuz_, or cross, - on its reverse side. Its value was the sixtieth part of a gulden or - florin. - -=Krupp Gun.= After its inventor, and made at the famous Krupp Steel - works at Essen in Germany. - -=Kümmel.= The German name for a beverage, expressive of “Carraway,” from - the seeds of which it is made. - -=Kummerbund.= A Hindoo term for waistband. It became current in England - two or three years ago during the excessively hot weather, when - waistcoats were discarded, and the trouser tops concealed by a - brilliant blue or scarlet sash. - -=Kurdistan.= See “Koordistan.” - -=Kursaal.= A place of entertainment at Southend-on-Sea. The name is - German, literally “Cure-hall,” expressive of the public - assembly-room at a “Kurhaus,” or hydropathic establishment, - corresponding to the pump-room at a west of England health resort. - -=Kyrle Society.= A modern society having for its aims the improvement of - the homes of the poorer orders. It originated with the Misses M. and - O. Hill in 1875, and was formally inaugurated by Prince Leopold a - couple of years later. The title of the society was derived from - John Kyrle of Ross, Herefordshire, whose artistic tastes and - benevolent disposition contributed to the happiness and well-being - of the people on his estate and all the country round about. - - - L - - -=Labadists.= A sect of Protestant mystics founded in the seventeenth - century by Jean Labadic of Bourg, Germany. - -=La Belle Sauvage Yard.= The yard of the famous coaching inn of the same - name. The history of this sign was curious. Kept by Isabelle Savage, - it bore the name of “The Bel Savage”; but its sign was a bell - suspended within an iron hoop at the top of the usual “Ale Stake.” - Hence its proper name was “The Bell in the Hoop.” When in the year - 1616 John Rolfe brought his Virginian bride Pocohontas to London, - the story of his remarkable adventures had anticipated his arrival, - and people spoke of this Indian heroine as “La Belle Sauvage.” It - was odd that these strangers within our gates should put up at the - “Bell Savage,” and the association resulted in the change of title - on their account. - -=Labrador.= Called by the Portuguese navigators _Tierra Labrador_, - “cultivatable land.” - -=Lackland.= The surname of King John, who, owing to his thriftlessness, - was left entirely without provision at the death of his father, - Henry II. - -=Laconics.= Terse and pithy replies, so called from the Lacons, which - was the name applied to the Spartans, from the country whence they - came. When Philip of Macedon sent this message to the Spartan - magistrates: “If I enter Laconia I will level Lacedæmon to the - ground,” the reply was briefly: “If.” - -=Lacrosse.= This name was given to the game by Charlevoix, who, seeing - it played by some Alonquin Indians with a stick between Quebec and - Three Rivers, called it _le jeu de la Crosse_. - -=Ladbroke Grove.= This, with the square of the same name, was built upon - by the Ladbroke family, who acquired the lease of the land for the - purpose. - -=Lad Lane.= A name frequently met with in connection with the old - coaching inn, “The Swan with Two Necks.” It was a corruption of “Our - Lady Lane,” so called from a statue of the Virgin. - -=Ladrones.= Expresses the Spanish for “thieves,” the name given to those - islands by Magellan because the natives made off with the stores he - had landed. - -=Ladybird.= A pretty species of beetle resembling a bug, and anciently - called “Our Lady’s Bug.” _Bug_ is the accepted American term for a - beetle. - -=Lady Day.= The Feast of Our Lady, otherwise of the Annunciation to the - Virgin (25th March). Prior to 1752 this was also the first day of - the New Year; now it figures as Quarter Day, when rents and taxes - have to be paid. - -=Lady Freemason.= The Hon. Elizabeth St Leger, niece of Sir Anthony St - Leger, who founded the stakes named after him at Doncaster Races, - and daughter of Lord Doneraile of Dublin. Chancing to overhear the - proceedings at a Lodge held at her father’s mansion she was - discovered, and, as the only way out of an unprecedented dilemma, - initiated to the craft. No other female has ever been made a - “Freemason.” - -=Lager Beer.= The German “lager bier” is simply stock beer, the liquor - being kept in a _lager_, or cellar, until it is sufficiently ripened - for consumption. All over the United States the demand for “Lager” - is enormous. - -=Laid on the Shelf.= A phrase implying that one’s period of usefulness - has been passed. The allusion is to books read and clothes laid - aside as of no further use. - -=Laid up in Lavender.= Something put away very carefully, as a good - housewife preserves linen strewn with lavender in a press against - moths. At times we hear the expression allusive to an article put in - pawn. - -=Lake Erie.= See “Erie.” - -=Lake Huron.= See “Huron.” - -=Lake Ontario.= See “Ontario.” - -=Lake School of Poets.= A term applied by _The Edinburgh Review_ to the - imitators of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey, who communed with - Nature in the Lake District of Cumberland and Westmoreland. - -=Lake Superior.= The uppermost and principal of the five great lakes of - North America. - -=Lake Winnipeg.= See “Winnipeg.” - -=La Marseillaise.= See “Marseillaise.” - -=Lambeth.= A corruption of “Lamhithe,” the Anglo-Saxon for mud haven, or - a muddy landing-place. - -=Lambeth Palace.= The historic residence of the Archbishops of - Canterbury. - -=Lamb’s Conduit Street.= After William Lambe, a wealthy clothworker, who - at his own cost built “a faire conduit and standard” in the fields - here off Holborn in 1577. - -=Lamb’s Wool.= A rural beverage of roasted apple juice and spiced ale. - It received its name from the Saxon _La Mæs Ubhal_, or “Feast of the - Apple Gathering.” From _lammas ool_ its further corruption was easy. - -=Lame Duck.= The name given to a member of the Stock Exchange who cannot - meet his liabilities on settling day. Instead of walking erect, like - a man of strict integrity, he ducks his head, and waddles off, well - knowing that he has been black-boarded and struck off the list of - members. - -=Lammas Day.= The ancient name for the first of August, when every - parishioner brought to church a loaf made of new wheat. The name - expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “loaf mass,” and the bread was a gift - of first-fruits to the clergy. Its modern equivalent is the “Harvest - Festival.” - -=Lamp-black.= So called because this pigment was at first obtained by - burning resinous matter over the flame of a lamp. - -=Lancaster.= The Roman _Lunecastra_, or fortified camp on the Lune. - -=Lancaster Gun.= After the name of its inventor. - -=Lancastrians.= During the Wars of the Roses the partisans of the House - of Lancaster in the contest for the crown of England as opposed to - the House of York. - -=Lancers.= This dance received its name from a company of Lancers who - went through the evolutions of a quadrille on horseback about the - year 1836. - -=Landau.= After Landau in Germany, where it was first made. - -=Landes.= Expresses the French for heaths. The people of this marshy - and, in parts sandy, district walk on long stilts. - -=Landgrave.= The Anglicised form of the German _landgraf_, count, a - ground landlord. - -=Land o’ Cakes.= Scotland, which has always been celebrated for its - oatmeal cakes. - -=Land of Green Ginger.= A square at Hull where, as popularly thought, - green ginger was anciently landed from the river and sold in open - market. The name is, however, a corruption of “Greenhinger,” being - the land owned by Moses Greenhinger, a boat builder, who lived in - Whitefriargate in the seventeenth century. This is proved by a - letter of Sir Willoughby Hickman, a candidate for the borough in - 1685. Therein he states that a coach took him from the waterside to - the George Inn, “at the corner of the land of Moses Greenhinger.” - -=Land of Promise.= The name of a short street in Hoxton, so called, - sarcastically no doubt, because it leads to the workhouse. - -=Land of Steady Habits.= Connecticut, so called on account of the - excellent moral character of the people. - -=Land of Sundown Seas.= Alaska. “Sundown” is an Americanism for sunset, - just as “Sun-up” is for sunrise. - -=Land o’ the Leal.= The Scottish heaven, or “Dixie’s Land”; according to - the Baroness Nairne’s ballad the word _Leal_ means faithful. - -=Land of the Midnight Sun.= Norway. - -=Landscaper.= Local slang in the eastern counties for a tramp, vagrant, - or “Loafer.” - -=Land Shark.= The name given by sailors to a boarding-house keeper in a - seaport town who preys upon them by systematic overcharges. - -=Landwehr.= The German equivalent for our volunteers, or soldiers for - land defence. The term _wehr_ means bulwark, defence. - -=Lane.= Actors refer to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as “The Lane,” - the playhouse of London _par excellence_ since the palmy days of the - Drama. - -=Langbourn Ward.= From the long bourn or stream, of which now no trace - remains. - -=Langholm Place.= After the mansion and grounds of Sir James Langham, - which occupied what is now the street of the same name. - -=Laodicea.= This ancient city was so called after Laodice, the queen of - Antiochus Theos, who founded it. - -=Lap Dog.= One literally nursed in the lap of luxury. Mothers of - families are strangers to such pets. - -=Lapsus Linguæ.= Latin for “a slip of the tongue.” - -=Largess.= From the Latin _largitso_, to give freely, through the French - _largesse_. This word meant originally a fee or present bestowed - upon a butler or head servant by a departing guest. In its modern - acceptation it is a distribution of money amongst a number rather as - a matter of policy or necessity than from choice. - -=Lascar.= The generic name for an East Indian seaman, though it really - expresses the Persian for a soldier, from _lashkari_, a - camp-follower. Lascars were first employed by the East Indiamen - homeward bound. Nowadays all Asiatic sailors, of whatever - nationality, are called Lascars. - -=Lasso.= From the Spanish _lazo_, a noose. - -=Latakia.= A Turkish tobacco, so called from the place (the ancient - Laodicea) where it is produced. - -=Latch-string is always out.= An Americanism for a hearty welcome at all - times, without need for a formal invitation. The allusion to the - latch-string means: “You have only to walk in, like any member of - the family.” - -=Lath.= A subdivision of land while certain portions of Eastern England - were held by the Danes, so called from the Norse “Lathing,” a law - assembly. - -=Latins.= See “Italy.” - -=Latin Vulgate.= The Roman Catholic Bible authorised by the Council of - Trent in 1546. This translation of the Scriptures was made by St - Jerome from the Greek into the Latin or vulgar tongue A.D. 405. - -=Latitudinarians.= The opposers of the High Church party, and also of - the Puritans, during the Restoration period. Modern Latitudinarians - are those who hold very broad views in regard to orthodox doctrine. - -=Laugh and grow Fat.= In allusion to Democritus, “The Laughing - Philosopher,” who waxed fat, and lived to be 109 years old. - -=Laughing Philosopher.= Democritus of Abdera, from his habit of - humorously exposing the absurdities of his countrymen, whose - stupidity, he declared, was proverbial; the feeble powers of - mankind, contrasted with the forces of nature, likewise aroused his - contempt. - -=Laugh in your Sleeve.= Anciently the sleeves of all outer garments were - very wide, and when a person covered his face with his hand there - was always a suspicion that he was making merry at someone else’s - discomfiture. - -=Laugh on the wrong Side of your Face.= A person may preserve a grave - countenance while listening to a story, and at the same time wink - significantly to a bystander on the opposite side of the speaker. - The expression means that if, for his insolence, he received a - castigation, both his eyes would be made to wink or blink. - -=Laundress.= The exclusive designation of a housekeeper or caretaker of - bachelor chambers in the Temple. This is because during the Crusades - a great many women of the town followed in the train of the Knights - Templars to the Holy Land for the purpose of washing their linen. It - afterwards transpired that, as a rule, they acted also as mistresses - to the Knights, and had tents set apart for them even within sight - of Jerusalem. Historians tell us too that, though a religious Order, - the Templars did not scruple to introduce these women into their - London house after their return from the seat of warfare, and this - irregularity, in fact, led to their suppression by Edward II. in - 1313. - -=Laundried.= An Americanism for “washed,” in relation to household or - personal linen. This, when one comes to look into the word, is - correct English, meaning _lawn dried_. - -=Lavender.= From the Latin verb _lavare_, to wash, because this shrub - yields an essential oil employed in medicine and perfumery. - Laundresses also use it for preserving newly washed linen against - moths. - -=Lavender Water.= A scent produced from the essential oil of lavender, - spirits of wine, and ambergris. - -=Lawing.= An Americanism for “going to law.” - -=Lawless Parliament.= See “Parliament of Dunces.” - -=Lawn.= The finest linen, which has been bleached on a lawn instead of - the usual drying ground. The greensward called a lawn received its - name from the Celtic _allawnt_, a smooth, rising ground. - -=Lawrence Lane.= From the Church of St Lawrence, at its foot, in Gresham - Street. - -=Law Sakes.= An American corruption of the phrase “For the Lord’s sake!” - which, current among the Puritans of New England, found its way in - this new form into neighbouring states. - -=Laws, Laws-a-me.= A corruption of “Lord, have mercy on me.” - -=Lawyer.= From the old English _Lawwer_, literally “lawman”; the suffix - is allied to the Latin _vir_, man. - -=Lawyer’s Treat.= A phrase implying that each shall pay for his own - drinks. A lawyer never treats his clients at a refreshment bar; they - defray the cost between them. - -=Lay-by.= The name given to an article, generally clothing, purchased on - the weekly instalment system, and laid by on a shelf until the whole - amount has been paid off. - -=Lazar-house.= The old name for a poor-house, in allusion to Lazarus, - who picked up the crumbs under the table at the mansion of Dives. On - the Continent such an institution is styled a “Lazaretto.” - -=Lazarists.= An Order of missionaries founded by St Vincent de Paul, so - called from their headquarters in Paris, the Priory of St Lazare, - between 1632 and 1792. - -=Lazzaroni.= The beggars of Naples, and originally all the poorest - people of that city who had no regular habitation save the streets. - Their name was derived from the common refuge, the Hospital of St - Lazarus. - -=Leadenhall Street.= After the edifice known as the Leadenhall, the - first in London ever roofed with lead, built in 1419 by Sir Simon - Eyre, and presented to the city for the purposes of a granary in - time of scarcity. - -=Leading Article= (or =Leader=). There are three reasons for this term - applied to a large-type newspaper article. It is supposed to be - written by the chief of the literary staff, the editor; it leads off - the foreign and all other important news on the inside pages of the - paper; and it is intended to lead public opinion according to the - party views maintained by the journal in question. - -=League of the Cross.= The title of a modern crusade among the Roman - Catholics for the total suppression of drunkenness. - -=Leamington.= The town in the meadow on the banks of the Leam. - -=Leap Year.= That which every fourth year leaps to the total of 366 days - by adding a day to the month of February. - -=Leather Lane.= From “The Old Leather Bottle,” now modernised, at the - corner of this lane and Charles Street. - -=Leave some for Manners.= A dinner-table phrase, which had its origin in - the ancient custom of making an offering of a portion of the viands - to the gods. - -=Lebanon.= From the Hebrew _laban_, white; expresses “the white - mountain.” - -=Lee.= A variant of the Anglo-Saxon _lea_ and _ley_, “meadow” or - “pasture land.” This word enters into many river and place-names. - -=Leech.= The old name for a medical man in the days when bleeding the - patient, no matter what his ailment might be, was the common - practice. - -=L. E. L.= The literary pseudonym, formed from the initials of Letitia - Elizabeth Landon, the poetess. - -=Leg and Star.= A corruption of “The Star and Garter.” This, of course, - arose when a painted device, instead of a mere title, served as an - inn and tavern sign. - -=Legend.= An Americanism for a written or printed notice. The term has - latterly come into use in England relative to a tradesman’s shop - announcement. - -=Legitimate Drama.= That which is dependent upon its intrinsic literary - and constructive merits, quite apart from scenic effects. - -=Leg Stretcher.= A Far Western expression for a drink. This arose from - the common travellers’ exclamation while the stage coach was waiting - for the mails: “I’ll get off a bit, and stretch my legs.” - -=Leicester.= The _Leirecastra_ of the Romans, being the fortified camp - on the Leire, now called the Soar. - -=Leicester Square.= Originally Leicester Fields, from the town mansion - built on its east side by Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester, in 1636. - -=Leipsic.= Expresses the Slavonic for linden or lime tree town, from - _lipa_, lime-tree. - -=Leman Street.= Properly “Lemon Street,” from a wharf at the Thames - side, where, before the construction of the docks, lemons were - landed and sold. - -=Lemon Sole.= The species of sole found on the south coast of England; - really a mud sole, from the Latin _lima_, mud. - -=Lent.= From the Anglo-Saxon _lencten_, the spring. The word has the - same origin as “lengthen,” since at this season of the year the - lengthening of the days becomes perceptible. - -=Lent Crocking.= A popular old-time diversion of the schoolboys on - Shrove Tuesday. The ringleader, having knocked at a house door and - recited a garbled set of verses, to the effect that he had come - _a-shroving_, his companions kept up an incessant din with old - saucepans and kettles until they were paid to go away. - -=Leonine Verses.= Those which rhyme both in the middle and at the end of - each line, so called after Leoninus, a canon of St Victor in Paris - midway in the twelfth century. - -=Let the Cat out of the Bag.= To disclose a trick unwittingly. The - illusion is to a very old device at country fairs of selling a cat - for a sucking pig. One pig only was exposed to view; all the others - were supposed to be ready tied up for carrying away. If, on - occasion, a purchaser insisted on untying the sack before paying for - it, the cat leapt out, and the fraud was discovered. As to the other - victims who had taken away theirs on trust, they were forced to - admit, because their sack contained no sucking pig, that they had - been “sucked in.” - -=Levant.= An Italian term for the Orient or East--_i.e._ all those parts - of the Mediterranean eastward of Italy. The word is also used in the - sense of to depart, and a defaulter was said to have _levanted_, or - gone to the Levant. This was in allusion to the “Grand Tour” which - all scions of the nobility were expected to make on reaching their - majority. - -=Levee.= A French word applied to a royal reception, from _lever_, - arising, because in former times such a function took place in the - King’s bed-chamber at the hour of rising. - -=Levellers.= The primitive Radicals or Socialists of the time of Charles - I. and long afterwards; their plea was that all men should be on a - common level in regard to office-seeking. Also the original name of - the “White Boys” in Ireland, who commenced their agrarian outrages - by levelling the hedges and fences on enclosed lands. - -=Leviticus.= That book of the Old Testament which sets forth the laws - pertaining to the priests or Levites, the descendants of Levi, the - third son of Jacob and Leah. - -=Lewisham.= From _Leesham_, the home or family settlement in the meadow. - See “Lee.” - -=Leyden.= Originally _Lugdunum_, the Latinised form of the Celtic - _llwch_, a morass, and _dun_, a hill, fortress. - -=Leyton.= The town in the lea or meadow. - -=Leytonstone.= A corruption of “Leytonstowe,” the stock or wooded place - in the vicinity of a meadow. - -=Lhassa.= A Tibetan word for “full of gods.” - -=Liberal.= The modern designation of the Progressive or “Whig” Party. - This arose out of Lord Byron’s political magazine, _The Liberal_, in - 1828, though the name was not formally assumed until the agitation - for the Reform Bill in 1831. - -=Liberator.= The surname of Simon Bolivar, who established the - independence of Peru. - -=Liberia.= An independent republic of free Negroes on the west coast of - Africa. The word is derived from the Latin _liber_, free, and the - Celtic suffix _ia_, country. - -=Library.= From the Latin _librarium_, a bookcase, through _liber_, a - book. - -=Lifting.= This technical term in the printing trade, because type is - lifted out of the columns prior to distribution, or, as may happen - in a newspaper, to be held over until the next issue for want of - space, has come to be applied by journalists to literary theft. - Facts, anecdotes, or jokes stolen from a contribution submitted to - an editor on approval are said to have been “lifted.” One newspaper, - too, often “lifts” matter from another without acknowledgment. - -=Light.= A journeyman printer’s term for “credit.” Derived from the old - saying: “He stands in a good light with his neighbours.” The boast: - “My light is good,” has about it little to find fault with. - -=Liguorians.= Another name for the Redemptorists or Preachers of the - Redemption, an Order founded by St Francis Liguori in 1732. - -=Like a Thousand of Brick.= An Americanism for very heavily, as if a - waggon-load of bricks had been dumped down on one. - -=Lille.= Properly _L’Isle_, the island. - -=Lima.= A Spanish corruption of the Peruvian Rima, the name of the river - on which it is situated. - -=Limavady.= From the Irish _Leim-a-madha_, “The Dog’s Leap.” - -=Limehouse.= A corruption of _Limehurst_, or wood of lime-trees. - -=Lime Street.= Where lime was sold in ancient times. - -=Limoges.= Anciently called “Lemovica,” from the _Lemovices_, the people - who settled in this portion of Gaul. - -=Lincoln.= Originally _Llyn-dun_, the Celtic for “Pool hill,” or the - town built on the eminence overlooking the Swanpool, which was not - drained until the eighteenth century. When the Romans established - themselves here they called it _Lindum Colonia_, or the colony - beside the pool. Of this name, therefore, Lincoln is a softened - abbreviation. - -=Lincoln College.= Founded at Oxford by Richard Fleming, Bishop of - Lincoln, in 1427. - -=Lincoln’s Inn.= Anciently the town mansion of the Earls of Lincoln, - built by Henry de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in the fourteenth century. - -=Line of Business.= A theatrical phrase for the special kind of parts in - which an actor is experienced. One who plays the “Juveniles” would - not be entrusted with an “Old Man’s” part, and so forth. - -=Liner.= A steamship belonging to a regular line or service of fast - sailers--_e.g._ the Cunard Line. - -=Lingo.= Slang for language, derived from the Latin _lingua_, the - tongue. - -=Lingua Franca.= A common language along the Mediterranean shores, being - a mixture of French and Italian. See “Lingo.” - -=Linoleum.= A floorcloth, into the manufacture of which linseed oil - enters largely. - -=Linseed Lancers.= The nickname of the Army Medical Corps. - -=Lion.= An ancient inn sign derived from the heraldic device of a - particular monarch, or it might be, the Lord of the Manor. According - to the colour of the animal in that device, so the name of the inn, - after a mere name was substituted for the painted representation, - came to be designated. Hence “Red Lion,” “Black Lion,” etc. - -=Lion and Key.= A corruption of “The Lion on the Quay,” by way of - distinguishing an inn or tavern from other Lions in the same - seaport. - -=Lion Comique.= The name bestowed upon George Leybourne and other - music-hall vocalists of his class in days when comic singing was - very different to what it is now. The modern type of vocal comedians - is, happily, not “lionised” in the strict sense of the word. - -=Lionise.= See “Lion of the Season.” - -=Lion of the Season.= A distinguished musical executant or other - celebrity, generally a foreigner, at whose shrine society - metaphorically worships while his fame is at its zenith. The - expression is the outcome of the anxiety of the country folk in - former days to see the “London Lion” at the Tower. Hence to - “lionise,” make the most of a “stranger within our gates.” - -=Lion Sermon.= This is delivered once a year at the Church of St - Katherine Cree in commemoration of Sir John Gayer’s miraculous - escape from death by a lion when he found himself separated from his - companions in the African desert. He bequeathed the sum of £200 a - year to the poor on condition of this sermon being annually - preached. - -=Lisbon.= Anciently _Olisipo_ or _Ulyssippo_, after Ulysses, who, - visiting Portugal with Lucus, is traditionally stated to have laid - the foundations of the city. - -=Lisson Grove.= Formerly Lidstone Green, a corruption of “Ossulton - Green,” the name of a Hundred cited in Domesday Book. Ossulton - Street in the Euston Road preserves the name in the original form. - -=Litany.= See “Rogation Days.” - -=Little Bit of All Right.= A popular expression meaning “Just the thing - I wanted,” or “It couldn’t have happened better.” - -=Little Britain.= From the ancient residence of the Dukes of Brittany. - -=Little Corporal.= The name bestowed upon Napoleon I., at the - commencement of his military career, from his rank and low stature. - -=Little John.= The real name of this Sherwood forester was John Little, - but Robin Hood playfully inverted it because its owner was a tall, - strapping fellow. - -=Little Man.= The affectionate sobriquet of the late Mr Alfred Beit, the - “Diamond King,” on account of his diminutive stature. - -=Little Mary.= A modern euphonism for the stomach, popularised by J. M. - Barrie’s successful comedy of this title. - -=Little too Thick.= The antithesis of a “thin” story; one so crowded - with extraordinary statements that it is hard to grasp or credit. - -=Little Turnstile.= The lesser turnstile on the north side of Lincoln’s - Inn Fields, set up to prevent sheep from straying into Holborn. - -=Live like Fighting Cocks.= From the days of the Greeks down to - comparatively modern times game-cocks were fed luxuriantly, so as to - increase their pugnacity; hence the application of the phrase to - good living. - -=Live Man.= An Americanism for an energetic agent or canvasser. - -=Liverpool.= From an extinct bird, somewhat resembling the heron, and - called the _liver_, that made the _pool_ on which this city was - built its home. - -=Liverpool Landseer.= The sobriquet of William Huggins, who acquired an - equal celebrity for animal painting in his native place, as Sir - Edwin Landseer in the country at large. - -=Liverpool Street.= After Lord Liverpool, one of the most popular - members of the Ministry at the accession of George IV. There is - another Liverpool Street named after him at King’s Cross. - -=Liverymen.= Freemen of the city of London who on great special - occasions wear the distinctive livery of the companies to which they - belong. - -=Llandaff.= Properly _Llan Taff_, the church on the Taff. - -=Lloyd’s.= After Edward Lloyd, a coffee-house keeper in Abchurch Lane, - whose premises were first used by merchants and shippers as a sort - of club. - -=LL Whisky.= That distilled by Messrs Kinahan of Dublin. When the Duke - of Richmond was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland between 1807 and 1813 he - in the former year sent to various distilleries for samples of good - whisky, and preferring that tendered by Messrs Kinahan, he ordered a - large vat of the same quality to be exclusively reserved for him. - This vat had LL painted on it, denoting “Lord-Lieutenant Whisky.” - -=Lo.= An American term for an Indian. This originated in Pope’s “Essay - on Man,” a couplet of which reads: - - “Lo, the poor Indian! whose untutored mind - Sees God in clouds or hears Him in the wind.” - -=Loaded.= An Americanism for intoxicated or “primed.” - -=Loafer.= This word is neither Dutch nor German, as generally stated; it - is distinctly Spanish-American. The early settlers of Mexico and - Texas gave the name of _gallofo_ to a vagrant, who, like the - _lazzaroni_ of Naples, hung about the churches begging for alms. - From the western states this word travelled to New York, and in the - process became changed into “Loafer.” - -=Loan.= An Americanism for “lend.” - -=Lock-out.= When artisans have struck for an advance of wages, and - afterwards decide to return to work on the former scale, the masters - retaliate by shutting them out of the works altogether and employing - fresh hands from elsewhere. - -=Lock, Stock, and Barrel.= A sportsman’s phrase for the whole of a - thing, in allusion to the three parts of a gun. In the modern sense - it is used to imply the complete discomfiture of an adversary in - argument or of one utterly outwitted in his schemes. - -=Loco-Focos.= The American term for lucifer matches. By a patent dated - 16th April 1834 John Marck, a storekeeper of Park Row, New York, - brought out a self-lighting or friction cigar, which he called a - Loco-Foco. The first portion of this name was taken from the newly - introduced locomotive, which people generally thought to mean - self-moving; the latter half was a euphonism of his own. When - friction or self-firing matches came in they received the same - designation. The Democratic Party of the United States received the - name of “Loco-Focos” from the circumstance that at a great general - meeting held in Tammany Hall to confirm the nomination of Gideon Lee - as the Democratic candidate for Congress, a tumult arose, and the - lights were turned out; whereupon the adherents of the candidate, - who had provided themselves with loco-focos and candles, relighted - the hall in a moment. - -=Loft.= An Americanism for storey. In the United States it is usual to - say a house contains so many “lofts” instead of storeys. - -=Logger.= One employed in the North American forests cutting down trees - and sawing them into logs. - -=Loggerhead.= A dull, stupid fellow with no more sense in his head than - a “logger” or lumberman. These loggers often quarrel for no visible - cause; hence the expression to be “at loggerheads.” - -=Log-rolling.= Primarily a political term descriptive of mutual - co-operation on the part of individuals for the furtherance of a - general cause. It means: “You help me and I’ll help you”; “If your - party further my Bill through Congress I’ll pledge my party to push - yours along too.” The expression obtains also in a social and - journalistic sense: “If I propose a testimonial for you I expect you - to do the same for me”; “I’ll write you up in the Press if you - engage to return the compliment.” For the origin of the term we must - look to the lumber regions of the state of Maine, where the loggers - of different camps assist one another by turns to roll their logs - down to the river. - -=Lollards.= Originally an association of pious people in Germany at the - commencement of the thirteenth century banded together for the - purpose of burying the dead. They were so called on account of the - solemn dirges they sang, from the Low German _lollen_, to sing - softly. After a time the same title was assumed by the followers of - one Walter Goilard, a dissolute priest, who was burned for heresy at - Cologne in 1322. The Wycliffites assumed this name still later, and - some of these it must have been who were imprisoned in the - “Lollards’ Tower,” Lambeth Palace. - -=Lombard Street.= From the Jews of Lombardy, who here set up banks and - money-lending establishments, at the instance of Pope Gregory IX., - as a means of assisting the people of England to raise money for the - payment of their taxes early in the thirteenth century. - -=Lombardy.= Called by the Romans _Longobardi_ after its people, whom - they subdued. This name was not derived from their long beards, as - generally stated, but from the _longis bardis_, or long battle-axes, - with which they were armed. - -=London.= This name claims the same origin as “Lincoln,” the first rude - habitations beside the Thames being situated on the rising ground - now known as Tower Hill. - -=London Bridge was built on Woolpacks.= This expression had its origin - in the fact that, when the construction of Old London Bridge was - stopped for want of funds, Henry II. expedited its completion by - imposing a tax upon wool. - -=Londonderry.= The town built by a company of London adventurers, to - whom it, with the county of the same name, was granted by a royal - charter of James I. _Derry_ is Celtic for a grove or oak forest. - -=London Lion.= An expression derived from the Royal Menagerie at the - Tower of London ere the metropolis rejoiced in a Zoological Gardens, - and when travelling menageries were unheard of. Country visitors up - in town for a few days never failed at that period to feast their - eyes upon a real live lion, and on returning to their homes boasted - of having seen the London Lion. - -=London Stone.= Marked the centre of Roman London, from which all the - great roads through the country radiated. - -=London Wall.= From the Roman wall which here defined the northern - limits of the city. A portion of this old wall may yet be seen in - Cripplegate Churchyard. - -=Lone Star State.= Texas, from the single star in her flag. - -=Long Acre.= The Anglo-Saxon _acer_, like the modern German _acker_, - expresses a field. This was anciently a path across the fields - between Lincoln’s Inn and “Lomesbury Village,” or the manor now - known as Bloomsbury in the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields. - -=Long Friday.= The old name for Good Friday, both on account of the - length of the Church service and the long fast imposed on all good - Catholics. - -=Longford.= The long ford on the River Camlin. - -=Long Island.= So called from its shape. - -=Long Lane.= This was a long, narrow lane extending from Barbican to - Farringdon Road before the greater portion of its one side was - cleared for the Smithfield Market. - -=Long Lane that has no Turning.= An expression meaning that sooner or - later a turn of fortune must come, since no lane, however long, - exists that has no turning. - -=Long Peter.= This name was merited by the celebrated Flemish painter, - Peter Aartsen, by reason of his abnormal stature. - -=Long Parliament.= That which was dissolved by Oliver Cromwell after it - had lasted more than twelve years. - -=Longshanks.= The surname of Edward I. on account of his spindle legs. - -=Longshoreman.= Properly “Along-shoreman”--namely, a wharfinger, or one - employed in loading and unloading vessels. - -=Look Daggers.= A phrase used when two persons look fixedly at each - other as if their eyes were dagger points ready to make a fatal - thrust. - -=Loosen your Purse Strings.= See “Purse Strings.” - -=Lord Bobs.= The later nickname of Lord Roberts since the close of the - South African War. - -=Lord’s Cricket Ground.= After Thomas Lord, the founder of the earliest - private Cricket Club in London, in 1780. First in Dorset Square, and - eventually on its present site--his own landed property--he set up a - private pitch for genteel folk far from the haunts of the city - apprentices and other enthusiasts of the game. - -=Lord’s Day.= The name given to Sunday by the Quakers. - -=Lordship Lane.= From the Lord of the Manor of Dulwich. - -=Loretto.= Called by the Romans _Lauretana_ after Laureta, the lady to - whom the country villa, and a large tract of land on which the town - was afterwards built, belonged. - -=Lorraine.= Anciently Lotharingia, the duchy of Lotharius II., grandson - of the Emperor Lewis I. - -=Los Angeles.= Originally called by the Spaniards “Pueblo de los - Angeles,” the city of the angels, on account of its delightful - situation and climate. - -=Lo Spagnoletto.= The surname of Guiseppe Ribera, the celebrated Spanish - painter. It means “Little Spaniard.” - -=Lothbury.= A corruption of “Lattenbury,” where the workers in _latten_ - ware, a species of bronze, had their shops in the Middle Ages. In - the modern sense latten is a kind of sheet brass. - -=Loudoun Road.= After the name of the builder on the estate. - -=Louis d’Or.= A gold coin first struck in the reign of Louis XIII. of - France. The name means a “Louis of gold.” - -=Louisiana.= The name bestowed upon this State by M. de la Sale in 1682 - in compliment to Louis XIV. of France. - -=Louvre.= An adapted French word, from _l’ouvert_, “the opening,” which - expressed a kind of turret on the roof of a building by way of a - chimney to let out the smoke. A rude contrivance of this kind - distinguished the ancient hunting seat of Dagobert, on the site of - which Francis I. commenced the famous Parisian palace of this name - in 1528, completed twenty years later by Henry II. A _louvre_ window - partakes of the same character. - -=Lower Berkeley Street.= See “Berkeley Street.” - -=Lower Thames Street.= The eastern portion of Thames Street, from London - Bridge to the Tower. - -=Lowndes Square.= After the ground landlord, lineally descended from - William Loundes, secretary to the Treasury, _temp._ Queen Anne. - -=Low Sunday.= Not only was this Sunday at the bottom of the Lenten or - Easter Calendar, but prior to the alteration of New Year’s Day it - was frequently also the last Sunday of the year. - -=Luciferians.= A sect of Christians in the fourth century, under - Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia, who separated from the - Orthodox Church on the ground that the reconverted “Arians” should - not again be admitted to the fold. - -=Lucifer Matches.= Early friction matches, so called from the Latin - _lucis_, light, and _ferre_, to bring. - -=Lucullus Feast.= A sumptuous banquet, so called after Licinius - Lucullus, a famous Roman general, who in the days of his retirement - was no less distinguished for the costly suppers he gave to the - greatest men of the Empire. The sums expended on those - entertainments were enormous. As an epicure he was unrivalled; he - could also be a glutton on occasion. There is a story told that - after the feast had been prepared no guests arrived. “Lucullus will - sup to-night with Lucullus” was the explanation of the host. - -=Lud-a-massy.= A corruption of the old exclamation “Lord, have mercy!” - -=Luddites.= A name borne by the wilful destroyers of machinery in the - manufacturing districts; said to have been adopted from Ned Lud, an - imbecile of Leicester, who being, chased by boys, took refuge in a - house, and there broke a couple of stocking frames. These rioters - caused great havoc during the second decade of the last century. - -=Ludgate Hill.= The testimony of Old Stow notwithstanding, there is - grave doubt whether King Lud, the reputed builder of the western - gate of the city, ever existed. In much greater likelihood this gate - received its name from its situation near the River Fleet, and meant - simply _Flood Gate_. See “Fleet Street.” - -=Lug.= Northern and Scottish for “ear.” In England generally this word - is regarded as slang except when employed in connection with - “Lugger” and “Luggage.” - -=Luggage.= So called because it is lugged about in transit by the - handles, as a Lancashire man would pull another by the _lug_ or ear. - -=Lugger.= A small craft having _lugs_, or drooping sails, like a dog’s - ear. - -=Lumber.= An Americanism for timber sawn into logs and sent floating - down the rivers for eventual shipment. - -=Lumber-room.= One set apart for odds and ends of no practical utility. - The name is derived from “Lombard Room,” in which the Lombards, who - were the first goldsmiths and money-lenders in England, stored the - articles pledged with them. - -=Lunatic.= From the Latin _luna_, the moon. The Romans persistently - cherished the idea that a person’s mind was affected at the several - changes of the moon. - -=Lupercalia.= A Roman festival in honour of _Lupercus_, the god of - fertility. This occurred on the 15th of February. - -=Lupus Street.= This keeps alive the name of Henry Lupus, first Earl of - Chester, from whom the Grosvenors, the ground landlords, are - descended. - -=Lurid Waistcoat Banquet.= The latest style of “Freak Dinner” in - America, each guest disporting himself in a waistcoat of startling - hue and design. - -=Lutherans.= After Martin Luther, the German Reformer. - -=Luxembourg.= This celebrated palace of the French capital stands on the - site of that purchased and enlarged in 1583 by the Duke of d’Epinay, - Luxembourg. The title of the Dukes of Luxembourg is very ancient, - having been derived from a beautiful chateau called _Luici burgum_, - which was acquired by Siegfried, Count of Ardennes, in 963. - -=Lyceum Theatre.= Opened in 1834 as the English Opera House. This was - originally a lyceum or academical establishment connected with the - Society of Arts. The word _Lyceum_ was correctly applied in this - case from the academy formed by Aristotle in the temple of Apollo - Lyceus, near the River Illissus. - -=Lych-Gate.= A large gateway at the entrance to the churchyard where the - coffin can be set down while the mourners await the arrival of the - clergyman to lead the funeral service. The word comes from the - Gothic _leik_, and German _leiche_, a corpse. - -=Lyddite.= So called because experiments with this explosive were first - made at Lydd in Kent. - -=Lying around Loose.= An Americanism for being out of a situation, - lounging about the town. - -=Lyme Regis.= This little Dorsetshire seaport on the River Lym was - honoured with a royal charter and the title of _Regis_ because it - furnished Edward III. with three ships to aid in the siege of Calais - in 1346. - -=Lynch Law.= The summary justice meted out to public offenders in the - western states of North America. This term was derived from James - Lynch, a farmer of Piedmont on the western frontier of Virginia. - There being no Court of Law for many miles around he was always - appealed to in cases requiring a legal decision, and his judgments - were so sound and impartial that the people gave him the name of - Judge Lynch. The death sentence was by hanging at the nearest tree. - To “lynch a man,” however, in the modern sense is to dispense with - legal formalities altogether. - -=Lynn Regis.= See “King’s Lynn.” - -=Lyon King at Arms.= The principal at Heralds’ College in Scotland, so - called from the lion rampant on the armorial bearings of the - Scottish kings. - -=Lyre Bird.= So called from the resemblance of the sixteen feathers of - its tail when spread erect to a lyre. - - - M - - -=Ma’am.= An Americanism for mother. See “Madam.” - -=Ma’am School.= The American term for a young ladies’ seminary, or an - infants’ school kept by a woman. - -=Macadamised Road.= This system of road-making by means of broken stones - pressed down by a heavy roller was introduced by John Loudon - Macadam, a Scotsman, appointed Surveyor of Public Roads in 1827. - -=Macaroni.= From the Italian _macare_, to crush, to bruise, through - _Macarone_, a mixture, a medley. This confection originally - consisted of cheese and bread paste squeezed into balls. - -=Macaronies.= Fashionable dandies first heard of in London after the - accession of George III. Their leaders hailed from France and Italy, - where Macaroni Clubs abounded. These clubs arose out of Dilettante - Societies, formed for the cultivation of what was styled Macaronic - Verse, after a poetical rhapsody entitled “Liber Macaronicorum,” a - jumble of Latin and other languages published by a monk of Mantua in - 1520. Subsequently everything in dress or taste received the name of - Macaroni. - -=Macaroon.= A biscuit the name of which has the same etymology as - “Macaroni.” - -=Macassar Oil.= So called because it was first exported from Macassar, - the Dutch capital of Celebes Island. - -=Macclesfield Street.= After the Earl of Macclesfield, the landlord of - the estate when it was laid out in 1697. - -=Macedonians.= A fourth century sect of Christians founded by - Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople. - -=Machinaw.= A heavy blanket worn by Indians, and also nowadays in the - western states used as a travelling rug and bed pallet. The term is - derived from Machinac (pronounced _Machinaw_), the chief trading - station with the Indians formerly. Western settlers also describe an - overcoat as a Machinaw. - -=Machine.= A bicycle is called a machine because it is a more or less - complicated piece of mechanism made up of many parts. In the United - States the term machine is applied both to a locomotive and a fire - engine. - -=Mackenzie River.= After Alexander Mackenzie, by whom it was first - navigated in 1789. - -=Mackerel.= From the Danish _mackreel_, “spots.” - -=Mackintosh.= After the Scotsman who invented water-proofing material - for over-garments. - -=Macklin Street.= After Charles Macklin, the celebrated actor of Drury - Lane Theatre. His name was really Maclaughlin shortened into - Macklin. - -=Macmillanites.= An offshoot of the Presbyterians under John Macmillan; - also styled the “Reformed Presbytery.” - -=Madagascar.= A corruption of the native name _Malagasay_, the island of - the Malagese or Malays. - -=Madam.= In New England the term applied to the deceased wife of a - person of local distinction, such as the parson, doctor, etc. In the - southern states it expresses the mistress or master’s wife - universally among the Negroes. Elsewhere it is either _Madam_ or - _Ma’am_ for a mother. - -=Mad Cavalier.= Prince Rupert, so called on account of his rash courage - and lack of self-control. - -=Mad Dog.= A skull cap, from the old idea that keeping the head - impervious to air was a remedy against the bite of a dog. - -=Mad Poet.= Nathaniel Lee, who wrote some of his finest pieces while - confined during four years at Bethlehem Hospital. - -=Mad as a Hatter.= A corruption of “Mad as an atter.” _Atter_ expressed - the Saxon for a viper or adder. The word “Mad” was anciently used in - the sense of venomous; hence this expression really meant “venomous - as a viper.” - -=Mad as a March Hare.= Being their rutting season, hares are very wild - in March. - -=Made a bad Break.= An Americanism for having made a silly slip of the - tongue, a sad mistake, or a great blunder. The expression is, of - course, derived from a game of billiards. - -=Made his Pile.= Although a Californian phrase for having amassed a - fortune, this originated at the gaming-tables throughout the States - generally. - -=Madeira.= Expresses the Portuguese for “timber.” This island was at the - time of its discovery covered with forests. Also the name of a rich - wine imported therefrom. - -=Madeleine.= The church at Paris dedicated to Mary Magdalen or Mary of - Magdala. - -=Maddox Street.= After the name of the builder upon the land in 1720. - -=Madras.= From the Arabic _Madrasa_, “university.” Originally Madrasa - Pattan, the name expressed “University town.” _Pattan_ is Sanscrit - for town. - -=Madrid.= In the tenth century this was simply a Moorish fortified - outpost of Toledo, as expressed by its Arabic name, _Majerit_. - -=Maelstrom.= Expresses the Norwegian for an eddy or whirlpool; literally - “whirling stream.” - -=Maffiking.= A word used to denote the madness which may seize upon an - entire community on an occasion of great public rejoicing, as - happened when news of the relief of Mafeking, during the South - African War, reached England. Staid citizens--bankers, stockbrokers, - and others--assembled in front of the Mansion House, cheering - wildly, and losing all control over themselves to such a degree that - they threw their hats high in the air. For the remainder of that day - and far into the night all London went mad with joy. - -=Magazine.= From the Arabic _Makhzan_, a depository for stores. In a - literary sense this originally expressed a periodical whose contents - were made up of elegant extracts from the best authors. - -=Magdalen Hospital.= The old name of a penitentiary for fallen women, so - called after Mary Magdalen. The French form of this name is - Madeleine. - -=Magdalen Smith.= The famous Dutch portrait painter, Gaspar Smitz, is - usually known by this name on account of his many “Magdalens,” in - which he excelled. - -=Magdeburg.= German for “town on the plain.” - -=Magenta.= This colour was so called because first produced after the - battle of Magenta in 1859. - -=Magic City of the South.= Birmingham in the state of Alabama. Since its - foundation by the Elyton Land Company in 1871 it has bidden fair to - rival Pittsburg as the Birmingham of America. - -=Magnolia.= In honour of the eminent French botanist, Pierre Magnol. - -=Mahala.= The Californian term for an Indian squaw, derived from the - Spanish _muger_ (pronounced _muher_), a woman. - -=Mahatma.= A Hindoo term for a Buddhist gifted with what appear to be - supernatural powers, as the result of the very highest intellectual - development. - -=Mahogany.= A vulgar term very frequently heard in the Midland counties - for a man’s wife. This arose from the fact that the wood of the - Mahogany-tree (West Indian _Mahogan_, but botanically _Swietenia - Mahogani_) was for many years at first used exclusively for the - manufacture of domestic dining-tables; hence a man would say: “I’ll - discuss it with my wife over the Mahogany.” Eventually the phrase - was corrupted into “I’ll talk to the Mahogany about it,” and so the - term came to denote the man’s wife. - -=Mahrattas.= The Hindoo term for “outcasts.” Although devout worshippers - of Buddha, this powerful Hindoo family does not recognise that fine - distinction of caste which obtains elsewhere. - -=Maida Vale.= After the victory of Maida, 4th July 1806. - -=Maiden.= An ancient instrument of capital punishment made in the form - of a woman, the front of which opened like a door, and, the victim - being imprisoned, sharp steel spikes pierced his body on every side. - This name was also given to an early species of guillotine in - Scotland. To be executed by its means was to “Kiss the Maiden,” - because she clasped him in a death embrace. - -=Maidenland.= A Virginian term for the land which comes to a man by - marriage on his wife’s side, and which passes from him at her - decease. - -=Maiden Assize.= So called when there are no charges for the jury, which - in the event of conviction merit capital punishment or the death - sentence. On such an occasion the sheriffs present a pair of white - gloves to the judges as the emblems of innocence. - -=Maiden Lane.= Anciently skirting the garden of the Convent. This - thoroughfare had at its western corner a statue of “Our Lady” let - into the wall. - -=Maid Marian.= So far from having any connection with Robin Hood and his - merry men in Sherwood Forest, this term is derived from the “Morris - Dance,” in which five men and a boy took part. On account of his - antics and the ill-fitting _morione_, or helmet, that this boy wore, - he came to be styled as the “Mad Morion,” of which Maid Marian was - an easy corruption. - -=Maid of Orleans.= Joan of Arc, who led her countrymen against the - English, and effected the capture of the city of Orleans, 29th April - 1429. - -=Maid of Saragossa.= Augustina Zaragossa, who distinguished herself in - the heroic defence of the city of Saragossa during its eight months’ - siege by the French in 1808-9. - -=Maidstone.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Medwægeston_, the town on the - _Medwæge_, or Medway, which river runs through the middle of the - county of Kent. - -=Mail.= The American term for “post”--_i.e._ a letter. This word is, of - course, derived from the mail bag in which letters are transmitted. - -=Mail Stage.= The American form of “Stage-coach.” - -=Maine.= The name given to the French settlement in the New World after - the city so called in the Mother Country. Maine, from the Celtic - _man_, expresses a district or region. - -=Majorca.= Expresses the Latin for Greater, relative to the “Balearic - Islands.” - -=Make Bricks without Straw.= To make something without the needful - materials. In the East bricks are made out of straw and mud dried in - the sun. The expression comes from the burdens laid upon the - Israelites in Egypt as related in Exodus v.: “Go therefore now, and - work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver - the tale of bricks.” - -=Make Money out of a Shoe-string.= An Americanism for a capacity to make - money out of nothing--that is, without working capital. - -=Make the Raise.= An Americanism for to “raise the loan.” - -=Make the Sneak.= An Americanism for to sneak or run away. - -=Make Tracks.= Originally a Far West expression when a squatter deserted - his claim and set out to explore an unknown region. - -=Make Trade hum.= An Americanism for whipping up business by advertising - or extraordinary energy. - -=Malaga.= From the Phœnician _malaca_, salt. The wine of the same - name is imported from this city of Spain. - -=Malmsey.= Wine from Malvasia, an island in the Mediterranean - historically famous for its vineyards. - -=Malta.= From the Phœnician _Melita_, “a place of refuge.” - -=Mamelukes.= From the Arabic _mamluc_, a slave. The original standing - army of Egypt, composed of boy slaves purchased by the Sultan from - the Tartar Khan in the Caucasus in the thirteenth century. - -=Mamma.= Latin for “breast”; hence all animals that are suckled by the - mother belong to the class of “Mammals.” - -=Mammon.= From the Syriac _mamona_, “riches.” - -=Manchester.= Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for a common on the site of a - Roman camp. The Friesic _man_ in this sense enters into many place - names also on the Continent. - -=Manchester Square.= After the Duke of Manchester, the owner of the - estate. - -=Manchuria.= The territory of the Manchus, the founders of the present - ruling dynasty of China. - -=Mandarin.= Although this title is borne by officers of every grade in - China the word is really Portuguese, _mandar_, to command. It was - applied by the early settlers of Macao to the Chinese officials of - that colony, and has remained a European designation for a Chinaman - of rank ever since. - -=Manhattan.= From the Indian _munnohatan_, “the town on the island.” - -=Manicure.= The American mode of “Manicurist,” which, from the Latin - _manus_, hand, literally means one who undertakes the care of the - finger-nails. - -=Manitoba.= After _Manitou_, the “Great Spirit” of the Alonquin Indians. - This name is pronounced Manito_bar_ not Mani_to_bar. - -=Man in the Street.= A metaphorical expression for the average man, with - no more than a superficial knowledge of matters in general. Not - belonging to a club, he has small means of adding to his own store - of knowledge by daily communion with those better informed than - himself. - -=Manlius Torquatus.= The Roman Consul Manlius received his surname - “Torquatus” through having wrested the golden torque or collar from - his adversary on the field of war. - -=Mannheim.= German for “the home of men.” Until the Elector Palatine - Frederick IV. built a castle here, and a town grew up around it in - the seventeenth century, this was a village of refugees from - religious persecution in the Netherlands. - -=Man of Kent.= A native of the county of Kent east of the Medway. - -=Man of Ross.= The name given by Pope to John Kyrle of Ross, - Herefordshire. See “Kyrle Society.” - -=Man of Straw.= One who, having nothing to lose, descends to mean - practices for gain, well knowing that his victims rarely go to the - expense of entering a prosecution against him, since they cannot - obtain damages. This term was derived from the hangers-on at the - Westminster Law Courts, who were ready to swear anything at the - instruction of counsel for a bribe. They were known by displaying a - wisp of straw in their shoes. If another witness was required while - a case was being heard, counsel generally sent out to look for “a - pair of straw shoes.” - -=Man-of-War.= This term is a popular abbreviation of man-of-war - ship--_i.e._ the floating home of a man-of-war’s-man. Our national - prestige has from time immemorial been dependent on the supremacy of - the seas, therefore an English sailor, more than a soldier, was - regarded by our ancestors as a fighting man. Since the introduction - of ironclads, however, it has become the custom to speak of a - floating battery as a war vessel or battleship, and a sailor as a - bluejacket. - -=Mansard Roof.= After its inventor, François Mansard, the French - architect of the seventeenth century. - -=Mansfield Street.= From the town mansion of the Earls of Mansfield, - which stood here. - -=Mansion House.= Expresses the “house of houses,” the official residence - of the Lord Mayor of London, the representative in the city of the - King, whose flag proudly waves in the breeze from the roof. - -=Mantua.= A lady’s cloak or mantle, originally introduced from the - Italian city of this name. - -=Maoris.= The aborigines of New Zealand. In the native tongue this means - “indigenous.” - -=Maraboo Feathers.= Those plucked from the underside of the wings of the - stork of the same name. The stork being held sacred by the - Mohammedans, as it was by the ancient Egyptians, its name has the - same meaning as that of the “Marabuts.” - -=Marabuts.= The priestly order of the Arabs in North Africa; those who - attend the mosques and call the people to prayers. Their name is - derived from the Arabic _Marabath_, sacred or devoted to God. - -=Maraschino.= A liqueur distilled from delicate and finely flavoured - cherries, called _Marazques_, cultivated at Zara in Dalmatia. - -=March.= In honour of Mars, the Roman god of war. - -=Marconigram.= A wireless telegram, so called after Marconi, the - inventor of the system. - -=Margate.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Mære_, the sea; expresses the road or - entrance to the Thames estuary from the sea. See “Gate.” - -=Margaret Street.= After Lady Margaret Cavendish, wife of the second - Duke of Portland, landlord of the estate. - -=Marigold.= This, golden flower, indigenous to Mexico, was dedicated by - the Spaniards to the Virgin. What are called “Marigold Windows,” - having these flowers represented on them, appear in Lady Chapels. - -=Marine Store Dealer.= The legal description of what is now a rag and - bone merchant in a small way, because at one time old ships’ iron - and cables were not allowed to be disposed of in any other manner - save to such a registered dealer. - -=Market Street.= The site of an ancient market on which at a later - period the annual May Fair was held. This district is now one of the - most fashionable in the West End of London. - -=Mark Lane.= A corruption of “Mart Lane,” in which an ancient annual - fair or mart of Flemish merchants was held. - -=Mark Twain.= The literary pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, - reminiscent of his early life as a pilot on a Mississippi steamboat. - “Mark Twain” in nautical phraseology means “mark two fathoms of - water.” - -=Marlborough House.= This, the residence of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, - was built by Sir Christopher Wren for John Churchill, Duke of - Marlborough, in 1709 at a total cost of a million of money. - -=Marlborough Road.= This, like the square of the same name off the - Fulham Road, was so called after the “Duke of Marlborough” at one - end of it. At Peckham, after the one-time residence of John - Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, before he removed to Pall Mall. - -=Maroons.= Revolted Negroes in South America and the West Indies. The - term was derived from the Morony River, between Dutch and French - Guiana, where great numbers of these fugitives found a place of - safety. - -=Marquee.= Originally the tent of a marchioness. - -=Marquis.= From the Italian and French _Marchese_, pursuant to the root - _mark_, a boundary. Anciently expressive of an officer who had the - guardianship of the marches or boundaries of a duchy. At a later - period the owner of a slice of land bestowed upon him out of a - duchy. Nowadays the title next below that of duke. - -=Marquis of Granby.= A tavern sign in honour of John Manners, the - British general during the Seven Years’ War in Germany, a soldier - beloved by his men and esteemed by his country. - -=Marry.= A perverted form of the oath “By Mary” in days when people were - wont to swear by the Virgin. - -=Marsala.= A light wine exported from Marsala in Sicily. This name was - bestowed upon the town by the Arabs, _Marsa Alla_, “Port of God,” on - account of its delightful situation. - -=Marseillaise.= This was the composition of Rouget de Lisle, an - artillery officer stationed with the French garrison at Strasburg. - First sung at a banquet given by the mayor of that city, it became - immensely popular; and when in 1792 the Marseilles volunteers were - summoned to Paris, they sang it as they approached and entered the - capital. The words and music at once struck the popular ear, so that - “La Marseillaise” became the national war song. - -=Marshal.= From the Teutonic _mare_, horse, and _schalk_, servant. This - term, through the French _maréchal_, originally signified the groom - of the horse; now it means in a civil sense the master of the horse - and head of the ceremonies in devising pageants and processions. The - Duke of Norfolk, as Earl Marshal of England, takes precedence over - all other noblemen. - -=Marshal Forward.= General Blucher, on account of his eagerness to make - a dash in the campaign which terminated in the victory of Waterloo. - -=Marshalsea.= The old Debtors’ Prison in Southwark, so called because - the Court of the Knight Marshal, for the settlement of disputes - between members of the Royal Household, was held within its walls. - This edifice was demolished in 1842. - -=Marsham Street.= From the ground landlord, Charles Marsham, Earl of - Romney. - -=Martel.= The surname of Charles, the son of Pepin d’Heristal, who - signalised himself in battle against the Saracens when, according to - the chronicler, “he knocked down the foe and crushed them between - his axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” This - exploit occurred during the attempted Saracenic invasion of France - A.D. 732. - -=Martello Tower.= Originally built near the sea as a watch-tower for - protection of merchandise against pirates. The term arose from the - custom of the sentry striking a bell with a _martel_, or hammer, as - often as he discerned a pirate ship out at sea. - -=Martin.= The common wall-swallow, corrupted from its Latin name - _Murten_, from _murus_, a wall. - -=Martinet.= From the name of a strict officer under Louis XIV. of - France; hence the phrase “a regular martinet.” - -=Martin’s Lane.= From St Martin’s Church in this lane. - -=Martlemas.= A corruption of “Martinmas,” or Feast of St Martin, 4th - November, the usual time for the hiring of servants in the rural - districts of England. - -=Maryland.= The name given by Lord Baltimore to the colony founded by - him, in honour of Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I. - -=Maryland End.= An Americanism for the hock of the ham, as distinguished - from the other, the “Virginia End.” - -=Marylebone.= A corruption of “St Mary of the Bourn”--_i.e._ the parish - church of St Mary beside the bourn or stream which descended from - near the hermitage at “Kilburn” to “Tyburn.” - -=Masaniello.= The name of the leader of the Neapolitan insurrectionists - of the seventeenth century was Tommaso Aniello, of which - _Masaniello_ is a corruption. - -=Masher.= From the Romany or gipsy _Masha_, “to fascinate the eye.” - Whether the overdressed fop, so designated in our day, really - possessed this enviable quality is open to question. - -=Mason and Dixon’s Line.= An American expression for the old-time - boundary between the slave and the free states. This line was - defended between Pennsylvania and Maryland and Virginia by two - English surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in 1763-7. - -=Massage.= A Frenchised Hindoo word for rubbing. A male and female - practitioner of this new curative mode of friction treatment are - respectively styled a masseur and masseuse. - -=Mattan Diamond.= This, the largest in the world, weighing 367 carats, - is the property of the Rajah of Mattan in India. - -=Maudlin.= A word expressive of sentimentality or an inclination to shed - tears, more especially when in a state of intoxication. Old painters - always represented Mary Magdalen with swollen eyes, the result of - penitential tears; hence a corruption of “Magdalen.” - -=Maund.= The Saxon for an alms-basket employed in the distribution of - bread to the poor by the Lady of the Manor. - -=Maundy Thursday.= So called from _Maundé_, the French form of - _Mandatum_, the first word in the New Commandment or mandate given - by our Lord to His disciples after washing their feet at the Last - Supper. The essence of this mandate was to love one another; hence - the washing of feet of poor persons and distribution of doles by the - reigning sovereign on this day. See “Maund.” - -=Mauritius.= A Dutch colony named in honour of Maurice, Prince of - Orange. - -=Mausoleum.= After the magnificent sepulchral monument erected by his - widow, Artemisia, to Mausolus, King of Caria, at Halicarnassus, 353 - B.C. - -=May.= The budding or shooting of plants in this month caused the Romans - to give it the name of _Magius_, afterwards shortened into _Maius_, - from the Sanskrit mah, to grow. Eventually this month was held - sacred to _Maia_, the mother of Mercury, to whom sacrifices were - offered on the first day. - -=Maydew Cherries.= A corruption of Medoc cherries, from the district in - France where they are cultivated. - -=Mayfair.= On the site of this fashionable district Edward III. - established a six days’ fair in the month of May for the benefit of - the leper hospital of St James the Less, where St James’s Palace now - stands. - -=May Meetings.= The annual meetings of the many religious, missionary, - and philanthropic bodies of the United Kingdom are held in London, - generally at Exeter Hall, during the month of May. - -=Mazarin Bible.= A very rare edition of the Scriptures, being one of the - earliest printed by Gutenberg with separate metal types, between - 1450 and 1455. It received this name from the fact that a copy was - discovered in the library of Cardinal Mazarin. - -=Mecklenburg Square.= One of the many names about London which, when new - streets were built upon, complimented the Hanoverian Succession. - -=Medina.= Expresses the Arabic for “City.” Its full name is _Medinat al - Nabi_, “City of the Prophet.” - -=Mediterranean Sea.= The sea “in the middle of the earth” is that - between the two great continents, Europe and Africa. - -=Medway.= See “Maidstone.” - -=Meerschaum.= Expresses the German for “sea foam,” the fine white clay - out of which pipes are made being at one time thought to be the - petrified scum or foam of the sea. - -=Meistersingers.= Literal German for “Master Singers”; master craftsmen - who in the Middle Ages revived the national minstrelsy, which had - been allowed to fall into decay. - -=Melbourne.= In honour of Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister in 1837, - when this Australian colony was founded. - -=Melodrama.= Modern drama, distinguished by incidental music as an - accompaniment to the action. - -=Memorial Day.= The United States mode of expressing a great - commemorative occasion, such as Independence or Decoration Day. - -=Memorial Hall.= This building, in Farringdon Road, commemorates the - issue of the famous “Act of Uniformity,” whereby 2000 ministers of - the Church of England were deprived of their livings on 24th August - 1662. The site was formerly occupied by the old Fleet Prison. - -=Memory-Corner Thompson.= The name borne by John Thompson of the parish - of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields. Seated in a corner of a coffee-house, - he was wont for the amusement of regular habitues to display his - astounding powers of memory in regard to the topography of London. - -=Memory Woodfall.= The sobriquet of William Woodfall, brother to the - reputed author of the celebrated “Letters of Junius.” His mnemonical - powers differed from that of “Memory-Corner Thompson” in that, after - listening to a debate, Parliamentary or otherwise, overnight, he - could repeat it word for word the next morning. - -=Mentor.= A “guide, philosopher, and friend,” so called after Mentor, - the faithful friend and counsellor of Ulysses. - -=Mercenaries.= From the Latin _mercer_, wages, reward. These hired - soldiers of antiquity figured largely in the Punic Wars. - -=Mercer.= The old name for a dealer in silks and woollen fabrics, so - called from the Latin _mercis_, wares, merchandise. Nowadays such a - one styles himself a “Draper.” - -=Merino.= A fabric of wool from the sheep of the same name, which - expresses the Spanish for an inspector of sheep walks. - -=Merioneth.= After Merion, an early British saint. - -=Merrimac.= Indian for “swift water.” - -=Merry Andrew.= A buffoon or clown, said to have been so called after - Andrew Borde, a noted physician of the time of Henry VIII., whose - witticisms were on a par with his medical skill. His sayings were - widely repeated, and since it happened that Andrew was then the most - common name for a man-servant, facetious fellows came to be dubbed - Merry Andrews. - -=Merry Monarch.= Charles II., who from the time of coming to the throne - never knew care, but made his life one round of pleasure. - -=Mesopotamia.= The ancient description of the region situate between the - Tigris and the Euphrates. The name is Greek, from _mesos_, middle, - and _potamos_, river. - -=Messe Rouge.= Expresses the French for “Red Mass.” At the resumption of - their duties at the Law Courts after the Long Vacation all the - Catholic judges and barristers attend a Mass of the Holy Ghost to - invoke the Spirit for the gift of wisdom. Like the masses of the - Feast of the Holy Ghost, the vestment worn by the officiating priest - is red, in allusion to the tongues of fire that descended upon the - Apostles on Whit Sunday. - -=Methodists.= This name was first given by a fellow-student of Christ - Church, Oxford, to the Brothers Wesley and a few friends who were in - the habit of meeting on certain evenings for religious conversation. - They also visited the inmates of Oxford Jail at stated times, always - faithfully kept their engagements, and acted up to their Christian - principles in a strictly methodical manner. The new sect was - afterwards styled by John Wesley “The First Methodist Society.” - -=Metz.= This city was styled by the Romans _Mettis_, from the _Medio - matrici_, the people of the country, whom they conquered. - -=Mexico.= Expresses the seat or place of _Mexitli_, the Aztec god of - war. - -=Michaelmas Day.= The feast of St Michael, prince of the heavenly host, - and patron saint of the Catholic Church. This is properly described - as “St Michael and all Angels” (29th September). - -=Michaelmas Goose.= Stubble geese being at their best about this time, - the rural tenantry always brought their landlords a goose with their - Michaelmas rent. Since the latter usually received more geese than - they could consume themselves, they passed them over to friends, and - thus the goose became a standing Michaelmas dish. - -=Michigan.= Indian for “a weir for fish.” - -=Middlesex.= Expresses the territory of the Middle Saxons, situate - between that of the East and West Saxons under the Heptarchy. - -=Middling.= North of England, and also American, for medium or passable - in the sense of feeling well. - -=Mignonette.= Expresses the diminutive of _Mignon_, the French for - “darling.” - -=Mildmay Park.= The estate of the Mildmays, whose ancestor, Sir Henry - Mildmay, came, by marriage, into possession of Mildmay House and its - park in the time of Charles I. - -=Mile End Gate.= From a toll gate which at this point of the highroad - marked the eastern limits of London town and the parish of - Whitechapel, distant one mile from the city boundary at Aldgate. - -=Miles Lane.= After Miles Coverdale, a famous preacher at the - Weigh-House Chapel hard by in former days. - -=Milford Lane.= From an old mill that stood here in the fields. The lane - itself led to a ford across the river at low water. - -=Milking the Street.= An Americanism for the operations of stockbrokers - who, by alternately raising and depressing shares, capture all the - floating money in the market. The allusion is, of course, to Wall - Street, the financial centre of New York city. - -=Milk Street.= The ancient milk and butter market in connection with - Cheapside. - -=Millbank.= From an old mill that stood on the Thames bank, on the site - of which the Grosvenors built a mansion, subsequently displaced for - the gloomy prison of the same name. - -=Millerites.= An American religious sect, whose founder, William Miller, - prophesied the millennium or first judgment of the world by Christ - and His angels to take place on 23rd February 1843. Many of his - followers went mad through excitement as this date approached. - Subsequent days assigned for the fulfilment of the prophesy proved - alike misleading. - -=Milliner.= A corruption of _Milaner_, after the city of Milan, which at - one time set the fashion throughout Europe for elegance and taste - not only in matters of dress, but of art. A milliner is one who - deals in hats, feathers, and ribbons. See “Mercer.” - -=Mill Street.= From a mill that stood hereabouts when the scene was one - of peaceful rusticity. - -=Milton Street.= After the author of “Paradise Lost,” who resided here - for a time, and was buried in the parish church of St Giles’s, - Cripplegate. This was the famous Grub Street of tradition. - -=Milwaukee.= Indian for “rich land.” - -=Mincing Lane.= A corruption of “Mynchen Lane,” denoting the property of - the Minchery, the Saxon term for a nunnery of St Helen’s in - Bishopsgate Street. - -=Minden Boys.= The 20th Foot, so called from the conspicuous bravery - displayed by them at the battle of Minden. - -=Mind your P’s and Q’s.= This had reference originally to the pints and - quarts chalked up against a rustic at the village alehouse. When his - score threatened to become too disproportionate to his prospective - wages, the alehouse-keeper generally administered a timely warning - in these set terms. It was a polite way of saying he would very soon - decline to serve him with more until the next settling day. - -=Miniature.= So called because this early species of hand-painted - portraiture originated in the head of the Madonna or of a saint that - formed the initial letter of the beautifully illuminated rubrics - produced by the monks styled the “Miniatori,” because their paints - were made out of _minium_, or red lead. - -=Minnesingers.= Expresses the Old German for “love singers,” the - troubadours of the Fatherland in the Middle Ages. - -=Minnesota.= Indian for “smoky water.” - -=Minorca.= Expresses the lesser of the “Balearic Islands.” - -=Minories.= This thoroughfare was laid out across the lands belonging to - the Minoresses or Nuns of St Clare after their priory had been - demolished at the Reformation. The Order of the Minoresses - corresponded to the Friars Minor of the Franciscans founded by St - Francis de Paula. - -=Minster.= The distinction between a minster and a cathedral lies in - this: the former is the church in connection with a monastery, - whereas the latter contains the _kathedra_, or chair, of a bishop. - -=Minstrel Boy.= A favourite page whose duty it was to attend a knight in - peace and war. On his return from “feats of arms” he recited the - doughty deeds of his master to the accompaniment of a lute, harp, or - lyre in the banqueting-hall. In times of peace his theme was the - bravery of the knight in the lists at tournaments or his prowess in - defence of fair maidens. - -=Minstrel of the Border.= The name bestowed upon William Wordsworth by - Sir Walter Scott. - -=Mint.= On the spot where Manlius Capitolinus had built himself a - sumptuous residence the Romans set up a temple to Juno Moneta, or - “The Monitress,” since Manlius had been apprised of the Gallic - invasion through the cackling of the sacred geese. Subsequently this - temple of Moneta was converted into an establishment for the coinage - of money. Both mint and money therefore come from _Moneta_. - -=Mint Street.= From the old mint established at Suffolk House by Henry - VIII. when that property was sequestered to the Crown. - -=Minuet.= So called from the Latin _minutus_, small, on account of the - short, graceful steps which distinguish this dance. - -=Miserere.= The name given to a mediæval choir stall of which the seat - could be turned up so as to form a ledge for the support of the aged - monks while kneeling. Its name, _miserere_, “Have mercy,” was - singularly appropriate. - -=Misluck.= An Americanism for misfortune or ill luck. - -=Misses’ Tailors.= An Americanism for “Ladies’ Tailors.” - -=Mississippi.= Indian for “great and long river.” - -=Missouri.= Indian for “muddy water.” - -=Mitre.= An inn sign most generally to be met with in a cathedral city, - having reference, of course, to the mitre worn by a bishop. - -=Mitre Court.= So called after an ancient Fleet Street tavern hard by. - -=Mitre Square.= From an old inn, “The Mitre.” - -=Mob.= From the Latin _mobile vulgus_, “the vulgar crowd.” - -=Mobtown.= The name given to the city of Baltimore on account of the - lawlessness of a certain section of its inhabitants. - -=Mocha.= Coffee brought from the district of the same name in Arabia. - -=Mocking Bird.= A species of thrush that mocks or imitates the notes - produced by other birds. - -=Moet and Chandon.= A favourite brand of champagne from the vineyards of - the French firm trading under the name of “Moet et Chandon.” - -=Molasses.= The American term for syrup or treacle, derived from the - French _melasse_, the root of which is the Latin _mellis_, honey. - -=Money.= See “Mint.” - -=Mohair.= From the Arabic _Mukhayyar_, “goatskin hair,” through the - French _moire_, the fine silken hair of the Angora goat. - -=Mohawks.= Night marauders who in the days of the “Old Charlies” - terrorised peaceable London citizens, self-styled after the fierce - Indian tribe of the same name. “Mohawk” means “man-eater” or - “live-eater,” this term being applied to the Iroquois by the eastern - Indians of North America. - -=Moire Antique.= The French description of watered silk worked in the - style of the olden times. See “Mohair.” - -=Moldavia.= The country traversed by the River Moldau. - -=Moleskin.= A superior fabric of fustian or strong cotton distinguished - for a smoothness like the hair of the mole. - -=Molly Maguires.= An Irish Secret Society in the United States, more - especially Pennsylvania, composed of young men dressed in women’s - clothes, and with blackened faces, who did not hesitate to murder in - connection with the agrarian outrages that they committed. The - execution of ten of the ringleaders in June 1877 at length put an - end to their reign of terror. - -=Monastery.= From the Greek _monos_, alone. This term expresses an - establishment of monks, secluded from one another in cells except - when at prayers or at meals; recluses who never go into the outer - world at all. A Friary, on the contrary, is a convent whose inmates - live in community and go forth to preach among the people. - -=Monday.= A term derived from Scandinavian mythology when, after the - first day of the week given up to sun-worship, the second was set - apart for the worship of the moon. - -=Money makes Money.= This is a truism which it were vain to deny. - Without capital a man cannot possibly set up in business for - himself, even as a costermonger. The command of money makes its - possessor doubly rich. - -=Monger.= This word enters into various designations of the trading - community, such as Fishmonger, Costermonger, being derived from the - Anglo-Saxon _mongere_, “one who trades.” - -=Monk.= From the Greek _monachos_, “one who lives alone.” See - “Monastery.” - -=Monkey.= From the Italian _monicchio_, the diminutive of _monna_, an - ape. This word is often used as a verb--_e.g._ “Don’t monkey about - on there,” meaning “Don’t play about or be up to monkeyish pranks.” - -=Monkey Board.= The platform at the back of an omnibus, so called on - account of the capers usually indulged in by the conductor. On a - vehicle of the old-fashioned kind this platform was so small that he - had to jump off it in order to allow a passenger to enter or alight. - -=Monk Lewis.= The sobriquet of Matthew Gregory Lewis after he had - published his celebrated novel, “The Monk,” in 1795. - -=Monmouth.= The mouth of the Mon, the ancient description of which was - _Mynwy_, “the border river.” - -=Montague Place.= This, like the street close by, received its name from - Montague House, the town mansion of the Dukes of Montague, in which - the treasures of the British Museum were at first deposited pending - the erection of the present edifice. - -=Montague Square.= Like the street of the same name, this was designated - in compliment to Mrs Montague of the “Blue Stocking Club,” who after - the death of her husband resided in Portman Square. - -=Mont Blanc.= French for “white mountain,” because it is eternally - snow-clad. - -=Montenegro.= Literally “black mountain.” - -=Montepulciano.= A famous Italian wine produced at the ancient city of - the same name. - -=Montgomery.= After Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, who - obtained forcible possession of the castle erected on the height by - the Lord of the Marshes in the time of William the Conqueror. - -=Montreal.= So called from the admiring exclamation of Jacques Coutier, - when in 1534 he viewed the surrounding country from its summit. The - name is French for “Royal Mount.” - -=Montserrat.= Expresses the Latin for a mountain serrated or jagged like - a saw. - -=Monumental City.= Baltimore, so called on account of its one hundred - and four churches, the obelisk, etc., which it contains. - -=Moonshiners.= The name given in the western states of America to - illicit whisky distillers. - -=Moonshine Whisky.= American whisky distilled under cover of night by - “Moonshiners.” - -=Moorfields.= See “Moorgate Street.” - -=Moorgate Street.= From the postern gate in the Roman Wall leading to - the moor beyond the fen lands or marshes of Finsbury known as - Moorfields. - -=Moors.= From the Latin _mauri_, and Spanish _moros_, “black.” Elsewhere - denominated “Saracens,” these Arab conquerors of the peninsula were - called by the Spaniards “Moriscoes.” - -=Mop Fair.= The name given to a fair held a few days after the - periodical Statute Fair for the hiring of farm servants. The dregs - of the Statute Fair are then mopped or swept up. - -=Moravia.= From the _Morava_, which name expresses a marsh or boundary - river. - -=Moravians.= The followers of John Huss, driven out of Bohemia and - Moravia by religious persecutions early in the eighteenth century. - -=Morgan Horse.= A favourite breed of American sporting horse descended - from the animal owned by Justin Morgan, a schoolmaster of Randolph, - Vermont, nearly a hundred years ago. - -=Morgue.= So far from denoting a mortuary, this term really means the - inner wicket of a prison, where the identification marks of new - arrivals are taken before they have their cells and tasks assigned - to them. It is therefore not incorrectly applied to the place of - public examination and identification of the unknown dead. - -=Morisonians.= A religious sect which separated from the Scottish - Presbyterians in 1841, under the leadership of James Morison. - -=Mormons.= A sect whose founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have received - a new revelation in “The Book of Mormon,” written on gold plates by - the angel Mormon, the last of the Hebrew line of prophets, in 1827. - -=Mornington Crescent.= After the Earl of Mornington, Governor-General of - India, the brother of the Duke of Wellington. - -=Morocco.= The territory of the Moriscoes or “Moors.” - -=Morris Dance.= An ancient military dance of the Moriscoes or Moors of - Spain introduced to England by John of Gaunt after his return from - that country, _temp._ Edward III. Hence the companions of the “Jack - in the Green” at the May Day festival always blackened their faces, - and disported themselves in extravagant costumes, imitative of the - flowing robes of the original dancers. See “Maid Marian.” - -=Mortimer Street.= After Edward Harley, Earl of Wigmore and Mortimer, - landlord of the estate in 1717. - -=Mosaics.= So called because such inlaid work of stones was originally - employed in the pavements of the temples of the Muses. The word is - French _mosaique_, derived from the same Greek root as _Museum_. - -=Moscow.= From the River _Moskwa_, on which the city was built. - -=Moselle.= Wines produced at the vineyards on the banks of the French - river of the same name. - -=Moslem.= From the Arabic _Muslim_, “true believer,” through _Salama_, - “to submit.” This term expresses the plural of “Mussulman” among the - Persians. By the Turks “true believers” are styled “Moslemin.” There - is no such word as “Mussul_men_” or “Mussul_mans_.” - -=Mosquito.= From the Spanish _mosca_, a fly. - -=Mosquito Coast.= A territory in Central America which, on account of - its climate and the swampy nature of the land, is infested by - mosquitoes. - -=Mothering Sunday.= The Sunday in Mid-Lent when the members of a family - in domestic service visit their parents and enjoy “Mothering Cakes” - for tea. These cakes had their origin in offerings made to the - “Mother Church” on the afternoon on this day. - -=Mother Black Cap.= A public-house sign in Camden Town set up in - opposition to the “Mother Red Cap” over the way. There never was a - noted character of this name. - -=Mother of Believers.= The name bestowed by Mohammedans upon Ayesha, the - favourite wife of “The Prophet,” styled “The Father of Believers.” - Mohammed himself declared that Ayesha was the only member of his - family who cherished the slightest faith in his mission. His - preference for his second wife, therefore, can be readily - understood. - -=Mother of Presidents.= Virginia, on account of the many Presidents - which this state has given to the American Republic. - -=Mother of South-Western Statesmen.= Tennessee, from the seventeen - eminent Congressmen which this state has given to the Union. - -=Mother of States.= Virginia, the pioneer British colony in the New - World. - -=Mother Red Cap.= An omnibus stage in Camden Town, the sign of which - perpetuates the memory of a notorious London poisoner during the - Commonwealth. - -=Mother Shipton.= A noted hostelry at Haverstock Hill, built when the - prophecies of this Welsh sorceress were the common talk of the day. - Some of her less baneful predictions were actually verified; notably - those as to ships ploughing the ocean without sails and vehicles - careering along the road without horses. Is it possible that she had - the motor car in her mind? - -=Moulin Rouge.= Expresses the French for “Red Mill.” - -=Mound City.= St Louis, on account of the numerous artificial mounds - occupying its site at the time when the city was built. - -=Mountain.= The extremists of the Democratic party in France during the - Reign of Terror, so called because they occupied the elevated - benches in the House of Convention. - -=Mountain Dew.= An Irishman’s term for whisky, because it was often - secretly distilled among the mountains in order to escape excise - duty; hence the expression: “A drop o’ the cratur.” - -=Mount Street.= On a natural mound the Parliamentary forces here erected - a fort or bastion when the Royalists were expected to make an attack - upon London from the west. - -=Mrs Grundy.= A term expressive of the prudishness of the English - character. It arose out of the line: “What will Mrs Grundy say?” in - Thomas Morton’s drama, “Speed the Plough,” produced in 1798. - -=Mudlarks.= The nickname of the Royal Engineers, whose function it is to - throw up entrenchments. - -=Muff.= This term was at first applied to an effeminate dandy who at one - time, like the ladies, carried a muff to keep his hands warm in - winter. This incapacitated him from defending himself with his sword - against an unexpected attack at the hands of a street bully, and - hence, as now, a _muff_ was easily taken advantage of, or likely to - become a prey to the sharp-witted. - -=Muff Dogs.= Small dogs carried by ladies in their muffs during the - seventeenth century. A “muff dog” figures in an engraving by Hollar. - -=Mug.= Slang for a man’s face. This arose out of the rude portraiture of - Lord Shaftesbury or some other political celebrity which from the - time of the Restoration to the middle of the eighteenth century - adorned the yellow chinaware beer mugs at an alehouse, or Mug-House - as it was called. These Mug-Houses were the first political clubs; - out of them sprang the popular “Free and Easies” of modern times, - and more recently the Music Halls. - -=Muggletonians.= A religious sect headed by Ludovic Muggleton, a tailor, - who proclaimed himself a prophet, in 1651. - -=Mugwump.= An Indian word for “wise chief.” The Mugwumps of North - America are the Democrats, whose political aims are above cliques or - parties; therefore they refuse to be influenced by a “Caucus.” - -=Mulatto.= From the Spanish _mulato_, a mixed breed, through _mulo_, a - mule, the offspring of a white and a Negro. - -=Mumm.= A strong German beer named after Christian Mumme, who first - brewed it. - -=Mummer.= Slang for an actor. This old English term, derived from the - German _mumme_, a mask, was applied to the performers in a Christmas - masque or buffoonery. - -=Mummock.= An Americanism for handle, disarrange, or play with--_e.g._ - “Don’t mummock things about.” The word is really obsolete provincial - English for “maul.” - -=Munich.= From the German _monchen_, monks. On the spot where the city - stands some monks built a warehouse for the salt which they obtained - in the neighbourhood. In the twelfth century Henry the Lion made - this _Villa Minichen_, as it was then called, into a mint, and a - town grew up around it. - -=Munster Road.= From Munster House, the residence of Melesina - Schulenberg, created Duchess of Munster by George II. - -=Munster Square.= In honour of the eldest son of William IV., created - Earl of Munster. - -=Murphies.= Potatoes, the chief articles of consumption among the Irish - peasantry. This term is current also in America. - -=Muscadel.= French and Italian wines, so called from the Italian - _muscado_, musk, nutmeg. Variants of this name are Muscatel and - Muscadine. - -=Muscatels.= Raisins exported from Muscat in the Gulf of Oman, Arabia. - -=Muscovy Duck.= A corruption of “Musk duck,” a species larger than the - common duck. - -=Mush.= An Americanism for an umbrella. - -=Musical Comedy Artiste.= The new pet name for a chorus girl. - -=Musical Small-Coal Man.= The lifelong sobriquet of Thomas Britton of - Aylesbury Street, Clerkenwell, where was his coal shed. He - inaugurated Thursday evening concerts, that attracted fashionable - enthusiasts from the West End. This worthy, though he earned his - livelihood by crying small coals in the street, was a scholar, a - musician, and a companion of gentlemen. - -=Muslin.= Called by the French _Mousseline_, from Mosul in Asiatic - Turkey, whence during the Middle Ages this fabric was sent to supply - all the markets of Europe. - -=Muss.= An Americanism for “mess,” used in the sense of a confusion or - disorder. It is used also to imply a squabble or a reprimand--_e.g._ - “I got into a dreadful muss this morning.” - -=Mussulman.= See “Moslem.” - -=Muswell Hill.= Properly “Mustwell Hill,” from the Latin _mustus_, - fresh. On this hill there was discovered an ancient well of clear, - fresh water, that belonged to the prior of St John’s Clerkenwell and - Highbury, who had a dairy farm hereabouts. - -=Mutes.= See “Undertaker.” - -=Mutoscope.= A modern peep show, in which the figures move; living - pictures, so called from the Latin _mutatis_, to change, and the - Greek _skopein_, to view. - -=Myddleton Square.= After Sir Hugh Myddleton, who at his own cost - embarked upon the ruinous enterprise of constructing the New River - from Chadwell in Hertfordshire, nearly forty miles distant, to - London. One of the reservoirs occupies the enclosed portion of this - square. - -=My Eye.= An exclamation signifying “You dazzle me,” “You make me blink - with astonishment.” Its American equivalent is briefly “My!” - -=My Lady Nicotine.= The pretty name now generally applied to tobacco - since the republication in book form of J. M. Barrie’s essays on - smoking which originally appeared in the _St James’s Gazette_. See - “Nicotine.” - -=Mythology.= From the Greek _muthos_, a fable, and _logos_, a discourse. - This was essentially a religion built upon fable. - -=My Uncle.= The popular designation of a pawnbroker. See “Uncle.” - - - N - - -=Nailed.= Slang for “caught,” in allusion to being pinned down by the - captors. Also a thing seized and made off with; a punning reference - to “driving” a nail. - -=Naked Possessor.= The Far West description of the possessor of a piece - of land for a long period without a legal title to it. He is the - naked possessor because his title is not clothed in a set form of - words recognised by the Courts of Law. - -=Nankeen.= Cotton stuff originally made at _Nankin_, in China. - -=Nankin.= Expresses the Chinese for “Southern Capital.” - -=Nanny Goats.= The nickname of the 23rd Foot on account of their - regimental pet goat. - -=Nantes.= A native brandy exported from Nantes in Brittany. The name is - the Celtic for “valley.” - -=Nap.= A game of cards, originally named after Napoleon I. - -=Naples.= Called by the Greeks _Neapolis_, “New City.” The ancient name - is better expressed when speaking of the inhabitants as - “Neapolitans.” - -=Napoleon.= A gold coin of France issued during the Consulate of - Napoleon Bonaparte. This superseded the “Louis d’Or.” - -=Narcissus.= This flower is fabled to have sprung up on the spot where - the beautiful Grecian youth so called died of love-sickness. - -=Naso.= The nickname given to Ovid on account of the length of his nose; - hence “Ovidius Naso.” - -=Nassau Street.= After the royal House of Nassau, to which William III., - as Prince of Orange, belonged. - -=Natal.= So called because the Portuguese navigator Vasco di Gama landed - upon its shores on Christmas Day, or the Feast of the Nativity, - 1498. - -=Nation.= An Americanism for “damnation.” - -=National Democrats.= Those in the United States whose principles are - national as opposed to sect or party. - -=Navvy.= Originally the name of a labourer employed in the construction - of canals for inland navigation. An alehouse set up beside one of - the earliest canals bore the sign of the “Navigation Inn,” and those - who frequented it were called _Navigators_. This term soon became - shortened into _Navvies_. - -=Nazarenes.= Semi-converted Jews who, while nominally Christians, - believed “Jesus of Nazareth” to be the long-promised Messiah, and - still conformed to the rites and ceremonies prescribed by the Jewish - law. - -=Nebraska.= Indian for “water valley.” This fertile region is traversed - by several shallow rivers. - -=Neckerchief.= A kerchief for the neck. See “Handkerchief.” - -=Neckwear.= An American term for neckties, scarves, or mufflers. - -=Needle in a Bottle of Hay.= See “Bottle of Hay.” - -=Needle’s Eye.= The postern gate in the wall of an Eastern city, so - called because with some difficulty a camel is able to thread its - way through it. - -=Negus.= Hot spiced wine, originally concocted by Colonel Negus in the - reign of Queen Anne. - -=Nemesis.= From the goddess of vengeance, who bore this name. - -=Nepaul Paper.= India paper made in the district of Nepaul, Northern - India. The original India paper came from the Far East. - -=Nest Egg.= The nucleus of a banking account, so called because if a - china egg be placed in a hen’s nest it is an inducement for her to - lay eggs of her own there. When a person has a trifle put by he is - anxious to increase it. - -=Nestorians.= A sect of heretics of the fifth century under Nestorius, - Patriarch of Constantinople. - -=Netherlands.= Literally the Low Countries, now comprised in the kingdom - of Holland. - -=Netop.= Indian for “my friend.” In saluting a friendly Indian a white - in North America always makes use of this word. - -=Nevada.= Spanish for “snowy,” in allusion to the snow-clad mountain - ridges of this state. - -=New Amsterdam.= The name given by the Dutch settlers to their colony at - the mouth of the Hudson River, now “New York.” - -=New Bond Street.= See “Bond Street.” - -=New Bridge Street.= Leads to Westminster Bridge, opened in 1862. This - name was chosen in contradistinction to Bridge Street, Blackfriars. - -=New Brunswick.= On assuming its independence of Nova Scotia in 1784 - this British colony was named after the House of Brunswick. - -=New Burlington Street.= See “Burlington Street.” - -=Newcastle-under-Lyme.= The name of the river on which the town stands - is the Lyne, not the Lyme. To take the place of an ancient castle at - Chesterton-under-Lyne a new castle was built in this neighbourhood, - but of such a stronghold no vestige now remains. - -=Newcastle-upon-Tyne.= Originally Moncaster or Monkchester, so called - from a colony of monks on the site of a Roman camp. Robert, Duke of - Normandy, the son of William the Conqueror, built a castle here for - the defence of the town against the incursions of the Scots. This - castle was afterwards rebuilt by William II.; whereupon the town - assumed the title of Newcastle. - -=New Cavendish Street.= See “Cavendish Square.” - -=New Compton Street.= See “Compton Street.” - -=New Christians.= Portuguese Jews of the fifteenth century who, having - embraced Christianity under compulsion, secretly conformed to the - Mosaic rites and ceremonies. - -=New Cross.= The district which grew up around an old coaching-house, - “The Golden Cross,” afterwards rebuilt, and renamed “The New Cross.” - -=New England.= The collective name given to the six eastern states of - the American Union--Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, - Rhode Island, and Connecticut--because the people are descended from - the Puritans of England and Scotland, and therefore may be regarded - as the only true “Yankees.” - -=Newfoundland.= The name bestowed by Sebastian Cabot upon all the new - land that he discovered, but now confined to this British - possession. - -=Newfoundland Dog.= A native breed of dog from Newfoundland. - -=Newgate Street.= From the newest of the city gates, first alluded to in - history in 1207. The gateway having for centuries been used for the - confinement of debtors, it gave its name to the prison erected on - its south side. The gloomy edifice which has been demolished within - the last few years dated from 1782, after the burning of its - predecessor by the Gordon rioters in 1780. - -=New Hampshire.= This state having been granted to Captain John Mason, - he in 1629 named it after his native county in England. - -=New Holland.= The name given to what is now Australia by its Dutch - settlers in 1606 after their Mother Country. - -=Newington.= Expresses the new settlement in the meadow. - -=Newington Butts.= The site of the archery butts in South London - corresponding to those of Moorfields in the north. - -=Newington Causeway.= This was the first road or causeway across the - swampy fields of South London beyond the “Borough.” - -=New Jersey.= In honour of Sir George Cartaret, the gallant defender of - Jersey Island against the Parliamentary forces in 1664. - -=Newman Street.= After the builder on the site. - -=New Orleans.= The name given to the French settlement in the New World - after the city in the Mother Country. - -=New Pye Street.= See “New Way.” - -=New Scotland Yard.= The new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, - occupying a site which has not the slightest connection with its - name, and devoid of all historic interest further than that its - foundations were laid for a Metropolitan Opera House, the building - of which went no further. With the transference of the Police - Department from “Scotland Yard” the old name was retained. - -=New Southgate.= The modern residential district in the vicinity of the - entrance to the enclosed hunting ground extending northward to - Enfield, anciently known as Enfield Chase. - -=New Spain.= The name given by Cortes to “Mexico.” - -=News-stand.= An Americanism for a railway bookstall. - -=New Way.= A modern extension of Old and New Pye Streets, named after - Sir Robert Pye, who had his residence on its site. - -=New Woman.= A term which came into vogue during the early days of the - modern bicycling craze. The New Woman disported herself abroad in - knickerbockers, and generally made herself ridiculous in the eyes of - all sensible men. Latterly she has returned to the obscurity whence - she sprang. - -=New York.= Originally New Amsterdam. When taken from the Dutch in 1664 - it received the name it now bears in compliment to the Duke of York, - afterwards James II. - -=New Zealand.= Named by the Dutch after their native Zeeland, or - “Sea-land,” of the Low Countries. - -=Niagara.= From the Indian _On-aw-garah_, “the thunder of waters.” - -=Nicaragua.= So called by Gil Gonzales de Avila in 1521, after a Haytian - chief called Nicaro, who gave him a friendly reception on the shores - of the lake, which also bears this name. - -=Nicholas Lane.= After the wealthy banker, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, who - also gave his name to Throgmorton Street. - -=Nickel.= An American five-cent piece, so called because it is coined - out of nickel silver. - -=Nick of the Woods.= The first word in this American designation is a - corruption of “neck,” denoting a settlement or habitation in the - wooded regions of the south-western states. - -=Nicotiana.= The tobacco-producing regions of the United States. See - “Nicotine.” - -=Nicotine.= After Jean Nicot, who introduced tobacco, which he had - purchased at Lisbon, into France in 1560. - -=Nigger.= A corruption of Negro, which term is derived from the Latin - _niger_, “black.” - -=Nightcap.= Since everyone in the days of our grandfathers wore a - nightcap, and fancied he could not go to sleep without one, so the - modern substitute is a glass of spirits just before retiring, with a - view to making him feel drowsy; hence such a drink is called a - “nightcap.” - -=Nightingale.= Literally a bird that sings in the night. - -=Nihilist.= Originally a member of a Russian society whose members - recognised no law save their own happiness. They sought to - annihilate all ideas of God and government, as also of the rights of - property. These ultra-Socialists sprang into existence in 1848. - -=Nimrod.= Charles James Apperley, the sporting contributor to _The - Quarterly Review_, and author of “The Chase, The Turf, and The - Road,” adopted this pseudonym after Nimrod, the son of Cush, who is - mentioned in Genesis x. 9 as the “mighty hunter before the Lord.” - -=Nincompoop.= A dull-witted person, so called from the Latin phrase _non - compos mentis_, “of unsound mind.” - -=Nine Days’ Wonder.= Puppies and kittens remaining blind for nine days - after birth, they are during this period a subject of much wonder to - the young members of the household. A sensational event or a piece - of public scandal arouses uncommon interest for a few days, and then - it gradually subsides. - -=Nine Elms.= From nine fine elm-trees on this portion of the south bank - of the Thames. - -=Nine Tailors make a Man.= The second word in this expression is a - corruption of _Tellers_. A “Teller” was in olden times a stroke of - the “passing bell” of the parish church. Three tellers gave warning - of the death of a child, six of a woman, and nine of a man. As the - parishioners counted the strokes they would say: “Nine tellers make - a man.” - -=Ninny.= Short for “Nincompoop.” In America this term is generally - thought to be derived from “Pickaninny.” - -=Niphon.= The native name of “Japan.” - -=Nipped in the Bud.= While a flower is in the bud it may be destroyed by - a mere nip of the fingers. Afterwards its leaves would have to be - plucked separately. To curb mischief or a bad habit at the very - commencement is therefore the easier plan. - -=Nipper.= Originally in thieves’ slang a boy trained to pick purses and - pockets, and nip off unobserved; hence the expression “A Young - Nipper.” - -=Nitrate King.= The sobriquet of the late Colonel J. T. North, who - amassed a fortune by the nitrate industry in South America. - -=Nob.= Short for “noble” or “nobleman.” From University slang the term - has come to imply among the vulgar anyone of aristocratic - pretensions. - -=Noctes Ambrosianæ.= A characteristic feature of _Blackwood’s Magazine_ - in its early days. This, “The Ambrosial Nights,” was contributed as - a regular series by Professor Wilson, being for the most part the - actual conversations of the author, John Gibson Lockhart, and Mr - Blackwood at a small Edinburgh tavern kept by one Ambrose. Although - Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, also figured in those dialogues, he was - not present at the meetings. - -=Nocturne.= A quiet, dreamy species of musical composition, suggestive, - as its name denotes, of peaceful night. - -=Noddy.= A kind of jaunting car peculiar to Dublin, so called because - its jolting motion makes its riders nod their heads. - -=No Flies on me.= An Americanism expressive of individual energy. The - meaning is: “I am so active that no flies can ever settle on me.” - -=No Hat Brigade.= Modern faddists who walk abroad bare-headed and - shelter themselves against the elements under an umbrella. - -=Nonconformists.= Those ministers of the Church of England who refused - to subscribe or conform to the “Act of Conformity,” and thereby lost - their livings. The term is now generally applied to all Dissenting - congregations. - -=No Quarter.= When the battle cry of “No Quarter,” consequent on an - order, goes forth, no lives are spared by the victors. To give - quarter means to spare the vanquished. This had its origin in - ancient European warfare, when, by way of earning prize-money, a - soldier refrained from dealing the death blow to a fallen foe on - condition of receiving a quarter of the latter’s pay. - -=Norfolk.= The northern of the two districts or counties on the east - coast settled by the Angles, the north folk and south folk - respectively. - -=Norfolk Howards.= An excess of refinement has caused this term to be - substituted for bugs. This originated in the action of Joshua Bugg - of the Swan Tavern, Norwich, who by deed poll, as advertised in _The - Times_ 26th June 1862, changed his name to Norfolk Howard. In - America all beetles are commonly styled bugs. - -=Norfolk Street.= From the town house and grounds of the Howards, Dukes - of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and Surrey. - -=Norland Square.= Built on the site of Norland House, the residence of - one of the Drummonds, bankers of Charing Cross, _temp._ William IV. - -=Normandy.= The country peopled by the Northmen or Danes. - -=Northampton.= Anciently described as “Northavontown,” having been built - on the north of the River Avon, now called the Nen. - -=North Audley Street.= See “Audley Street.” - -=North Britain.= Scotland. In conjunction with England and Wales it - becomes Great Britain. - -=North Pole.= A tavern sign in Wardour Street up at the time when - Captain Parry’s Arctic Expedition was the common topic of interest. - -=North Star State.= Minnesota, so called on account of its northern - situation in the Union and the motto on its arms: “L’Etoile du - Nord.” - -=Northumberland.= The north-east portion of that vast tract of land - described as “Northumbria,” because situated north of the River - Humber under the Heptarchy. - -=Northumberland Alley.= This name in Fenchurch Street is reminiscent of - the original town house of the Dukes of Northumberland before they - took up their residence at Charing Cross in 1607. - -=Northumberland Avenue.= From Northumberland House, the town mansion of - the Dukes of Northumberland, demolished in 1874 to make way for this - fine broad thoroughfare. - -=Norton Folgate.= A corruption of “Northern Falgate”; expressive of the - fine barred gate leading from Bishopsgate without the city limits - into the open fields. - -=Norway.= Called in the native tongue _Nordrike_, “the north kingdom.” - This country was long thought to be wholly surrounded by water, on - which account it received the name of _Nordee_, “north island.” This - the Saxons modified in _Norea_, and later Norway. - -=Norwich.= So called from the castle erected by the East Anglian kings - as a “North wic,” or northern fortified village, relative to - Caistor, to resist the invasion of the Danes. - -=Norwood.= This was formerly the northern portion of the vast wooded - district situated between London and Croydon. - -=None of my Funeral.= An American mode of saying “Nothing to do with - me,” or “It’s no affair of mine.” Being an Americanism, the - expression is devoid of etymology. - -=Nosey.= The nickname borne by Cervetto, the violoncellist of Drury Lane - Theatre, and John Wilson, the painter, both of whom had - exceptionally long noses. The Duke of Wellington was also popularly - referred to under this name by his soldiers on account of his Roman - nose. - -=Nothing succeeds like Success.= When a man is successful the world bows - before him. Each fresh enterprise is crowned with success, because - there is an abiding public faith in the man who has made money or - hit the popular taste. His intrinsic merits may be no greater than - those of the poor devil who has systematically failed; yet what he - lacks himself he readily finds in his subordinates, whom he can - afford to pay, while the credit is all his own. - -=Notions.= An Americanism for small wares or trifles in regard to dress. - -=Not much.= An Americanism for “of no consequence.” - -=Not quite the Cheese.= A saying which originated with those who - insisted on being served with prime Stilton or double Glo’ster. - -=Nottingham.= Called by the Anglo-Saxons _Snottengaham_, “a place of - caves.” The name is partly Celtic, and little doubt exists that the - Britons made their habitations in the caverns with which this county - abounds. - -=Nottingham Place.= After the county estates of the Duke of Portland, - the great ground landlord. A goodly portion of Sherwood Forest is - included in this ducal possession. - -=Notting Hill.= Properly “Knolton Barn Hill,” the ancient description of - a manor of the De Veres, which in the time of Henry VIII. was held - by Robert Fenroper, an alderman of the city of London. - -=Not worth a Dam.= See “Don’t care a Dam.” - -=Not worth a Rap.= A rap was an Irish copper coin issued early in the - eighteenth century to supply a long-felt need for very small money. - Nominally worth a halfpenny, its metal was so thin and base that it - never passed for more than a farthing. Its infinitesimal value - consequently gave rise to this expression. - -=Not worth a Song.= A song is worth nothing at all after its popularity - has waned. The good old songs live on account of their intrinsic - merits, but they were not pushed into public favour by adventitious - methods at the time of publication. Those of our day are ground out - of street pianos and sung everywhere for a brief season, then heard - no more. - -=Nova Scotia.= This name, expressive of “New Scotland,” was bestowed - upon the island by Sir William Alexander, a Scotsman, to whom James - I. granted a charter of colonisation in 1621. - -=Nova Zembla.= From the Slavonic _Nowaja Zemlja_, “new land.” - -=November.= From _novem_, nine, the ninth month of the Roman calendar - when the year commenced with March. - -=Noyau.= Expresses the French for the stone or nut of a fruit; hence the - name given to a cordial flavoured with the kernel of the bitter - almond or peach stone. - -=Nun.= From the Italian _nonna_, a grandmother. Those who retired into - convents originally were aged women. It was only in modern times - that seminaries for girls were established in convents; this opened - the way to maidens becoming deeply imbued with religious ideas and - secluding themselves from the world by taking the veil. - -=Nunhead.= From a tea garden and holiday resort known to Londoners as - “The Nun’s Head” ever since the days of James I. - -=Nutcrackers.= The 3rd Foot, so called because they boasted of having - broken the heads of the Polish Lancers at the battle of Albuera. - -=Nutcrack Night.= Another name for All Hallows’ Eve, when nuts are laid - on the fire bars to crack, as a relic of an ancient kind of - divination. - -=Nutmeg State.= Connecticut, whose people were believed to manufacture - wooden nutmegs for exportation. - - - O - - -=Oak Apple Day.= Another name for Royal Oak Day (29th May), when people - formerly wore oak leaves or oak apples in their hats to commemorate - the manner in which the partisans of Charles II. welcomed his return - to England on his birthday, 1651. This was, of course, in allusion - to his concealment in an oak-tree near Boscobel House, Shropshire, - after the battle of Worcester, on 3rd September previous. - -=Oakley Square.= After Oakley House, near Bedford, one of the country - seats of the Duke of Bedford, the ground landlord. - -=Oaks Stakes.= So called from a Lodge or Club-House built among the oaks - by the Hunters’ Club, and afterwards converted into an inn, known as - “Lambert’s Oaks,” after the name of its landlord. - -=Obiter Scripta.= Latin for a thing written in passing, a note by the - way. - -=Observants.= The name borne by those monastic orders whose members - adhere to the strict rule laid down by their pious founders in - contradistinction to others styled “Conventuals,” who, like the - secular clergy, take upon themselves the performance of parochial - duties. - -=Obstropulous.= A corruption of the word “obstreperous,” inclined to - quarrelling. - -=Ocean Greyhound.= A fast Atlantic steamer belonging to one of the great - lines. - -=Octavo.= A sheet of printing paper which, when folded and cut, makes - eight leaves or sixteen pages. - -=October.= The eighth month of the Roman calendar when the year began - with March. - -=Octroi.= The name given to a toll or tax levied upon market produce - passing through the gates of a town. It comes from the Latin - _auctoritas_, authority. - -=Odder.= Colloquial for one who obtains a livelihood by doing odd jobs. - -=Oddfellows.= This friendly society originated with five Manchester - shoemakers who in 1812 were accustomed to meet after the day’s work. - It having occurred to one of them how his family would fare if, - through sickness, he should be unable to follow his occupation, and - thinking it would be wise to make some provision against such a - contingency, he proposed that each of them should subscribe a few - pence weekly towards a common sick fund. The idea was at once taken - up. They called themselves Oddfellows because they numbered five. - Others soon joined the little society, and from these humble - beginnings it grew into a powerful organisation. - -=Odd rot it.= A perversion of the Crusaders’ curse: “God rot them!” - meaning the Saracens, the enemies of Christianity. - -=Odds Bodkins.= A perversion of “God’s Body,” in allusion to the - Eucharist. This oath was not considered profane during the Ages of - Faith. - -=Odds Fish.= A favourite exclamation of Charles II. It was a corruption - of “God’s Flesh,” or the Body of Christ. - -=Odds Splutter.= A corruption of the Dutch oath _Got’s plut_, “God’s - Blood,” introduced into England during the reign of William III. - -=Odd Zounds.= A corruption of “God’s Wounds.” See “Zounds.” - -=Off Colour.= To look pale and sickly. - -=Off the Hooks.= An expression meaning “beyond hope of requisition for - further service,” “completely done for,” whether on the score of - chronic ill health, lunacy, or old age. This originally had - reference to the Maypole stored away in Shaft Alley, Leadenhall - Street, and perhaps other Maypoles elsewhere of post-Reformation - days. As long as it rested “on the hooks” there was a likelihood of - its being once more called into service. See “St Andrew Undershaft.” - -=Ohio.= Indian for “beautiful.” - -=O.K.= This arose out of an Irishman’s endorsement for goods passed by - him, as he would have spelt out the words “Orl Korrect.” - -=Old Bags.= The nickname of Lord Eldon, because he always carried about - with him, in separate brief bags, the cases on which he had to pass - judgment. - -=Old Bailey.= From the Latin _ballium_, a rampart, through the French - _baille_. The term “Bailey” expressed the open space or court - between a castle and the embattlements. Seeing that Lud Gate stood - in line with this street at its southern extremity, there must have - been a keep or fortification behind the Roman Wall where the - Sessions House came to be built. The name was therefore retained - after the wall was demolished. - -=Old Bold Fifth.= The 5th Fusiliers, which regiment has distinguished - itself for valorous deeds in many campaigns. - -=Old Bond Street.= See “Bond Street.” - -=Old Broad Street.= With the exception of Cheapside, this was the widest - thoroughfare in Old London, all the others being similar to what Old - Change is at the present day. During Elizabeth’s reign Old Broad - Street constituted the residence of the wealthiest citizens. - -=Old Buffer.= The colloquial term for a short, thick-set elderly man, - whose big paunch suggests a railway buffer. - -=Old Bullion.= See “Bullion State.” - -=Old Burlington Street.= See “Burlington Street.” - -=Old Carthusians.= Old scholars of the “Charter House.” - -=Old Catholics.= The followers in Germany of the late Dr Döllinger, who - separated from the Roman Catholic Communion after the promulgation - of the dogma of Papal Infallibility in 1870. - -=Old Cavendish Street.= See “Cavendish Square.” - -=Old Change.= So called from “The King’s Exchange,” where the bullion - was anciently stored prior to being sent to the shearers or clippers - at the neighbouring Mint. See “Sermon Lane.” - -=Old Charlies.= See “Charlies.” - -=Old Christmas Day.= Twelfth Day, because, according to the old style - calendar, Christmas Day fell on what is now 6th January. - -=Old Compton Street.= See “Compton Street.” - -=Old Dominion.= Virginia, on account of its documentary description, - “the Colony and Dominion of Virginia.” - -=Old England.= This term was first applied to the Mother Country after - the colonisation of New England in North America. - -=Old Fogey.= A term derived from the Danish _fjog_, a stupid old man, - one in his dotage. - -=Old Fox.= The sobriquet of Marshal Soult on account of his strategic - cunning. - -=Old Grog.= The nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon, who always wore a - grogram cloak in foul weather. - -=Old Harry.= A corruption of “Old Hairy,” as applied to the Devil. - -=Oldham.= Expresses the old home or settlement. - -=Old Hat.= A country tavern sign which must have been the original when - the same premises was devoted to some other business, in days - characterised by the display of signs by tradesmen generally. - -=Old Hickory.= “Hickory” is an Americanism used adjectively for anyone - who is tough, obstinate, or hard, after the tree of the same name. - General Andrew Jackson merited the nickname of “Old Hickory” from - his own soldiers on account of his tough, unyielding disposition. - Its origin is thus explained by Parton, the author of the - President’s “Life”: “The name of ‘Old Hickory’ was not an - instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the remark - was made by some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s - pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next it was observed - that he was as tough as hickory. Then he was called ‘Hickory.’ - Lastly, the affectionate ‘Old’ was prefixed, and the General - thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the - first-won honour of a great commander.” - -=Old Jewry.= The original Jewish quarter of the city of London. See - “Jewin Street.” - -=Old Kent Road.= The South London portion of the Roman highway to Dover. - -=Old Lady of Threadneedle Street.= The popular name of the Bank of - England. There is a tradition that towards the end of the eighteenth - century a demented old lady wandered up and down Threadneedle Street - day by day for a long period until she suddenly disappeared. It was - generally assumed that this old lady of Threadneedle Street must - have been waiting for someone who had passed into the Bank, and, - according to her idea, never came out again. When, therefore, in - 1797 the Bank threatened a temporary stoppage of payment, and - one-pound notes were issued, John Gilray, the artist, published a - caricature entitled “The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in Danger.” - Since that time the Bank has been colloquially referred to by this - title. - -=Old Line State.= Maryland, whose famous regiment, the Old Maryland - Line, saved the prestige of the army when Lord Cornwallis’s - Grenadiers broke the American lines at Loughland. - -=Old North State.= North Carolina, from its relative position to South - Carolina. - -=Old Paulines.= Old scholars of St Paul’s School. - -=Old Pye Street.= See “New Way.” - -=Old Quebec Street.= Laid out and built upon soon after the capture of - Quebec by General Wolfe in 1759. - -=Old Rep.= Short for “Old Reprobate.” - -=Old Rowley.= A sobriquet of Charles II., from the name of his favourite - race-horse. - -=Old Rye.= A United States term for old whisky distilled from rye. - -=Old Salt.= An old sailor who has sniffed the brine of the ocean from - his youth. - -=Old Scotland Yard.= See “Scotland Yard.” - -=Old Soldiers.= An Americanism for cigar-ends, because they are the - remnants of the originals that have done good service. - -=Old Sport.= An Americanism for a broken-down gambler. - -=Old Tom.= The name first given to gin by Thomas Norris, who, after - having long been employed in the distillery of Messrs Hodges, opened - a gin palace in Covent Garden, and perpetuated the affectionate name - of “Old Tom Chamberlain,” his former master. - -=Old Toughs.= The nickname of the 103rd Foot, merited during the Indian - Mutiny. - -=Old Woman.= In stage parlance an actress who plays old women’s parts. A - fine distinction is, however, drawn between “old women” and what are - called “Aristocratic Old Women.” - -=On the Tapis.= _Tapis_ is French for a carpet; expressive also of the - cloth or kind of tapestry which covered the table in the Council - Chamber when French was the language spoken at the English Court. - -=On the Tenterhooks.= To have one’s curiosity fully aroused; on the - tiptop of expectation. The phrase has been derived from the mode of - tentering or stretching cloth upon hooks after it is woven. - -=On the Tiptoe of Expectation.= A phrase derived from the crowds - awaiting a public procession. As soon as the music is heard everyone - stands on tiptoe, and looks in the direction whence the sounds - proceed. - -=Oof.= A slang term for “money”; derived from the legendary “Oof Bird,” - which from the Latin, _ovum_, an egg, traces its origin to the goose - with the golden eggs. - -=Olive Branches.= A man’s children are so designated from the Biblical - simile in Psalm cxxviii. 3: “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by - the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about - thy table.” - -=Olla Podrida.= A Spanish term for a mixture of meat and vegetables - collected in a common pot for cooking as required. In a literary - sense it signifies a miscellany of short productions. The French - equivalent for the term is _pot-pourri_, which is also employed - figuratively. - -=Omnibus.= The dative Latin plural of _omnes_, all. In a public vehicle - of this kind there is room for many, without class distinction. - -=One-horse.= A term used adjectively for anything mean or insignificant. - This figure of speech is derived from agriculture. - -=Oneida.= Indian for “people of the beacon stone.” - -=Ontario.= From the Indian _Onontae_, which expresses “the village on - the mountain,” whence the tribe of the Onondagas derive their name. - -=On this Side of Jordan.= An Americanism for “in this life” or “in this - world.” - -=Opal.= From the Sanskrit _opula_, through the Latin _opalus_, a - precious stone. - -=Oporto.= Portuguese for “the harbour.” - -=Orange Lilies.= The 35th Foot, so called on account of the facings on - their uniform. - -=Orangemen.= The Protestants in the northern provinces of Ireland, so - called on account of their adherence to William III., Prince of - Orange, in opposition to the “Jacobites” or the adherents of the - Stuart king, James II. - -=Orange Peel.= One of the nicknames of Sir Robert Peel, owing to his - strong anti-Catholic spirit. See “Orangemen.” - -=Orange River.= This, the largest river in South Africa, received its - name from the colour of its waters when in flood. - -=Orange River Free State.= This name was given by the “Boers” to what is - now British territory in South Africa because its early settlers - were also emigrants from the principality of Orange in Holland. Its - new title is the Orange River Colony. - -=Orange Street.= In compliment to William III., Prince of Orange. - -=Orator Henley.= The sobriquet of John Henley, an English divine who in - 1726 attracted large and fashionable congregations in a so-called - “Oratory” or chapel in Newport Market. - -=Oratorio.= A term derived from the fact that the first sacred musical - dramas or cantatas were performed in the Church of the Oratorians, - which religious Order was founded by St Philip Nero at Rome in 1540. - -=Orchard Street.= Off Portman Square, after Orchard Portman, one of the - country seats of the Portmans in Somersetshire. At Westminster, from - the ancient orchard belonging to the Abbey. - -=Orchestra.= A Greek term applied to the place in the theatre allotted - to the chorus of the dancers. Among the moderns it expresses the - place assigned to the instrumentalists. - -=Orchid.= From the Greek _orchis_, a testicle, which the root of this - plant resembles. - -=Oregon.= From the Spanish _Oregano_, “wild majorum,” which grows - abundantly in this state. - -=Orellana.= The original name of the “Amazon” River, after its - navigator. - -=Oriel College.= This college at Oxford was built in 1326 by Adam de - Brome, the Almoner of Edward II., and called by him St Mary’s - College. A few years later Edward III. added to its revenues a rich - messuage hard by known as “Le Oriel,” from which circumstance the - foundation received the name which it now bears. - -=Orinoco.= Indian for “coiling snake.” - -=Orion Horne.= One of the sobriquets of Richard Horne, author of - “Orion,” which acquired an exceptional notoriety on account of its - being published at the low price of one farthing. - -=Orkney Isles.= Under the name of _Orcades_ these are mentioned by the - ancient geographers. _Orkney_ is Gaelic for “Isle of Whales.” - -=Orleans.= A corruption of _Aureliani_, after the Roman Emperor - Aurelian. - -=Orloff Diamond.= This gem, weighing 194 carats, and purchased by - Catherine II. of Russia in 1775, preserves the family name of that - Empress. - -=Orme Square.= After the name of a printseller of Bond Street who bought - the land and built upon it. - -=Orrery.= After the Earl of Orrery, who first caused one to be made. - -=Osnaburg Street.= Named in compliment to Frederick, Duke of York and - Albany, the last sovereign-bishop of Osnaburg in Hanover. - -=Ossulton Street.= See “Lisson Grove.” - -=Ostend.= Literally the east end of Flanders in Belgium. - -=Ostler.= From the French _hostelier_, an innkeeper. - -=Oswestry.= A corruption of Oswaldstry, the “place of Oswald,” where - Oswald, King of Northumbria, was slain in 642. Evidence of this is - afforded by the original name of Oswald’s Well, which yields a - spring of pure water. - -=Ottawa.= Expresses the Indian for “traders.” - -=Ottoman Empire.= That of the Turks, founded by Othman I. at the - commencement of the fourteenth century. - -=Ouida.= The pseudonym of Louise de la Ramée. This was suggested to her - at the very commencement of her literary career by the infantile - perversion of Louise into “Ouida.” - -=Ouse.= From the Celtic _uisg_, water. - -=Out of Collar.= Out of harness and the working habit. A horse has the - collar slipped over its neck when put to work. - -=Out of Sorts.= A technical phrase in the printing trade. “Sorts” are - the different sizes and kinds of type used by a compositor. At times - he runs short of “sorts,” so that the composition of the particular - work in hand has to be suspended until the required sorts are - obtained, either by distributing old matter put up in paper or - sending to the typefounder’s for a new supply. Hence a person - indisposed for work confesses to being “out of sorts.” - -=Ovidius Naso.= See “Naso.” - -=Oxford.= Cited in Domesday Book as _Oxeneford_. Literally a ford for - the passage of oxen across the River Isis. - -=Oxford Blues.= The Royal Horse Guards, from their dark blue uniforms - and the circumstance that this regiment of horse was first raised by - Aubrey, Earl of Oxford, soon after the Restoration. - -=Oxford Movement.= The great Catholic revival in England, which, midway - in the last century, resulted in the passing over of many of the - most eminent Oxford scholars to the Church of Rome. - -=Oxford Street.= After Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, - landlord of the estate north of this principal thoroughfare. - -=Oyez, Oyez.= The old French ceremonial exclamation (“Hear ye, hear - ye!”) to enjoin silence. This obtained in our own country when - French was the language of the Court. In modern times it has been - corrupted by Court criers and town bellmen into “O yes, O yes.” - -=Oyster Part.= In theatrical parlance a part which contains only one - line or speech; like an oyster, the actor opens his mouth but once. - - - P - - -=Pacha.= See “Pasha.” - -=Pacific Ocean.= So called by Magellan, who, after a tempestuous passage - through the straits which bear his name, enjoyed a cruise of three - months and twenty-one days across this ocean in continuous fine - weather, and with the advantage of favourable winds. - -=Pack Horse.= An inn sign denoting that the establishment provided - accommodation for “Packmen,” and also that pack horses were let out - on hire. - -=Packmen.= The old name for commercial travellers, whose goods or - samples were carried in packs or sacks fastened to the saddle of a - pack horse. - -=Paddington.= The ancient description of this parish was “Padynton,” the - settlement of the Pædings. Another branch of the same family gave - its name to “Padendene”--_i.e._ the wooded valley of the Pædings in - Surrey. - -=Paddington Street.= Originally a narrow lane leading northward on to - the common known as Paddington Fields. - -=Paddle your own Canoe.= Originally a Western phrase for self-reliance. - A canoe is an Indian boat affording room for one person. If he - cannot paddle it himself no one else is in a position to help him. - The expression became extremely popular in England through a song of - this title thirty years ago. - -=Paddy.= The common name for an Irishman, being short for “Pat,” after - St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. - -=Pagan.= This term had at first not the slightest connection with - religion. Derived from the Latin _pagus_, the country, a _paganus_ - denoted a peasant or villager. Removed from the refinement of the - cities such a one had, of course, very little acquaintance with the - complicated system of Roman mythology. On this account only could it - be said that those who remained unconverted to Christianity were - Pagans. - -=Page Green.= See “Seven Sisters’ Road.” - -=Painted Hall.= The picture gallery of Greenwich Hospital received this - name on account of its superbly painted ceiling. - -=Painter.= The rope by which the “Jolly Boat” or any other is attached - to a vessel, so called from the Latin _panther_, through the French - _pantier_, a drag net. - -=Paint the Town.= An Americanism for a night’s drunken frolic; the - allusion is to a drunkard’s red nose. - -=Palace Car.= An Americanism for a “Pullman” or Saloon car. - -=Palaver.= From the Portuguese _palavra_, “a talk.” - -=Pale Faces.= The name popularly bestowed upon the whites by the North - American Indians. - -=Palestine.= From the Hebrew _Palæstina_, “the land of strangers.” This - was the ancient _Philistia_, the country of the Philistines, a term - derived like that of Palestine from the root _phalash_, to emigrate - or wander. - -=Pall Mall.= From a species of croquet, called _Paille Maille_, - introduced by Charles II. after his involuntary exile in France, and - played by him and his courtiers here when the thoroughfare was open - to St James’s Park. - -=Palmer.= The name bestowed upon a “Pilgrim” returning from the Holy - Land who carried a palm branch, usually affixed to his head-gear, as - a proof that he had actually accomplished his self-imposed task. On - arriving at the place whence he had set out he repaired to the - church or chapel, and offered the palm to the parish priest, who - laid it on the altar on his behalf. - -=Palmetto City.= Augusta, the capital of the Palmetto State. - -=Palmetto State.= South Carolina, from the palmetto-tree in her arms. - During the Civil War the soldiers of this state bore the name of - “Palmetto Boys.” - -=Palm it off.= A phrase derived from the usual procedure of a conjurer, - who is an adept at concealing in the palm of his hand that which he - pretends to have “passed” elsewhere. - -=Palm Oil.= A bribe placed in the hand of a servant makes him the more - willing to throw open the apartment of the great man to whom one - wishes to gain access. - -=Palm Sunday.= From the palms distributed to the congregation by the - Catholic Church in commemoration of Christ’s entry into the city of - Jerusalem, when the populace strewed palm branches and leaves in His - path. - -=Palmy Days of the Drama.= The days of our greatest exponents of the - Drama, so called because, had such celebrated histriones as Garrick, - Mrs Siddons, the Keans, and the Kembles lived in the time of the - Romans, they would have been awarded a palm branch in recognition of - their genius. - -=Palsgrave Place.= In honour of Frederick, King of Bohemia, Palsgrave of - the Rhine, married to the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I. - -=Pam.= The popular name of Lord Palmerston. - -=Pamphlet.= After Pamphilia, a Greek lady who kept a commonplace book - for the collection of anecdotes and literary memoranda. - -=Panama.= Expresses the Carribean for “mud fish,” with which the shores - of this isthmus abound. - -=Panama Hat.= A corruption of “Palmata Hat,” from the primitive head - covering in equatorial South America made out of the large leaf of - the _Cardulavia palmata_ tree. - -=Pancake Tuesday.= From the pancakes eaten on this day. The custom arose - in Catholic days with a view to using up the eggs and lard that were - interdicted during Lent; also because pancakes were an excellent - stay to the appetite while the faithful had to wait long hours in - church to be _shrived_ by the priest in the confessional. - -=Pancras Road.= From Old St Pancras parish church. New St Pancras church - is situated in the Euston Road. - -=Panel Den.= An Americanism for a brothel, in which the rooms are - panelled off into small compartments. - -=Pan-Handle State.= West Virginia, on account of its shape, rising up - like a wedge between Pennsylvania and Ohio. - -=Panorama.= Expresses the Greek for “a view of the whole,” as would be - obtained from a monument or a natural eminence. This is the correct - description of a picture exhibited in a circular building, where the - spectators are placed in the centre; not at all of an old form of - picture entertainment at one end of a hall, which approximates to a - _Diorama_, because conformably to _di_, through, it is viewed - through the darkness. - -=Pantaloon.= One of the characters of the Italian comedy or “Pantomime,” - so called because he was typical of the Venetians, wearing, like - them, originally a close-fitting garment made all in one piece, - known as a _pantaleone_. The Venetians were nicknamed _Pantaleone_ - (“all lion”) from their common patron, St Mark, whose symbol was a - lion; hence the application of the term pantaloons to tight-fitting - knickerbockers or trousers. - -=Pantaloonery.= An Americanism for trouser material. See “Pantaloon.” - -=Pantechnicon.= A Greek word compounded out of _pan_, all, and _techne_, - art. The large vehicle of this name was first used exclusively for - the conveyance of pictures and art treasures to exhibitions. - -=Pantheism.= From the Greek _pan_, all, and _theos_, God; the religion - which recognises the Spirit of God moving throughout all the - processes, works, and glories of His creation. The single doctrine - expressed by Pantheism is that “God is everything, and everything is - God.” - -=Pantheon.= The Roman temple erected in honour of the gods collectively, - so called from the Greek _pan_, all, and _theos_, god. - -=Pantomime.= In the modern sense a pantomime is an entertainment in - which current events or fashionable foibles are introduced by way of - burlesque. Formerly it denoted a performance of Italian comedy in - which the action took place in dumb show, so called from the Greek - _pantomimos_, an imitator of all or everything. The Roman _mimes_ or - _mimi_ were not theatrical performers, but mutes at funerals, whose - function it was to imitate the characteristic actions of the - deceased--_e.g._ the virtue of generosity. - -=Panton Street.= After a noted gamester, Colonel Thomas Panton, whose - daughter became connected by marriage with the family of the ground - landlord, Lord Arundel of Wardour. - -=Pants.= Short for “pantaloons,” an Americanism for trousers. See - “Pantaloon.” - -=Panyer Alley.= This was an alley behind an ancient church facing - Cheapside, where the bakers stood with their bread paniers. The word - “panier” is French for a bread basket. - -=Pan’s Pipes.= The primitive reed instrument named after Pan, the god of - shepherds. - -=Pansy.= From the French “penseé,” which in the Language of Flowers - means “thoughts.” - -=Papa.= See “Pope.” - -=Papal Bull.= So called on account of the _bulla_, a seal embellished - with the symbol of St Peter. - -=Paper.= From the Greek _papyros_, the Egyptian plant out of the reeds - of which the earliest writing material was made. - -=Paper King.= John Law, the projector of the Mississippi Scheme, whose - prospectus promised fortunes that were never realised by the - luckless speculators. - -=Papua.= Expresses the Portuguese for “frizzled.” This name was bestowed - upon the natives of New Guinea on account of their enormous heads of - frizzled hair. - -=Parachute.= From the Greek _para_, “beyond,” and the French _chute_, “a - fall.” - -=Paraquay.= Expresses the Brazilian for the country of the _Para_, or - “great river.” - -=Parasol.= This term is now obsolete, having been superseded by - “Sunshade.” Derived through the Italian _parasole_, from the Greek - _para_, beyond, and _sol_, the sun, its meaning was synonymous with - that of its modern substitute. - -=Parchment.= From the Greek _pergamenos_, through the French - _parchemin_, so called after Pergamos, the city of Asia Minor where, - consequent upon Ptolemy’s prohibition of the exportation of the - Egyptian papyrus, dried goatskins were first utilised for a writing - material. - -=Paris.= Called by the Romans _Lutetia Parisiorum_, a name signifying - the collection of mud huts inhabited by the _Parisii_, a Gallic - tribe conquered by them. - -=Paris Garden.= A notorious bear-baiting establishment in South London - for several centuries, so called after Robert de Paris in the reign - of Richard I. The entrance thereto is fixed by what bears the name - of Bear Garden at the corner of Sumner Street, Borough. - -=Park Lane.= Originally a narrow lane skirting the east side of Hyde - Park; it is now one of the most fashionable streets in the West End - of London. - -=Park Street.= Leads westward from Camden Town to Regent’s Park. - -=Parker Street.= In honour of Archbishop Parker, who founded two - fellowships and five scholarships at Corpus Christi College, - Cambridge, in addition to presenting it with a valuable library of - ancient manuscripts. This street was at one time called Bennet - Street, after the original name of the college, from the adjacent - church of St Benedict. - -=Parliament.= From the French _parlerment_, founded on the Latin verb - _parler_, to speak. See “Parlour.” - -=Parliamentarians.= The forces under the Parliament of the Commonwealth - under Cromwell during the Civil War with Charles I. and the - Royalists. - -=Parliamentary Whip.= One whose duty it is to hunt up Members of the - House of Commons when questions of grave import are being put to the - vote. - -=Parliament of Dunces.= That convened at Coventry by Henry IV. in 1404 - because it did not number among its members a single lawyer. Sir - Edward Coke styled this the “Unlearned” and also the “Lawless - Parliament.” - -=Parlour.= Originally the apartment reserved for visitors where - conversation could be indulged undisturbed. See “Parliament.” - -=Parnellites.= The Home Rule party in Ireland during the lifetime of - their political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell. - -=Parry Islands.= Discovered by Rear-Admiral Sir William Parry in the - course of his search for the North-West Passage. - -=Parsees.= The modern designation of the Zoroastrians or Fire - Worshippers in Persia and India. The Parsees were the original - inhabitants of Persia, a wild Ayrian family called the _Parsa_, - meaning “The Tigers.” By the Greeks the territory they overran was - styled _Perseus_, on account of their chief stronghold, - _Persipolis_, “the city of the Parsa,” the ruins of which may yet be - seen. The modern Parsees are therefore descendants of those who - refused to embrace Mohammedanism. - -=Parsons Green.= Prior to the year 1740 the parsonage of Fulham Parish - Church stood facing this green. On its roof was a cross which bore - the name of “Parson’s Cross,” afterwards corrupted into “Percy - Cross.” - -=Partridge Day.= The first of September, when partridge shooting - commences. - -=Pasha.= A Western corruption of the Turkish “Pashaw,” from the Persian - _bâshâ_, a governor or ruler of a province under the _Shah_ or King. - -=Passenger Pigeon.= So called on account of its migratory habits. This - species is found chiefly in America. - -=Passing Bell.= That rung at the parish church to announce publicly that - the soul of a parishioner has just passed away. - -=Passion Flower.= The traditional reverence for this favourite flower is - due to a fancied resemblance of its tints and various parts to the - instruments of Christ’s Passion; also because it remains open for - three days, corresponding to the period between the Last Supper and - the Resurrection. - -=Passionists.= A missionary Order founded by St Francis de Paulo, - otherwise “St Paul of the Cross,” for the preaching of “Christ’s - Passion and Him Crucified.” - -=Passion Play.= An alfresco sacred drama based upon the incidents of - Christ’s Passion and Death; that performed every tenth year at - Oberammergau is world famous. - -=Passion Sunday.= Although this should properly be the first day of what - is called Passion Week, Palm Sunday is in a sense a feast day, in - allusion to the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The - Sunday previous is therefore set apart for a general commemoration - of the Passion--all crosses, statues, and paintings in the churches - being draped in purple, with a view to concentrating the attention - of the worshippers on the sufferings of the Redeemer. - -=Passion Week.= The week in which Good Friday occurs, in commemoration - of Christ’s Passion. - -=Passive Resister.= One who in our own day passively resists the - imposition of the Education Rate by allowing his goods to be seized - or going to prison instead of resorting to active measures of - violence. - -=Passover.= The great Jewish festival commemorative of the Destroying - Angel having passed over or spared the houses of the Israelites - whose doorposts were sprinkled with the blood of the lamb slain - overnight by Divine command. The Hebrew term for this festival is - _Pesach_, whence “Pasch” has been derived. - -=Pastoral Letter.= One addressed by a bishop to his flock. As his title - implies, he is an overseer, and his crook is symbolical of a - shepherd. - -=Pat.= See “Paddy.” - -=Patagonia.= This name, from the Spanish _patagon_, a large, clumsy - foot, was given by Magellan to the country because, seeing the - impressions of the great shoes worn by the natives, he imagined them - to be giants. - -=Paternoster Row.= Two reasons are assigned for this designation. The - Row was the locale of the makers of “Pater Nosters,” or rosary - beads, so called from the name of the first large bead, and the - sellers of religious texts and prayer-books. Also because on great - festival days the monks went in solemn procession to St Paul’s, the - recital of the Pater Noster being commenced at the eastern corner of - the lane, outside the churchyard, and concluded at the western - extremity, where the Ave Maria was then taken up. See “Amen Corner.” - -=Pathfinder.= The surname of General John Charles Fremont, the leader of - four exploring expeditions across the Rocky Mountains. - -=Patricians.= See “Plebeians.” - -=Paul’s Chain.= This lane, on the south side of the Paul’s Churchyard, - formerly had a chain drawn across it during divine service; hence - its name. - -=Paul Veronese.= The better-known name of the celebrated Italian painter - Paulo Cagliari, who was born at Verona. - -=Pawn.= In relation to the game of chess. The ordinary piece or “man” - bears this name from the French _peon_, a walker or foot soldier, - the superior pieces being kings, queens, knights, castles, and - bishops. An article left in the charge of a pawnbroker is called a - pawn, from the French _pan_, a pledge. - -=Pawnbroker.= See “Pawn” and “Broker.” - -=Peabody Buildings.= After George Peabody, the American philanthropist, - who left a huge fortune in trust for the building of “model - dwellings” for the poorer classes. His statue, at the back of the - Royal Exchange, was unveiled 23rd July 1869. - -=Peach.= A schoolboy term for to inform against another. In allusion to - the fruit of this name, it means to turn soft-hearted, and betray. - In American the word is used to denote a pretty woman or anything - soft and beautiful. - -=Peacock.= An inn sign dating from the Crusades, when, the flesh of the - peacock being deemed incorruptible, this bird was adopted by many a - knight as a crest, typical of the Resurrection. “By the peacock” was - a common oath in those days. - -=Pearl Bible.= So called from the name of the printing type employed in - its composition. - -=Peckham.= A corruption of _Beckham_, a home or settlement among the - becks or brooks. - -=Peckham Rye.= In its application to common, the word “Rye” comes from - the Anglo-Saxon _ree_, a watercourse. - -=Peculiar People.= Originally those who believed that disease was the - direct consequence of sin, and that by prayer alone could it be - removed. See “Faith Healers.” - -=Pedlar.= An itinerant trader, so called in conformity with the Latin - _pedes_, the feet. - -=Pedro the Cruel.= The surname of the King of Castile and Leon, who, - midway in the fourteenth century, murdered his two brothers and - poisoned his queen. How he meted out punishment to those outside his - own family may be guessed. - -=Peeler.= The old name for a policeman, after Sir Robert Peel, to whom - the introduction of the modern system of Watch and Ward was due. - -=Peep O’Day Boys.= Irish insurrectionists who broke into the houses of - the people at peep of day in search of arms. They were not averse to - carrying off other plunder at the same time. - -=Peewit.= This bird is so called from its characteristic notes. - -=Peg Away.= Originally a camping phrase. When a tent is being put up it - is necessary to secure its ropes to the ground on all sides before - the work can be left, lest the whole structure, caught by the wind, - should be blown down. - -=Pekin.= Chinese for “northern capital.” - -=Pelican State.= Louisiana, from the pelican in her arms. - -=Pembroke.= Called by the Welsh “Penbroshire,” signifying the _pen_ or - head of the _bro_ or country; literally the Land’s End. - -=Pembroke College.= Founded at Cambridge in 1348 by the widow of Aylmar - de Valence, Earl of Pembroke. - -=Peninsula State.= Florida. - -=Penitentiary.= The modern name for a “Magdalen Hospital,” designed as a - home or refuge for fallen women who are penitent. This term was - adopted also by the Quakers of Philadelphia in 1786 for a prison. - -=Penknife.= A small pocket-knife intended primarily for cutting quill - pens. Though quills are no longer in fashion, save among lawyers and - bankers, and the penknife is serviceable only for trimming one’s - finger nails, its original name survives. - -=Pennsylvania.= From the Latin _sylva_, a wood; expresses the colony in - the wood founded by William Penn. - -=Penny.= From the Danish _pennig_ and German _pfennig_, a copper coin of - full value. This was originally nicked across to admit of being - broken into halves and quarters. - -=Penny Blood.= The modern substitute for the “Penny Dreadful.” The term - “Blood” is short for a blood-curdling relation. - -=Penny Gaff.= The term applied to a low-class theatre, in allusion to - the first Drury Lane Theatre, built on the site of a famous cockpit. - _Gaff_ was but another name for a cockpit, expressing as it did in - various languages the iron hook, fork, or spur with which the cocks - were goaded when they showed a reluctance to fight. - -=Penny Wedding.= One to which all the villagers are invited, each - contributing his or her quota to the expenses of the feast amounting - to less than a shilling, while children uniformly bring a penny. - -=Pennyweight.= Anciently, before standard weights came into use, the - weight of a Norman silver penny. - -=Penrith.= A corruption of “Perith,” from Perith Hill, at the foot of - which the town is situated. The name is Celtic for “red hill,” in - allusion to the red stone quarried on the spot. - -=Pensioner Parliament.= That of Charles II., which, though it lasted - sixteen years and a half, was more remarkable for the bestowal of - pensions upon the adherents of the King than for the framing of new - laws. - -=Pentateuch.= A Greek word compounded out of _penta_, five, and - _teuchos_, an implement, tool. This name was given to the first five - books collectively of the Old Testament, its second portion being - applicable in the sense of an instrument of direct communication - between God and His people. - -=Pentecost.= From the Greek _pentekoste_, the fiftieth day; relative to - the gift of the Law to the Israelites fifty days after their - deliverance out of the Land of Bondage. This great festival, - corresponding to the Whitsuntide of the Christians, is celebrated by - the Jews on the fiftieth day after the “Passover.” - -=Penton Street.= See “Pentonville.” - -=Pentonville.= Prior to 1773 the whole of this neighbourhood north of - the New Road was open fields. It was then acquired for building - purposes by Henry Penton, M.P., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, - and received its name from “Penton Villa,” his residence, on the - site of what is now Penton Street. - -=Penzance.= Expresses the Celtic for “Saint’s Headland,” in allusion to - St Michael’s Mount. - -=People’s Friend.= The surname of Dr William Gordon of Hull, merited by - his kindly disposition and unfailing generosity. When he died in - 1849 the whole town followed his body to the grave, and the name by - which he had always been known was subsequently chiselled on his - tombstone. - -=Percy Cross.= See “Parsons Green.” - -=Pere La Chaise.= This, the principal cemetery of Paris, originally - constituted the land attached to a beautiful mansion built by a - grocer named Regnault. After his death the property passed into the - hands of a lady, who made it over to the Jesuits of the Rue St - Antoine. Thenceforth the Maison Regnault became the recognised seat - of the Jesuits. In 1705 Pere La Chaise, the confessor of Louis XIV., - was made Superior to the Order, and by the King’s desire the house - received his name. The eventual suppression of the Order caused the - property to be sold and the land converted into a cemetery. - -=Perfectionists.= An American sect of religionists who, relying on the - gift of the Spirit, dispense with civil laws so far as their own - community is concerned. - -=Peripatetics.= The school of philosophy founded by Aristotle, who - taught his disciples in the colonnade or covered walk (styled the - _peripatos_, from _peripatem_, to walk) in the garden of Lyceus at - Athens. - -=Pernambuco.= Expresses the Spanish for “the mouth of hell,” so called - on account of the violent surf, which is such an impediment to the - safe navigation of the mouth of its chief river, the San Francisco. - -=Persia.= The country of the _Parsa_. See “Parsees.” - -=Peru.= From its principal waterway, the Rio Paro, on the banks of which - the ancient city of Paruru is situated. All these names are - modifications of the native _Para_, water or river. - -=Perugino.= See “Il Perugino.” - -=Peter.= A word employed in America for running up the prices at an - auction. It is derived from the Dutch _pethur_, to run, to hurry. - The common name for a confederate of the auctioneer at a mock - auction is a “Peter Funk,” that of the fictitious person to whom the - goods are knocked down. - -=Peter Boat.= One built alike at both ends, so that it can be run out - quickly. See “Peter.” - -=Peterborough.= From the great Benedictine monastery built and dedicated - to St Peter by Oswy, King of Northumbria, in the seventh century. - -=Peterhouse College.= Founded at Cambridge in connection with a hospital - dedicated to St Peter by Hugh de Balsham in 1280. - -=Peterloo Massacre.= The name given to the dispersal of Lancashire - operatives assembled to discuss Parliamentary reform in St Peter’s - Field, Manchester, by an armed force, 10th July 1819. In this melee - many were wounded and several killed. The term was a fanciful one, - suggested by the battle of Waterloo of five years previous to this - event. - -=Peter’s Pence.= An annual contribution throughout the Roman Catholic - world for the upkeep of the vast establishment of the Vatican and - the Papal Court. Since the loss of the Papal States in Italy this - constitutes the sole revenue of the Pope. Anciently it was a tax of - a silver penny in respect of every member of a household. - -=Petrel.= See “Stormy Petrel.” - -=Petticoat.= A smaller or shorter coat, which was the ancient - description of a woman’s outer garment; derived from the Norman - _cotte_. - -=Petticoat Lane.= Another name for “Rag Fair,” the old clothes mart of - the Jews in the East End. Its modern name is Middlesex Street. - -=Petty.= Provincial for an out-house, because its accommodation is - restricted to one person; also called a “Privy,” short for private. - -=Petty Sessions.= A criminal court for the disposal of petty or lesser - felonies, as distinguished from the usual “Quarter Sessions,” where - all graver charges, short of those meriting capital punishment, are - dealt with. - -=Phaeton.= A name derived from the Phaeton of ancient mythology, who, - having received permission to drive the sun car of Helios, his - father, for a day, had the ill fortune to cause it to be overturned, - and thereby almost set the world on fire. - -=Pharmacist.= An Americanism for a chemist; derived, of course, from - “Pharmaceutist,” one who keeps a _pharmacy_ or drug store. - -=Pharisees.= Those of the Jews who affected a greater degree of holiness - than their neighbours, and were consequently regarded as a separate - people. The word is from the Hebrew _pharash_, “separated.” - -=Philadelphia.= Expresses the Greek for “city of brotherly love.” This - name was happily chosen by William Penn for the capital of his - Quaker colony in the New World. - -=Philippe Egalité.= See “Egalité.” - -=Philippi.= A ruined city of Macedonia, named after Philip II. of - Macedon, who conquered it. It was to the _Philippians_, the people - of this city, that St Paul addressed one of his Epistles. - -=Philippic.= A powerful invective or denunciation. So called from a - famous oration of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedon with a view - of arousing the Athenians to repel his ambitious designs. - -=Philippine Islands.= Discovered by Magellan in 1521, he named them in - honour of Philip II. of Spain. - -=Philistines.= The inhabitants of ancient Philistia, or “Palestine.” - Because these were continually at war with the Jews, the term has - been applied by university students to the citizens generally, and - to the preservers of law and order more particularly. “A battle with - the Philistines” is but another name for “a town row.” By the people - of Norfolk too, policemen and bailiffs, likewise earwigs and such - tiny tormentors, are called Philistines. - -=Philistinism.= The name given to that cynicism which sneers at - religion. This arose out of the scorn with which the Philistines of - Palestine regarded the rites and ceremonies of the Israelites. - -=Phiz.= Slang for the face; derived from “Physiogomy.” - -=Phœnicia.= Called by the Greeks _Phoinike_, from _phoinos_, purple, - which colour was discovered by the Tyrians and manufactured by them - for the supply of all the then known Eastern nations. - -=Photograph.= From the two Greek words _photos_, light, and _graphein_, - to write. Accordingly a picture obtained by the action of light and - transferred to paper chemically prepared. - -=Phyrric Dance.= The famous war dance of the ancient Greeks, so called - after Phyrrichos, a flautist of great skill and renown. - -=Pianoforte.= A modern development of the old harpsichord and - clavichord, so called because it was the first musical instrument - which, by means of pedals, admitted the alternations of _piano_, - soft, and _forte_, loud. - -=Piccadilly.= After “Piccadilla Hall,” a once famous mart for the sale - of “piccadilly lace,” having _pica_, or spearlike points. Of this - _pica_, the word _piccadilly_ expressed the diminutive. So - fashionable was this lace during the time of Elizabeth that when in - the succeeding reign of James I. the high ruff came into vogue, it - bore the name of a _piccadilly_, though shorn of its lace edging. - “Piccadilla Hall” must have stood somewhere about the modern circus - of the same name, since there were no houses further afield. - -=Pickaninny.= From the Spanish _pegueno nino_, a little child. - -=Pick-me-up.= A stimulating beverage or a medicinal tonic as a remedy - for languor or lowness of spirits. - -=Pick up.= An Americanism for a cold dinner composed of the fragments of - the previous day’s joint. Sometimes such a one is called a “Pick-up - Dinner.” - -=Picts.= The Lowlanders of Scotland, called by the Romans _picti_, or - painted men, because, they stained their skins with woad. - -=Pie Corner.= It has been considered curious that the Great Fire of - London should have broken out in “Pudding Lane” and ended at Pie - Corner. Scarcely less curious was it that this Pie Corner was an - eating-house. Its sign was “The Pie,” a corruption of “Magpie.” - -=Piedmont.= Expresses the French for “mountain foot.” - -=Pierrot.= French for “Little Peter.” - -=Pig and Whistle.= A tavern sign corrupted from “Piggen Wassail.” Piggen - expressed the Anglo-Saxon for a milking pail, of which _pig_ was the - diminutive. When a large party frequented the alehouse the liquor - was set before them in a _piggen_, each helping himself from it with - his _pig_, or mug. “Wassail” was, of course, the Anglo-Saxon _Was - hæl_ (“Be in health”). See “Hail.” - -=Pigeon English.= That employed by the Chinese in their commercial - relations with Europeans. The word _pigeon_ is a native corruption - of “business,” which it seems impossible for a Chinaman to pronounce - correctly. Their business English is therefore a jargon of many - languages heard by him in the “Open Ports.” - -=Pig in a Poke.= See “Buy a Pig in a Poke” and “Let the Cat out of the - Bag.” - -=Piggott Diamond.= One of the smaller diamonds of celebrity, weighing - 82¼ carats. This was brought to England from India by Lord Piggott - in 1818, when it passed into the hands of Messrs Rundell & Bridge. - -=Pigtails.= The European nickname for the Chinese on account of their - shaven heads and braided pigtails. - -=Pikes.= The name given in California to the poor southern whites, most - of whom came from Pike County, Missouri. See “Pukes.” - -=Pilgrim.= From the Italian _pellegrino_, “a visitor to foreign lands.” - Since the days of Peter the Hermit and the Crusades this term has - been confined to one who travels on foot to worship at a holy - shrine, whether he be a Christian, Mohammedan, or Buddhist. See - “Palmer.” - -=Pillow Lace.= So called because produced by twisted threads around rows - of pins arranged on a cushion or pillow. - -=Pilot Jack.= The name given to the “Union Jack” when flown from the - mast-head in the merchant service as a signal for a pilot. - -=Pimlico.= This was originally a district of tea gardens for holiday - folk, with a _specialité_ for nut-brown ales. It received its name - from Ben Pimlico, the owner of a noted resort in Hoxton on the site - of what is now the Britannia Theatre. The nut-brown ale was first - popularised by this worthy, who could not have regarded the - application of his name to ales purveyed elsewhere with much favour. - From “Pimlico Ales,” the neighbourhood itself soon came to be known - as Pimlico. - -=Pimlico Walk.= It is hard to believe that this was once a regular - holiday promenade for the citizens of London. On Sundays and on - week-day evenings it was thronged, skirting as it did the famous tea - gardens of Ben Pimlico, in whose retired arbours courting couples - softly murmured “sweet nothings.” This resort was to Londoners of a - bygone day what Rosherville is in our own time. From a tea garden it - developed into what was styled a “saloon,” and eventually into a - regular theatre. - -=Pinafore.= Literally an apron pinned on the bosom and at the hips of - the wearer. The modern example of a pinafore with armholes is pinned - or buttoned behind. - -=Pinchbeck.= A mixture of copper, zinc, and tin, out of which metal - watch cases and cheap jewellery were formerly made. So called after - its inventor, Christopher Pinchbeck of Fleet Street. - -=Pindaric Verse.= A style of verse, irregular in regard to metre, - imitative of the Odes of Pindar, the Roman poet. - -=Pine-tree State.= Maine, from the pine-tree distinguished in her arms, - symbolical of her glorious forests. - -=Pin Money.= The allowance made by a husband to his wife in order to - purchase pins for the current year. Such articles were at one time - neither abundant nor cheap. - -=Pin your Faith on it.= An expression derived from the days of - feudalism, when all the dependents of a baron or feudal lord - displayed his badge pinned on the sleeve. Sometimes while on a - predatory expedition of their own these vassals exchanged the badge - for another to prevent recognition. This gave rise to the saying: - “You may wear the badge, but I cannot pin my faith on your sleeve. I - require some further evidence whence you came.” - -=Pipeclay.= The fine white clay out of which clay pipes are made. - -=Pistol.= From _Pistoja_ in Italy, where this kind of small firearm was - first introduced in 1545. - -=Pit.= The floor of a theatre bears this name because the original Drury - Lane Theatre was built by Killigrew on the site of the famous - cockpit in Drury Lane. - -=Pitcairn Island.= Discovered by Captain Cartaret in 1767, and named by - him after one of his officers. - -=Pitchfork.= A fork for pitching hay; also one for determining the - correct pitch of a musical note. - -=Pitt Diamond.= After Thomas Pitt, grandfather of the first Lord - Chatham, who, while Governor of Fort St George in India, purchased - it for £24,000. On coming to England he sold this gem, weighing 136¾ - carats in its cut state, to the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France, - for £130,000, on which account it bears the name also of the “Regent - Diamond.” It decorated the sword hilt of Napoleon I., and after the - battle of Waterloo passed into the hands of the Prussians. - -=Pittsburg.= This city was built on the site of the French Fort - Duquesne. When, after a sanguinary engagement, it was taken from the - allied French and Indians in 1758 by General Forbes, he gave it the - name of Fort Pitt, after the English statesman, William Pitt, Earl - of Chatham. - -=Pius X.= The Vatican Journal _Voce Della Verita_ recently gave an - authorised explanation as to why the present Pope chose to be styled - “Pius the Tenth.” It said: “The Holy Father preferred a name that - would emphasise the undying struggle of the Holy See against the - Revolution. From the very beginning _Pius_ has been the name of - predilection assumed by our most illustrious Pontiffs. His present - Holiness, whose Pontificate opens under a hostile Government, and at - a time when both Pope and State are the victims of imperious - revolution, was determined to adopt the title of ‘Pius the Tenth.’” - -=Plain.= The name given to the Girondist party on the floor of the - French House of Assembly during the Revolution, as opposed to the - “Mountain” party. - -=Plantagenet.= The family name of the House of Anjou, which succeeded to - the throne of England at the extinction of the Norman dynasty. It - was assumed by Fulke Martel, the first of this line, as a perpetual - reminder of the incident of having allowed himself to be scourged by - two attendants with branches of the _genista_, or broom plant, while - on a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, as an atonement for his - murder of the Earl of Brittany. - -=Platonic Affection.= The kind of mutual esteem between persons of - opposite sexes free from carnal desires or love in an earthly sense, - as advocated by Plato and his school of philosophers. - -=Platonists.= The disciples of Plato. See “Academy.” - -=Play Fast and Loose.= An expression derived from a very old cheating - game called “Pricking the Belt,” which in the modified form of - “Prick the Garter,” may yet be met with at fairs and race meetings. - The victim was invited to stick a skewer through a folded belt so as - to pin it to the table; whereupon the other, taking the two ends, - proved that the belt had not been made fast at all; hence to “play - fast and loose with a man.” - -=Playhouse Yard.= Marks the site of the “Fortune Theatre,” the second - regular playhouse opened in the city of London. - -=Please the Pigs.= A corruption of “Please the Pixies,” or woodland - fairies, still common in many rural districts. - -=Plebeians.= The ordinary citizens among the Romans, so called from - _plebs_, the people, as distinguished from the “Patricians,” or - fathers of the State. - -=Plough Monday.= The first Monday after the Epiphany, when, the - Christmas festivities having come to an end, farm labourers were - supposed to return to the plough. Instead of which they dragged a - plough round the parish, begging for “plough money” from door to - door, and spent the evening at the alehouse. - -=Plume and Feathers.= An inn sign, corrupted from “The Plume of - Feathers,” in allusion to the plume of ostrich feathers adopted as - his crest by Edward the Black Prince. See “Ich Dien.” - -=Plunger.= A gambler who plunges into bets without considering the risks - he incurs. Recklessness is his characteristic. To retrieve his - losses he plays for high stakes, which make or break him in a very - short time. - -=Plymouth.= The seaport town at the mouth of the Plym. - -=Plymouth Brethren.= A sect which sprang into existence at Plymouth in - 1830. It has extended far and wide, both on the Continent of Europe - and in America. Its chief tenet is the utter rejection of priestly - or ministerial organisation. - -=Pocket Borough.= An old Parliamentary term for a borough in which the - votes at an election could generally be commanded by one influential - person. - -=Poet Laureate.= The officially appointed poet of any nation, so called - from the Roman custom of crowning a favourite poet with laurel, - symbolical of Apollo, the god of poetry. - -=Pogrom.= Expresses the Slavonic for “devastation” or “desolation.” The - word is allied to _grom_, thunder, thunder clash, and _gromit_, to - thunder, batter down, as with a thunderbolt; utterly overthrow, - destroy without mercy. - -=Pointer.= This dog is so called on account of its remarkable instinct - for pointing out or indicating to sportsmen the presence of game. - -=Point Lace.= So called because it is worked with the point of a needle. - -=Poke Bonnet.= One which poked out beyond the face on all sides. See - “Kiss-me-Quick.” - -=Poland.= From the Slavonic _poln_, “a country of plains.” Its original - settlers were a tribe called the _Polnali_, “men of the plains.” - When this country was an independent kingdom it bore the name of - “Polska,” and its people “Polacks.” Shakespeare mentions “the - sledded Polacks on the ice” in _Hamlet_ Act i. sc. i. - -=Poland Street.= From the Polish refugees who congregated in it soon - after this street was built. - -=Police.= The appropriate designation of civil guardians of the peace, - from the Greek _polis_, city. - -=Polka.= Originally a Bohemian dance, so called from the native word - _pulka_, a half, on account of the half step peculiar to it. - -=Polynesia.= Greek for “many islands.” - -=Polytechnic.= An institute or academy of the Arts, so called from the - Greek _polys_, many, and _techne_, art. - -=Pompeii.= So called by the Romans in honour of Pompeius Magnus, or - Pompey the Great. - -=Pomeranian.= A valuable breed of dog from Pomerania in Prussia. - -=Pomeroy.= From _pomme roi_; expresses the French for “King’s Apple.” - -=Pommery.= After Madame Pommery, mother of the Duchess de Polignac, and - owner of the estate near Rheims where this fine brand of champagne - is produced. - -=Pompadour.= Both the puce colour and the dress material of this name - were first popularised by Madame le Pompadour, the mistress of Louis - XV. - -=Pompadours.= The nickname of the 56th Foot on account of their claret - or Pompadour facings. - -=Pontac.= From the town of the same name in the south of France. - -=Pontefract.= Literally “broken bridge.” The popular corruption of this - name is “Pomfret.” - -=Pontiff.= The Pope of Rome bears this name conformably to the Latin - _pons_, bridge, and _facere_, to make, because the earliest bridge - over the Tiber was constructed at the sole cost of the High Priest - of the Romans. - -=Pontius Pilate’s Bodyguard.= The first regiment of Foot, the oldest in - the service. - -=Poole.= From the pool or inlet of the sea on which this Dorsetshire - port is situated. - -=Pope.= From the Greek _papas_, and Latin _papa_, father. - -=Poplar.= From the poplar-trees formerly abounding in this district. - -=Poppin’s Court.= A corruption of “Poppingay Court”; originally, in the - reign of Elizabeth, “Poppingay Alley,” so called because it marked - the site of an ancient inn or mansion owned by the Abbots of - Cirencester, and displaying the sign of “the Poppinjaye” or parrot. - -=Pop the Question.= A corruption of “Propose the question of marriage.” - -=Porkopolis.= The nickname of Chicago and Cincinnati, both - world-renowned cities in relation to the pork-packing industry. - -=Port.= The native wine of Portugal, shipped from Oporto. - -=Porte.= The official designation of the Government of Turkey, because - anciently justice was administered at the _porta_, or gate, of the - Sultan’s palace. - -=Porter.= Another name for “Entire,” which was first retailed at “The - Blue Last” in Curtain Road, Finsbury. Finding that it was in great - request by the porters who frequented that house of call, the - publican dropped the name of “Entire” and called it “Porter.” - -=Portland Place.= After William Bentinck, second Duke of Portland, the - owner of the estate. - -=Portman Square.= After Edward Berkeley Portman, Viscount Portman of - Bryanstone, Dorsetshire, the great ground landlord. - -=Portmanteau.= From the French _porter_, to carry, and _manteau_, a - cloak; literally a receptacle for a cloak on a journey. - -=Porto Rico.= Express the Spanish for “rich port.” - -=Portsmouth.= The seaport town built at the mouth of the harbour. - -=Portsoken Ward.= One of the wards of the city of London, so called - because anciently the thirteen knights styled the “English Knighten - Guild,” claimed the _soken_, or franchise, at the _porta_, or gate, - to their ward in return for services rendered to King Edgar by their - ancestors. - -=Portugal.= From the ancient name of the capital city, _Portus Cale_, - “the gate of Gaul.” - -=Portugal Street.= In compliment to Catherine of Braganza, queen of - Charles II. - -=Portuguese Hymn.= The “Adesta Fidelis,” so called from the erroneous - assumption of the Duke of Leeds that it was part of the regular - service in Catholic Portugal, since he first heard it sung in the - private chapel of the Portuguese Ambassador in London. - -=Portway.= The name given to that portion of a great Roman highway in - this country wherever it was crossed by an arch or within sight of a - walled city; from _porta_, gate. - -=Poser.= A corruption of “Opposer”; derived from collegiate - argumentative examinations. - -=Poses Plastiques.= French for “statuesque attitudes.” - -=Poster.= So called because auction, play, and other public - announcements were first exhibited on the posts separating the - roadway from the side walk. Being stuck on these posts, the bills - were said to be “posted.” - -=Post Paper.= So called from the original watermark, a post horn, which - it bore. - -=Pot Boilers.= Specifically pictures painted by a poor artist for ready - sale to a dealer in order to “Keep the pot boiling.” The term is - also employed by authors and journalists in the same sense. - -=Pothooks.= The nickname of the 77th Foot, owing to the fancied - resemblance of these two figures to pothooks. - -=Pot Luck.= Anything ready at hand for a meal. The allusion is to the - primitive stock pot, into which meat and vegetables were thrown at - any time for boiling up as required. - -=Potomac.= Indian for “place of the burning pine.” - -=Poultry.= Where the scorchers and stuffers of poultry in connection - with the old Stocks Market on the site of the Mansion House had - their shops. - -=Pouter Pigeon.= So called on account of its pouting or bulging breast. - -=Powis Place.= Marks the site of the town house of William Herbert, - Marquis of Powis, _temp._ Charles I. - -=Prairie State.= Illinois, which for the most part consists of prairie - lands. - -=Praise-God Barebone.= A fanatical leader of the time of the - Commonwealth, and a prominent member of the “Barebone Parliament,” - who was addicted to praising God and damning his neighbours. This - kind of hypocrisy was characteristic of the Puritans. - -=Pratt Street.= After one of the family names of the Earl of Brecknock, - Marquis of Camden, landlord of the estate. - -=Presbyterians.= From the Greek _presbuteros_, an elder. The National - Church of Scotland is governed not by prelates, as in England, but - by elders, equal in office and power. - -=Press Yard.= The open courtyard between the Sessions House and Newgate - Prison. Those who refused to plead when put upon their trial were - pressed to death with heavy weights. - -=Preston.= A corruption of “Priests’ Town,” so called on account of its - many ancient monastic establishments. - -=Pretoria.= In honour of Pretorius, the first President of the Boer - Republic in South Africa. - -=Pretty Kettle of Fish.= Save that the second word should be “Kiddle,” - expressive of a basket placed in a river for catching fish, this - expression is very old. During the time of the Plantagenets the - warder of the Tower claimed the right of trapping fish outside - Traitors’ Gate in this way for his own benefit; but the citizens of - London systematically made a raid upon his kiddles, and destroyed - them. “A pretty kiddle of fish indeed!” he was wont to exclaim to - the Beefeaters on discovering the damage done to his preserves. - -=Primitive Methodists.= The original Methodists, those who resort to - open-air preaching and singing, after the style of Wesley and - Whitfield. On account of their “Camp Meetings” they are styled also - Ranters. - -=Primrose.= So far from expressing the first or spring rose, the term is - a corruption of the Italian _primerola_, the first spring flower. - -=Primrose Day.= The 19th of April bears this name because it is the - anniversary of the death of Lord Beaconsfield, 1881. When the body - of this great statesman was laid to rest his coffin was adorned by a - wreath sent by Queen Victoria, and superscribed “His favourite - flower.” This gave rise to the formation of the Primrose League and - the annual decoration of the Beaconsfield Statue at Westminster with - a wreath of primroses on this day. - -=Prince of Wales’s Feathers.= See “Plume and Feathers.” - -=Prince of Wales Island.= Named in compliment to the Prince Regent, - afterwards George IV. - -=Princes Street.= Laid out on the site of the old Westminster Mews, and - so named on account of its proximity to King Street. - -=Printer’s Devil.= When Caxton introduced printing into England many - people regarded it as an invention of the devil. This idea was also - fostered by his boys, whose hands and faces were besmeared with ink. - They were accordingly called “Imps” and “Devils.” Since his day the - boys engaged in feeding the printing press have not improved in - their personal appearance. Young devils they are, and young devils - they will remain until the end of time. - -=Printing House Square.= This, the courtyard of _The Times_ office, was - formerly covered by the King’s Printing House, where King James’s - Bible was printed, and which for centuries had the monopoly of - turning out Bibles for the people. - -=Priory.= This term denoted a lesser house or branch establishment of an - abbey, under the control of a Prior or Prioress, who had the prior - claim to election as Abbot or Abbess of the mother community. - -=Private Boxes.= The idea of these adjuncts to a theatre auditorium was - derived from Spain, where plays were formerly performed in a public - square, the ordinary spectators being accommodated on the ground, - while the grandees looked on from the windows of the houses. - -=Privy.= See “Petty.” - -=Pro-Cathedral.= The beautiful Catholic Church in High Street, - Kensington, erected as a provisional cathedral at the time when the - present Westminster Cathedral was first mooted. - -=Profile.= The outline of a side view, so called from the Italian - _profilo_, and Latin _filum_, a thread. - -=Protectionist.= One who advocates the protection of home industries by - levying imposts on foreign merchandise. - -=Protestants.= Those who, with the Lutherans of Germany, protested - against the decree of the Emperor Charles V. This decree was - ostensibly to invoke the aid of the German princes against the - Turks, but really to restore peace and order after the disturbances - caused by Martin Luther’s opposition to the Church of Rome. From - this protest the Reformers received the name of “Protestants.” - -=Prussia.= A Western corruption of _Porussia_, which expresses the - Slavonic for “near Russia.” - -=Prussian Blue.= After its inventor, Diesbach of Berlin, in 1710. - -=Prussic Acid.= Originally the acid of “Prussian Blue,” but nowadays - obtained from cyanide of iron. - -=Pye Street= (Old and New). See “New Way.” - -=Pymmes Park.= This new suburban “lung” at Edmonton comprised the - grounds in connection with the lordly mansion built by William - Pymme, which was mentioned in 1593 as the residence of the great - Lord Burleigh, and in 1612 as that of Robert Cecil, Earl of - Salisbury. - -=Pythagoreans.= The school of philosophy founded by Pythagoras. - -=Public-house.= A house of public resort for refreshment and - conviviality. It may be either an inn or a tavern in the modern - sense. - -=Pudding.= From Stow’s description of “Pudding Lane” it would seem that - the puddings of his day were scarcely edible productions. The word - is derived from the Celtic _poten_, a bag, and was applied - originally in the sense of a modern hog’s pudding or black - pudding--to wit, a sausage. - -=Pudding Lane.= Whether or not the Great Fire of London broke out in the - house of the King’s baker, as generally stated, the lane did not - receive its name from the royal bakery. Old Stow tells us it was so - called “because the butchers of Eastcheap have their scalding-house - for hogs there, and their puddings with other filth of beasts are - voided down that way to their dung boats on the Thames.” - -=Pudding-time.= The old name for “dinner-time,” because, as still is the - custom in some parts of the country, the pudding was served before - the meat. - -=Pueblo Indian.= One who in the western states has been brought under - Catholic influences, and lives in a village, where he subsists by - agriculture. The word _Pueblo_ is Spanish for village. - -=Pukes.= A corruption of Pikes, generally applied to the natives of - Missouri, who originally settled in Pike County of that state. - -=Pullman Car.= After its inventor, Pullman of Chicago. - -=Pull up Stakes.= An Americanism for to pack up one’s belongings and - remove elsewhere. The expression has, of course, reference to - dismantling a tent among a mining community. - -=Pumps.= Dancing shoes bear this name in allusion to the fashionable - assemblies in the pump-room at the Western Spas when Beau Nash, - styled “King of Bath,” presided over the ceremonies. - -=Punch.= From the Hindoo _panch_, five, this beverage being composed of - five ingredients: spirit, sugar, lemon juice, spice, and water. - -=Punch and Judy.= A hybrid form of entertainment evolved out of an old - mystery play, _Pontius cum Judæis_ (“Pontius Pilate and the Jews”). - -=Punic Wars.= Those waged between Rome and Carthage. By the Romans the - Carthaginians were called the _Puni_, a corruption of _Phœni_, in - allusion to their descent from the Phœnicians. - -=Punitive Expedition.= A petty war with the set purpose of inflicting a - well-merited punishment upon a rebellious tribe. The word “punitive” - is derived from the Latin _pœna_, penalty. - -=Punjab.= Expresses the Persian for “five rivers.” - -=Punkah.= From the Hindoo _pankha_, a fan. - -=Puritans.= Those who affected a greater degree of holiness or purity - than their neighbours. They were to the Anglicans and Roman - Catholics of the time of Charles I. and the Commonwealth what the - Pharisees were to the Jews. - -=Purple.= This dye, in which the people of Tyre excelled, was discovered - in the following manner:--One day a favourite dog of Hercules of - Tyre ate a species of fish known to the ancients by the name of - _purpura_, and on returning to his master his lips were found to be - tinged with the colour, which, after a few experiments, Hercules - successfully imitated. - -=Purse Strings.= In the days of our grandfathers, when hasp and clasp - purses were unknown, the only kind of purse was a small money bag - secured round its mouth by a tape or string. To “tighten one’s purse - strings” was therefore to be proof against almsgiving or - money-lending. - -=Putney.= Described in ancient documents as _Puttaney_, or “Putta’s - Isle.” - - - Q - - -=Quack.= The name borne by an itinerant trader, who makes a great noise - in open market, quacking like a duck in his efforts to dispose of - wares that are not genuine; hence anyone nowadays who follows a - profession which he does not rightly understand. A “Quack Doctor” - was formerly styled a _Quack Salver_, from the salves, lotions, and - medicines he dispensed to the crowd at the street corners. - -=Quadragesima Sunday.= The first Sunday of Lent, expressing in round - numbers forty days before Easter. - -=Quadrant.= The Piccadilly end of Regent Street, so called because it - describes a quarter of a circle. - -=Quadrille.= Expresses the French for “a little square,” in allusion to - the positions taken up by the dancers. - -=Quadroon.= A Mulatto being half-blooded, like a mule, the offspring of - such a woman by a white man is black-blooded to the degree of - one-fourth. - -=Quaker City.= Philadelphia, the seat of the Quaker colony founded by - William Penn. - -=Quaker Poet.= The sobriquet of Bernard Barton. - -=Quakers.= The origin of this designation of the “Society of Friends” is - thus given by George Fox, the founder of the sect in his _Journal_: - “Justice Bennet of Derby was the first to call us ‘Quakers,’ because - I bade him quake and tremble at the word of the Lord.” This occurred - in 1650. - -=Quarantine.= Agreeably to the French _quarantaine_, the period of a - ship’s detention outside a port in the circumstances of infectious - disease should be forty days. - -=Quarter Sessions.= See “Petty Sessions.” - -=Quarto.= In the printing and stationery trades this term expresses a - sheet of paper which, when folded into quarters, makes four leaves - or eight pages. - -=Quassia.= A tonic obtained from the bark of a tree of South America, - the virtues of which were discovered by a Negro of this name. - -=Quatemala.= When the Indians who accompanied Alvarado into this region - discovered the ruins of an ancient palace of the kings beside an old - worm-eaten tree they assumed this to be the centre of the country, - and gave it the name of _Quahtemali_, “a decayed log of wood.” - -=Quebec.= Indian for “take care of the rock.” - -=Queen Anne’s Bounty.= A perpetual fund raised by the augmentation of - the tithes and first-fruits at the instance of Queen Anne for the - benefit of the poor clergy whose incomes are insufficient for their - proper maintenance. - -=Queen Anne’s Square.= Like the gate and the street further west of the - same name, this was built during the reign of Queen Anne. - -=Queen Charlotte Island.= In honour of Queen Charlotte, the consort of - George III. - -=Queen City of the Lakes.= Buffalo, in the state of New York, situated - at the junction of the Erie Canal with Lake Erie. - -=Queen City of the Mountains.= Knoxville (Tennessee), admirably situated - on the hills overlooking the Upper Tennessee River. - -=Queen City of the Plains.= Regina, in the north-western territory. - -=Queen City of the West.= Cincinnati (Ohio), so called in virtue of its - fine situation, beautiful parks, and noble architectural features. - Also styled “The Queen City” and “Queen of the West.” - -=Queen Elizabeth’s Walk.= In compliment to Queen Elizabeth, who often - visited the Earl of Leicester when he resided in this portion of - Stoke Newington. - -=Queenhithe.= So called because the tolls collected at this _hithe_, or - wharf, were appropriated by Eleanor, Queen of Henry II., for her pin - money. - -=Queen of Hearts.= Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, the daughter of James - I., who by her amiable disposition endeared herself to all hearts. - -=Queen of Watering-places.= Scarborough. - -=Queen’s College.= At Oxford, founded by Robert de Eglesfield, the - confessor of Philippa, queen of Edward III., in her honour. At - Cambridge, founded by Margaret of Anjou, queen of Henry VI. - -=Queen’s Hall.= Built on the site of the Langham Hall, and opened in - 1893, this high-class concert hall was named after the late Queen - Victoria. - -=Queen’s Head Street.= From the ancient inn, “The Queen’s Head,” now - modernised, at its juncture with Essex Road. Queen Elizabeth is said - to have slept at this hostelry on several occasions. - -=Queensland.= This portion of Australia received its name in honour of - Queen Victoria, when in 1859 it became an independent colony. - -=Queen’s Square.= After Queen Anne, in whose reign it was laid out. - -=Queen Street.= In Cheapside, from a permanent wooden balcony situated - between Bow Church and this corner for the accommodation of the - reigning queen and her ladies when jousts and tournaments were held - here. In Mayfair, after the queen of Charles II., in whose reign it - was built. - -=Queen’s Tobacco Pipe.= The name given to the furnace at the London - Docks where contraband tobacco was formerly consumed. This custom - obtained down to within the last few years of the reign of Queen - Victoria. - -=Queenstown.= Originally styled “The Cove of Cork,” this Irish seaport - received its present name on the occasion of the visit of Queen - Victoria in 1850. - -=Queen’s Weather.= Throughout the long reign of the late Queen Victoria - it was remarkable that, whenever she appeared abroad on the occasion - of a public function, glorious weather favoured her invariably; - hence the expression “Queen’s Weather” came to be applied to a fine - day for a summer outing. - -=Queen Victoria Street.= A modern thoroughfare, named after the late - Queen Victoria. - -=Queue.= Expresses the French for a tail, like that of a periwig or - peruke. In the sense of a line of people waiting outside the doors - of a theatre the term has latterly become popular on both sides of - the English Channel. - -=Quick Lunch.= An American stand-up luncheon served with expedition. - -=Quicksilver.= Living or moving silver. _Quick_ is old English for - “living”; hence “The Quick and the Dead.” - -=Quidnunc.= One who is always inquiring after news. “What news?” is the - literal interpretation of the term. As a personal designation, it - originated in the name of the chief character in Murphy’s farce, - “The Upholsterer, or What News?” A kind of political Paul Pry. - -=Quid of Tobacco.= A corruption of “Cud,” because it is used for - chewing. The allusion is to the cud chewed by ruminating animals. - -=Quids.= The slang term for cash, properly restricted to gold. A - sovereign is called a “Quid” in allusion to the Latin phrase, _Quid - pro quo_, something of equal value, which change for a sovereign - truly is. - -=Quill-driver.= The popular designation of a clerk. Quill pens having - been supplanted by those of steel, it is scarcely appropriate in our - time. - -=Quinquagesima Sunday.= The name given in the Church calendar to the - Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday or the commencement of Lent; - approximately fifty days before Easter. - -=Quit Rent.= A rental anciently paid by a tenant to a baron with a view - of being relieved or quit of feudal service. - -=Quod.= The slang term for prison; also “Quad.” See “In Quad.” - - - - - R - -=Rabbi.= The title of a Jewish expounder of the Law. The word is Greek - for “My Master,” through the Hebrew _rabi_, from the root _rab_, - lord, chief. - -=Rack.= From the Saxon _wrocan_ and German _recken_, to stretch. The - word is therefore correctly applied to the instrument of torture of - former days. - -=Rack Rent.= A term expressing the actual full annual value of land as - paid from the earliest times, not modified by circumstances. See - “Rack.” - -=Radcliffe Library.= Founded at Oxford by the celebrated physician, Dr - John Radcliffe, in Radcliffe Square, also named after him. - -=Radicals.= That advanced section of the Liberal party, whose set - purpose it is to root out the evils, according to their view, of our - constitutional system which are systematically maintained by the - Conservatives. The term first came into notice in 1818, when a - strenuous effort was made to institute a radical change in the - Parliamentary representation of the country. This paved the way for - the Reform Act of 1832. - -=Radnor.= The modern form of _Rhiadnwr-Gwy_, signifying “The Cataract of - the Wye.” This is in reference to the beautiful cascade, with a fall - of seventy feet, called “The Water-break-its-Neck,” the great - natural feature in the vicinity of the county town. - -=Rag.= Theatrical slang for the curtain, having originally reference to - the green baize. Also military slang for the national flag, and the - members’ colloquial term for the Army and Navy Club. - -=Rag Fair.= The name given to the old clothes mart in Petticoat Lane, - now Middlesex Street, Aldgate, on Sunday mornings. - -=Ragged Regiment.= Dilapidated waxen effigies of several English - monarchs and persons of note that were borne through the streets at - the obsequies of the subjects represented. They are located in - Islip’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey. - -=Ragging.= In military parlance this word expresses the system of - persecution by which an unpopular man suffers indignities at the - hands of his comrades. It has the same meaning as the North Country - “Rag,” to enrage or make angry, and “Bullyrag,” to administer a - severe scolding. The latter, however, of which the former is an - abbreviation, has not been derived from the Dutch _bulderen_, to - scold or bully, as is generally supposed, but from the custom of the - Spanish bullfighters of waving a red cloak in front of the bull in - order to excite him to fury. This is the _rag_ referred to. The - corresponding United States term for “ragging” is “Hazing.” - -=Rag Money.= American slang for paper money. - -=Rag Time.= An Americanism for a dancing frolic of the - “go-as-you-please” order, in which musical time and rhythm are, as - it were, torn into shreds; a ragged, loose, disconnected, - unconventional time. The term has been well explained by an - authoritative writer in _The Referee_ as follows:--“Rag time is the - outcome of ‘Rag Speech,’ a speech that casts tradition, balance, - beauty, elegance, and refinement to the winds, and that believes - that more effect can be made by punching certain syllables into the - brain of the listener. Technically speaking, ‘Rag Time’ shifts the - strong accent from the first to the second beat of the bar. Against - this there is a cross-rhythm with a kind of halting contrapuntal - ornamentation in the accompaniment, which sometimes brings a stress - on to the fourth beat of the bar. The result of this irregularity - and false quantity is to destroy the rhythm to an extent that often - makes it difficult to say whether the music is in duple or triple - measure. The musical consequence is the breaking down of symmetrical - form, and the tendency is to reduce the organised structure to its - component parts.” - -=Railroad City.= Indianapolis, a junction of the great trunk lines. - -=Railway King.= The sobriquet of George Hudson, Chairman of the Midland - Railway Company, who amassed a huge fortune by successful - speculations in the early days of railway enterprise. - -=Rains Cats and Dogs.= This expression is traceable to two distinct - sources--popular superstition and Scandinavian mythology. Witches - who rode the storm on broomsticks were believed to have the power of - transforming themselves into cats at will, while the dog or wolf is - represented as the attendant of Odin, the Storm King of the northern - nations. - -=Rainy Day Smith.= John Thomas Smith, the antiquary, whose chatty - volume, “A Book for a Rainy Day,” brought him more money and - reputation than all his other works put together. - -=Raise your Screw.= This expression arose out of the custom of masters - paying their employées’ wages screwed up in a tiny paper of uniform - size. The more money it contained the less tightly the paper could - be screwed; hence an advance of wages implied metaphorically giving - the screw one turn backwards. - -=Rake the Pot.= An American gambling phrase meaning to seize the stakes. - -=Ram and Teazle.= A tavern sign common to the woollen manufacturing - districts, this being the device of the Clothworkers’ Company. - -=Ranch.= From the Spanish _rancho_, a hut of posts, covered with - branches or thatch, in which herdsman or farm labourers in the - western states of North America lodge by night. - -=Rand.= Expresses the Dutch, specifically in South Africa, for a mining - district. - -=Ranelagh Gardens.= This fashionable public resort, now built over, - occupied the site of Ranelagh House and its grounds, owned by an - Irish peer, whose title it bore. - -=Ranters.= Another name for the “Primitive Methodists.” - -=Rape.= The name given to a division under the Danes of the county of - Sussex, from the Norse _repp_, a district. - -=Rapier.= This species of sword being eminently adapted for rapid - thrusting and withdrawing, its name, from the Latin _rapere_, to - snatch away, is appropriate. - -=Rappahannock.= Indian for “quick-rising waters.” - -=Rapparee.= The name given to an Irish plunderer, because he was armed - with a _rapera_, or half pike. - -=Rascal.= From the French _racaille_, “the scum of the people.” - -=Ratcliff Highway.= Originally a manor belonging to the parish of - Stepney, this highway for sailors ashore, where they found lodgings - and entertainment of a low class in days prior to the provision of - “Seamen’s Homes,” received its name from the multitudes of water - rats that congregated on the Thames wall by night. On account of the - evil reputation which this neighbourhood bore in former days, its - name was changed to “St George’s in the East.” - -=Rathbone Place.= After Captain Rathbone, its builder, in 1718. - -=Rat Hole.= A printers’ term for a non-society house. Since rats are - known to desert a sinking ship, so a journeyman who refuses to take - advantage of a trades union is stigmatised as a “Rat,” because he - forsakes the general cause of his craft. Hence also the term - “Rattening,” by which is meant the taking away of or destroying a - workman’s tools consequent upon his desertion of the union or - accepting work in a house opposed to its principles. - -=Rationalism.= The kind of religion (if it deserved such a name) set up - during the French Revolution, when Reason took the place of Faith. - The worship of the “Goddess of Reason,” in the person of an actress - installed in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, was a fitting illustration - of the unreasoning tenet that public worship was opposed to the - natural instincts of mankind. - -=Rattening.= See “Rat Hole.” - -=Ray Street.= After the victim of an old-time Clerkenwell sensation, - Miss Ray, who, on becoming the mistress of Lord Sandwich, was shot - by her jilted lover, Hackman. - -=Ready.= Short for ready money, cash always on hand, in readiness for - emergencies. - -=Rechabites.= The name borne by total abstainers in the United States, - after the followers of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, who lived in - tents and abstained from the use of wine. - -=Reckon without your Host.= When putting up at an inn the cost is often - greater than the traveller anticipates; therefore it is always wise - to be well prepared with funds, lest, when the host presents his - bill, discomfiture may arise. - -=Recluse.= From the Latin _reclusus_, shut up; one who voluntarily cuts - himself off from communion with his fellow-men, a solitary. - -=Rector.= A clergyman who enjoys a living in his own right, as - distinguished from a “Vicar,” who holds the appointment at the - pleasure of the Lord of the Manor. The former also receives the - tithes direct, whereas the latter passes them on to a layman, a - college, or a chapter, by whom he is paid a proportion thereout as a - stipend. - -=Red Cent.= An Americanism for a copper coin. - -=Redcross Street.= From the red stone cross anciently set up by the - Knights Hospitallers to define the limits of the land belonging to - them in the direction adjacent to that of the Knights Templars, - indicated by a white cross of stone in what is now “Whitecross - Street.” - -=Red Dragon.= An inn sign, complimenting Henry VII., whose device it - was. - -=Redemptorists.= Also called “Redemptorist Fathers.” See “Liguorians.” - -=Red Eye.= The Far West term for fiery new whisky, which is well - calculated to make the eyes of the toper look red. - -=Red-hot Time.= An Americanism for a jolly time, because the proceedings - were conducted with the utmost warmth. - -=Red-Letter Day.= A phrase used to express a pleasurable event in one’s - past life. This had its origin in the old calendars and almanacks, - in which high Church festivals were printed in red ink, and all the - other days in black. - -=Red Lion Court.= After an ancient tavern, “The Red Lion.” - -=Red Lion Square.= After a famous old coaching-house, “The Red Lion.” - -=Red Republicans.= The extreme Republican party of the French - Revolution, which adopted the red cap, the Roman symbol of Liberty. - The lower orders of the people, to whom the cap meant everything, - were likewise only too ready to follow the behest of their leaders, - and steep their hands in the blood of the aristocrats. - -=Red Skins.= The name first given by the white settlers to the Indians - of North America. - -=Red Rose.= An inn sign, in compliment to the Lancastrians during the - Wars of the Roses. - -=Red Sea.= Three reasons are assigned for the name of this sea: the red - sandstone which forms its bottom, the red rocks which in some parts - border its shores, and the colouring imparted to its waters by coral - reefs, animaculæ, and sea-weed. - -=Red Tape.= That leisurely officialism which refers a matter from one - department to another, until at length the highest authority is - reached to take it in hand. The term has been derived from the red - tape with which all legal and official documents are tied together. - -=Reel.= A whirling dance by a single person, peculiar to the Scots, so - called in allusion to the winding of cotton on a reel. - -=Reformed Presbytery.= See “Macmillanites.” - -=Reform School.= An Americanism for an institution for the reformation - of juvenile offenders. - -=Refresher.= The legal term for an extra fee paid to a barrister by a - client while the latter’s case is pending, in order to refresh the - former’s memory concerning the interests at stake. - -=Regent Diamond.= See “Pitt Diamond.” - -=Regent’s Park.= Part of the general scheme of John Nash, the royal - architect, when he projected the building of Regent Street, was to - provide a magnificent palace for his patron, the Prince Regent, in - the park named after him. This was not realised, and the site of the - intended palace was appropriated to the Zoological Gardens. - -=Regent Street.= In honour of the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV. - -=Regiomontanus.= The name assumed by Johann Müller, a celebrated German - mathematician of the fifteenth century, being a Latinised rendering - of “Konigsberg,” his native place. - -=Regius Professor.= The professorial chair in various departments of - learning at Oxford and Cambridge Universities founded by Henry VIII. - -=Regular Brick.= See “He’s a Brick.” - -=Regular Clergy.= Those who in the Catholic Church are attached to - monasteries and friaries, living by rule; in contradistinction to - the “Secular Clergy,” who are appointed to parochial work by a - bishop, and move among the people. - -=Regular Zantippe.= See “Zantippe.” - -=Rehan.= See “Ada Rehan.” - -=Rendezvous.= Literally an individual haunt or resort, and in no sense a - place of public meeting. The word is French for “betake yourself.” - -=Republican Marriage.= The name given by the Red Republicans during the - French Revolution to their atrocious procedure, instigated by Jean - Baptiste Carrier, of tying a young man and woman together and - drowning them. - -=Resurrection Men.= Body snatchers, who “resurrected,” as the Americans - say, bodies from the graves in order to sell them to the medical - faculty for dissection. Since the general institution of public - hospitals, the last refuge of so many “unknowns,” whose dead bodies - are never claimed, the demand for subjects snatched from the grave - has entirely ceased. - -=Revolver.= The modern type of pistol, in which the breach which - contains the cartridges revolves. In the earlier stage of this - invention it was the barrel that revolved. - -=Rheims.= The capital of the _Remi_, a Gallic people referred to by - Cæsar. - -=Rhine.= From the Celtic _rhe_, “rapid.” This name was given by the - Swiss to rivers generally. - -=Rhinoceros.= Greek for “nose-horned.” - -=Rhode Island.= A corruption of “rood,” red, the name given to it by the - Dutch settlers on account of its reddish appearance. - -=Rhodes.= From the Greek _rhodon_, a rose; expresses “the isle of - roses.” - -=Rhododendron.= From the two Greek words _rhodon_, rose, and _dendron_, - tree. - -=Rhody.= The American designation of Rhode Island on account of its - limited area; also called “Little Rhody.” - -=Rhone.= Derived from the same root as “Rhine.” - -=Ribbonmen.= The name borne by the members of a Catholic political - association in Ireland early in the last century on account of the - distinctive badge or ribbon worn in the button-hole. The Ribbonmen - were violently opposed to the “Orangemen.” - -=Ribston Pippins.= The name given to a fine species of Normandy apple - grown at Ribstone, Yorkshire, from pips originally planted on his - estate by Sir Henry Goodriche. - -=Richmond.= When Edward I. built himself a sumptuous palace on the south - bank of the Thames he gave it the name of _Sheen_, the Saxon for - “resplendent.” This being consumed by fire in 1479, Henry VI., - rebuilt it, and then called it Richmond, after the beautiful seat in - Yorkshire whence he took the title of his earldom. _Richmond_ - signifies a rich prospect from the hill occupied by its ancient - castle. - -=Riding.= A Danish division of the county of Yorkshire corresponding to - the Lincolnshire _Trithing_, of which it is a corruption, signifying - a third part. - -=Riff-raff.= Expresses the Anglo-Saxon, from the Danish _rip-raps_, for - “sweepings”; hence the scum of society. - -=Right off the Reel.= To do a thing without stopping until it is - finished. The allusion is to unwinding the entire length of cotton - off a reel or bobbin. - -=Right Foot Foremost.= A phrase derived from the old Roman superstition - that if a visitor crossed the threshold with the left foot foremost - he would be certain to bring ill luck upon the household. - -=Rile.= A provincial corruption of “Rail,” to anger or tease. - -=Ring.= A professional term for a charmed circle--_e.g._ “The Dramatic - Ring.” - -=Ring him up.= A telephone phrase, really borrowed from the theatrical - profession, in which the prompter’s “Ring up” and “Ring - down”--_i.e._ the curtain--have obtained favour since the “Palmy - Days of the Drama.” - -=Rink.= An American variant of “Ring.” In the sense of a skating rink - the term has become popular in England. - -=Rio de Janeiro.= This city takes its name from the river discovered by - Alfonso de Sousa on the Feast of St Januarius, on which it stands. - -=Rio de la Plata.= Spanish for “river of silver.” - -=Rio Grande.= Spanish for “great river.” - -=Rip.= A corruption of “Rep.” See “Old Rep.” - -=Ritualists.= The extreme High Church party, who for many years past - have revived the ancient ritual to such a degree that they may be - said to be Roman Catholics in everything save in name. - -=Riviera.= Literally “coast,” “sea-shore.” - -=Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.= An expression derived from the following - circumstance:--By Royal Letters Patent, dated 17th December 1540, - the abbey church of St Peter, Westminster, was constituted a - cathedral, with a resident bishop. Ten years afterwards this order - was revoked, the diocese of Westminster being united to that of St - Paul’s Cathedral, and its revenues were granted towards the repairs - of the city fane; hence what was taken away from St Peter’s went to - benefit St Paul’s. - -=Robert.= The generic name for a policeman, after Sir Robert Peel, who - introduced the modern constabulary system. - -=Robert Street.= In the Adelphi, after the Christian name of one of the - three brothers Adam, its builders. In Camden Town, after one of the - family names of the Marquis of Camden, the ground landlord. - -=Robert the Devil.= The surname of the first Duke of Normandy, the - father of William the Conqueror, merited by his outrageous cruelty - and daring in war. - -=Robin Hood.= The proper name of this renowned leader of the Sherwood - Foresters was Robert Fitzooth. The first he euphonised into _Robin_ - and the second into _Hood_, leaving out the _Fitz_, which is Norman - for “son,” altogether, since having been declared an outlaw, he was - not unwilling to renounce his claims to Norman descent. Whether or - not he was really Earl of Huntingdon, as some historians assert, - cannot be proved. - -=Robinson.= The French popular name for an umbrella, in allusion to - Robinson Crusoe. - -=Rob Roy.= The popular name of the Scottish outlaw Robert Macgregor, - meaning simply “Robert the Red” on account of his beard. - -=Rochester.= From _Hrofoceaster_, after Hrop, a Saxon chieftain, who - built a castle on the site of a _castra_, or Roman encampment. - -=Rochester Row.= A name which recalls the fact that, prior to the time - of George III., the Deanery of Westminster was included in the - Bishopric of Rochester. - -=Rock Day.= Another ancient name for “Distaffs’ Day,” 7th January, the - word _rock_ being the Anglo-Saxon for a distaff. - -=Rogation Days.= So called from the Latin _rogare_, to beseech, and also - from the Greek _litaneia_, supplication. These being the three days - preceding the Feast of the Ascension, the Litany of the Saints is - chanted by way of preparation and supplication for the joyful event. - -=Rogation Sunday.= That which ushers in the “Rogation Days.” - -=Roger de Coverley.= The correct description of this surname is Roger de - Cowley, or Roger of Cowley, near Oxford. The dance of this name was - invented by an ancestor of the country squire, Sir Roger de - Coverley, mentioned by Addison in _The Spectator_. - -=Rogues’ Gallery.= The name given to the collection of criminals’ - photographs in the State Prison of New York. - -=Roland for an Oliver.= See “Gave him a Roland for an Oliver.” - -=Roll Call.= The list of names called out in the army. The term “Roll” - is a survival of those far-off days when not only a list, but - writing of all kinds, was set forth on one long roll of paper. We - still speak of a “Burgess Roll,” while to belong to any society is - said to be “enrolled” among its members; hence also the phrase “Roll - of Honour.” - -=Rolls Chapel.= This ancient edifice, now incorporated in the New Record - Office, was built by Henry III. for a number of Jewish rabbis who, - had been converted to Christianity. Into it Edward III. caused all - the accumulated rolls or records to be stored, and there they - remained in the custody of the Master of the Rolls, until in more - modern days they were overhauled and catalogued. - -=Roman Catholic Church.= The ancient original fold of “The Holy Catholic - Church,” which acknowledges the authority of the Pope of Rome. The - recognised head of the English Catholic Church is the King, - represented by the Archbishop of Canterbury, just as that of “The - Greek Catholic Church” in Russia is the Czar, represented by the - Metropolitan of St Petersburg. - -=Rome.= After Romulus, its mythical founder. - -=Romeo Coates.= Robert Coates was a fashionable amateur actor during the - early part of the last century; surnamed Romeo Coates on account of - his very many appearances in the character of the ill-fated hero in - _Romeo and Juliet_. - -=Romford.= The ford over the Bourne, anciently called the Rom, this - being the Roman highway between London and Colchester. - -=Romney Street.= After Charles Marsham, Earl of Romney, the owner of the - estate. - -=Rood Lane.= From an ancient holy rood or cross, on which was a figure - of the dying Saviour, that stood in this thoroughfare as a boundary - mark of the landed property of the nuns of St Helen’s. See “Mincing - Lane.” - -=Rosary.= A string of beads, and also the prayers said in connection - therewith, so called because the Virgin appeared in a vision to St - Dominic, who instituted this Catholic devotion, holding out to him a - garland of red and white roses. The ancient rosaries, or - “pater-nosters” as they were called, bore an impression of a rose on - each bead. - -=Rose.= An inn and tavern sign which, as a painted device, red or white, - displayed a partisanship for the Lancastrians or the Yorkists. After - the union of the two royal houses nothing was easier to quench the - former partiality for either the red or white rose than to exhibit - in place of the coloured design the name of “The Rose,” as a general - compliment to the Crown. - -=Rose and Crown.= This inn and tavern sign symbolised the cessation of - the Wars of the Roses by the marriage of Henry VII. to Elizabeth, - the daughter of Edward IV. - -=Rosebery Avenue.= After Lord Rosebery, the erstwhile leader of the - Liberal party in our time. - -=Rosoman Street.= Perpetuates the memory of Mr Rosoman, who converted - Sadler’s Musick House into a regular theatre in 1765. - -=Rosslyn Hill Park.= From Rosslyn House, the residence of Alexander - Wedderburn, Earl of Rosslyn, and Lord Chancellor of England. - -=Rotherhithe.= Properly _Roth-hithe_, the Anglo-Saxon for “red haven.” - See “Rutland.” - -=Rotten Row.= This name is a survival of the days when French was the - language of the Court. Properly _route du roi_, it is literally - “route of the King,” and meant the King’s drive across the park. - -=Rouge et Noir.= French for “red and black,” the alternate colour of the - diamonds that distinguish the spaces on the gaming-table. - -=Roughriders.= The name borne by expert horsemen in Natal, who dispense - with saddles. - -=Roulette.= Expresses the French for “a little wheel.” - -=Roumania.= As its name implies, this was anciently a Roman province. - -=Roumelia.= A Turkish corruption of Roumania, “the country of the - Romans.” - -=Roundheads.= The Parliamentary soldiers under Cromwell, so called from - the custom of the Puritans of cropping the hair close to the head, - as opposed to that of the Cavaliers, who wore it long. - -=Rouser.= An Americanism for what we in this country style a - “Pick-me-up.” - -=Rout.= A fashionable assembly, so called from the German _rotte_ and - Celtic “rhauter,” a crowd. The name is now never heard, but what are - called “Rout Seats,” generally requisitioned for such gatherings, - are still let out on hire. - -=Rowton Houses.= The name given to large blocks of tenements exclusively - designed for the accommodation of unmarried clerks and others - employed in the city. The foundation of the late Lord Rowton. - -=Roxburgh.= From the Celtic _ross_, a headland, the castle on the - promontory. - -=Roxburghe.= A superior style of bookbinding, so called from that - uniformly adopted by the Roxburghe Club, a society established for - printing rare books, and named after John, Duke of Roxburghe, a - famous collector of works of art and literature. - -=Royalists.= The adherents of Charles I. in the Civil War. - -=Royal Maunds.= The name given to doles of money corresponding to the - years of life attained by the reigning monarch to the poor on - “Maundy Thursday.” This custom has been in vogue ever since the time - of Edward III. - -=Royal Oak.= An inn sign which had its origin during the Restoration - period, in compliment to Charles II. See “Oak Apple Day.” - -=Royal Oak Day.= Another name for “Oak Apple Day.” - -=Rufus.= The surname of William II. on account of his florid complexion; - _rufus_ is the Latin for “ruddy.” - -=Rugby.= A corruption of the Saxon _Rothby_, “red village,” in allusion - to its soil. - -=Rum.= A West Indian word for spirit distilled from cane juice. - -=Run.= An Americanism used as a verb for “finance,” whether in relation - to a person or a business enterprise. “Who’s running him?” means who - is it that keeps him going, or on his feet? - -=Run Amuck.= To run foul of a person or thing. The phrase is derived - from the Malays, who, while under the influence of opium, rush - through the streets with drawn daggers, crying: _Amog! amog!_ - (“Kill! kill!”), and threaten the lives of everyone they encounter. - -=Running Footman.= A tavern sign in Mayfair, reminiscent of the days - when running footmen, carrying a short staff of office, preceded the - carriages of the wealthy. The object of this custom was to give - timely notice of the impending arrival of their masters. The tavern - in question, situated in Hayes’ Mews, was formerly the regular - resort of running footmen and sedan chairmen. - -=Rupert’s Land.= After Prince Rupert, one of the founders of the - Hudson’s Bay Company. - -=Rupert Street.= After Prince Rupert, who introduced his invention of - “Prince Rupert’s Drops,” or glass bubblers, into England. - -=Russell Square.= After Lord William Russell, the patriot, whose wife, - Rachel, was the daughter of Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, - Marquis of Tavistock, Duke of Bedford, the ancestor of the present - great ground landlord. The several streets of the same name are - included in the estate. - -=Russell Street.= In Bermondsey, after Richard Russell, a noted - benefactor to the parochial charities during his life, and after his - death in 1784. For other streets so denominated on the Bedford - estate see “Russell Square.” - -=Russia.= The country of the _Russ_, the tribe that first overran it. - -=Rutland.= A corruption of the Anglo-Saxon _Rothland_, “red land,” so - called on account of the colour of its soil. - -=Rutland Gate.= After the town mansion of the Dukes of Rutland. - -=Rye Lane.= Leads to “Peckham Rye.” - -=Ryot.= A Hindoo peasant or cultivator of the soil, so called from the - Arabic _raaya_, to pasture. - - - - - S - -=Sabbatarians.= The followers of Brabourne, a Baptist minister, who held - that the real Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, as enunciated - in the Book of Genesis. This sect arose in 1628. Also known as - “Seventh Day Baptists.” - -=Sabeans.= The first idolaters, worshippers of the sun, moon, and stars - as the visible representations of the Deity; so called after Sabi, - the son of Seth. - -=Sack.= A dry wine of great repute in Elizabethan times, so called from - the French _sec_, dry. - -=Sackville Street.= Built upon in 1679--that is, twenty years after “Air - Street”--this thoroughfare was named in honour of Charles Sackville, - Earl of Dorset, one of the favourites of Charles II. - -=Sacramentarians.= The designation of the Calvinists, or those who - denied the Real Presence in the Eucharist. - -=Sacrilege.= Literally the act of despoiling that which is sacred. - -=Sadler’s Wells Theatre.= Originally a “Musick House” in connection with - a Spa opened by Mr Sadler, who, after digging for gravel in his - garden in 1683, discovered an ancient “holy well” that had been - stopped up since the Reformation. - -=Saffron Hill.= From the saffron which grew abundantly in the grounds - attached to Ely House, the town mansion of the bishops of Ely. - -=Sahara.= Expresses the Arabic for “desert.” - -=Sailor King.= William IV., who, having been bred to the sea in his - youth, worked up his way from a midshipman to the position of Lord - High Admiral. In his case promotion was no doubt easy. - -=St Albans.= The scene of the martyrdom of St Alban, A.D. 297, in honour - of whom Offa, King of Mercia, founded a Benedictine abbey. - -=St Andrew Undershaft.= The Church of St Andrew in Leadenhall Street, so - called from the tall shaft or Maypole which, bedecked with garlands - on high festivals, stood within a few yards of its door. Since this - shaft towered high above the steeple the church was said to be - “under the shaft.” After the Reformation the shaft was taken down - and kept in an adjacent alley, now called “Shaft Alley.” Thirty-two - years later the popular voice declared it to be a relic of - superstition, whereupon it was “raised off the hooks,” sawn into - pieces, and burnt. - -=St Andrews.= After St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, whose bones - are enshrined in the Cathedral. - -=St Andrew’s Hill.= From the church of St Andrew, at its south-western - extremity. - -=St Bees.= From an ancient nunnery founded in the seventh century by an - Irish saint named Bega. Partly destroyed by the time of Henry I., it - was then reconstituted as a priory by Randulp, Earl of Cumberland. - This village is known chiefly on account of its college, the - foundation of Dr Law, Bishop of Chester in 1806. - -=St Bride Street.= From the neighbouring parish church of St Bride or - Bridget. - -=St Clement Danes.= Dedicated to St Clement, this parish church received - the bones of Harold I. and many of his countrymen during the Danish - occupation of England. - -=St David’s Day.= The birthday (1st March) of St David, the patron saint - of Wales, who when archbishop advised his countrymen to wear a leek - in their caps, to distinguish them from their foes. In consequence - of the precaution they won a decisive victory over the Saxons on - this day, and the leek became the national emblem. - -=St Ethelburga’s.= This, one of the most ancient churches in the city, - was dedicated to St Ethelburga, the daughter of King Ethelbert, and - a paragon of all the Christian virtues. - -=St Ethelreda’s.= This beautiful city church in Ely Place, after having - gone through many vicissitudes since the Reformation, is now once - more a Roman Catholic place of worship. St Ethelreda was the - daughter of Ethelred, King of the East Angles; her name is often - corrupted into St Audrey. See “Tawdry.” - -=St George and Dragon.= An inn sign after the patron saint of England. - -=St George’s Hall.= This place of entertainment, now occupied by Messrs - Maskelyne & Devant, was opened in 1867 as St George’s Opera House, - so called on account of its location in the parish of St George, - Hanover Square. - -=St George’s in the East.= The modern designation of “Ratcliff Highway,” - from the parish church dedicated to St George, patron saint of - England. - -=St George’s Square.= After the neighbouring church, dedicated to St - George. - -=St Grouse’s Day.= The jocular term for the twelfth of August, when - grouse shooting begins. - -=St Helena.= This island was discovered on the Feast of St Helena, 1502. - -=St Helen’s Place.= From the adjacent church of St Helen’s, dedicated to - St Helena, the mother of Constantine. Thirty years later in 1180, - William Fitzwilliam, a wealthy goldsmith, founded a priory of nuns - in connection therewith. - -=St James’s Palace.= Stands on the site of an ancient hospital for - lepers dedicated to St James the Less, Bishop of Jerusalem. The - original palace was built by Holbein for Henry VIII. - -=St James’s Square.= Like the street of the same name, after St James’s - Palace. - -=St John’s Gate.= The last vestige of the ancient priory of St John of - Jerusalem, the English seat of the Knights Hospitallers. The gateway - now forms the headquarters of the St John’s Ambulance Association. - Here William Cave, the printer, projected and published _The - Gentleman’s Magazine_. - -=St John’s Wood.= From the ancient “Abbey of the Holy Virgins of St John - the Baptist,” which nestled among the now vanished woods in this - neighbourhood. - -=St Katherine Coleman.= Dedicated to St Katherine, this city church - received its second name on account of its location in the garden of - one Coleman, the builder of the street called after him. - -=St Katherine Cree.= Originally a chapel dedicated to St Katherine in - the parish of Holy Trinity (in the Minories). This on the abolition - of the neighbouring benefices of Christ Church, St Mary Magdalen, - and St Michael was made into a separate parish of Christ Church, - and, while retaining the old name, came to be known as “St Katherine - Christi,” of which “Cree” is a corruption. - -=St Katherine’s Docks.= From an ancient hospital of St Katherine, - displaced when these docks were constructed in 1828. - -=St Kitt’s Island.= Discovered by Columbus, it was named by him after St - Christopher, his patron saint. - -=St Lawrence.= The gulf of this name was first entered, and the - navigation of the great river embarked upon, on the Feast of St - Lawrence, 1500. - -=St Lawrence Jewry.= The church dedicated to St Lawrence in the Jewry. - See “Old Jewry.” - -=St Leger Stakes.= See “Doncaster St Leger.” - -=St Lubbock.= The popular nickname of Lord Avebury, formerly Sir John - Lubbock, to whom our countrymen are indebted for the introduction of - legalised Bank Holidays. - -=St Margaret Pattens.= This church received its name from the gilt - spots, or _patines_, with which its roof was anciently decorated. A - _paten_ is the circular gold dish which covers the chalice at the - altar. - -=St Martin’s Lane.= From the parish church of St Martin in the Fields. - -=St Martin’s-le-Grand.= The official designation of the buildings - collectively comprised in the headquarters of the General Post - Office. This is because the original edifice occupies the site of an - ancient college church dedicated to St Martin-le-Grand, the - foundation of Within, King of Kent in 750, and invested with the - privilege of sanctuary under a charter of William the Conqueror. - -=St Mary-Axe.= From a vanished church of St Mary that stood opposite to - a shop which had an axe for its sign. Originally “St - Mary-by-the-Axe.” - -=St Mary-le-Bow.= See “Bow Church.” - -=St Mary Woolnoth.= Dedicated to the Virgin; this church was so called - because it stood _nough_, or nigh, to the ancient wool beam or - staple. - -=St Michael’s Mount.= Anciently the seat of a religious house, to the - monks of which, as tradition states, St Michael once appeared on the - crag, where in later years a castle was built, the exact spot being - indicated by a stone lantern, since known as “St Michael’s Chair.” - -=St Olave’s.= A corruption of “St Olafs,” this church having been - dedicated to Olaf, King of Norway, who Christianised his country, - and at the invitation of Ethelred came over to England to render aid - in the work of expelling the Danes. - -=St Pancras.= This parish takes its name from the ancient church in Old - St Pancras Road dedicated to the boy saint who was martyred by - Diocletian. A representation of this youth being attacked by wild - dogs may be seen on the stone bridge over the Regent’s Canal, which - serves as a boundary mark to the parish. - -=St Partridge’s Day.= A popular nickname for “Partridge Day.” - -=St Paul of the Cross.= See “Passionists.” - -=St Petersburg.= Founded by Peter the Great, and dedicated to St Peter, - whose church is situated within the citadel. - -=St Sepulchre’s.= The foundation of this church was the outcome of the - Crusades, in honour of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. - Appropriately enough, the bell of the modern edifice gave warning to - the unhappy inmates of the condemned cell in Newgate Prison over the - way of their approaching last hour. - -=St Sophia.= This beautiful mosque at Constantinople, although - originally a Christian cathedral, so far from having been dedicated - to any St Sophia, was called _Hagia Sopia_, “Holy Wisdom”--_i.e._ - the eternal wisdom of _God_ manifested in the Second Person of the - Trinity. - -=St Stephen’s.= The House of Commons bears this name because, in the - absence of a separate building, its members held their sittings in - the Chapel of St Stephen’s, Westminster Abbey, until that edifice - was burned down, 16th October 1834. - -=St Swithin’s Day.= The day of the attempted reinterment (15th July) of - the body of St Swithin, preceptor of King Ethelwulf and Bishop of - Rochester, whose death took place 2nd July 862. Not regarding - himself worthy to be “laid” within the sacred edifice, he requested - that he might be buried just outside the door in the churchyard, so - that the faithful would walk over his grave. Although they acceded - to this last wish, the monks decided afterwards to lay him inside - the church; but their design was frustrated for forty successive - days by a pouring rain, until at last they desisted from the - attempt. This circumstance gave rise to the saying that “If it rains - on St Swithin’s day it will rain for forty days.” - -=St Valentine’s Day.= The connection between St Valentine and the - poetical epistles that were formerly interchanged between young - lovers on the 14th of February is somewhat remote. On this day the - good Christian Bishop was beheaded at Rome in the year 278. Long - before this, however, Roman youths and maidens had followed the - custom of selecting a lover for the year by shaking up the names of - their favourites, written on separate tablets, in a box. This arose - out of the old notion that birds begin to pair on the 14th of - February. The martyrdom of Bishop Valentine on this day therefore - actuated the Christians to style their selected lover their - Valentine, and the presents they exchanged in modern times bore the - same name. - -=Salic Law.= The ancient Frankish law by which females were excluded - from the throne. This was originally confined to what were called - “Salic Lands,” either, as some say, from the _salle_, or hall of the - owner, or, according to others, from the Salian Franks, those - bordering on the Sale or Yssel River; the enactment eventually - applied to the heritage of the Frankish kingdom. - -=Salisbury Square.= This, like the street and court of the same name, - marks the site of the town mansion and grounds of the bishops of - Salisbury. - -=Salop.= See “Shropshire.” - -=Salt Lake City.= The hot-bed of the Mormons, founded on the borders of - the Great Salt Lake, so called on account of the saline character of - its waters. - -=Salutation.= An inn sign in honour of the Salutation of the Virgin. - -=Salviati.= See “Del Salviati.” - -=Salzburg.= The fortified town on the Salza River. - -=Samaria.= After Shemer, the owner of the hill which, as we are told in - 1 Kings xvi. 24, Omri bought for two talents of silver, “and built - on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after - the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.” - -=Sambo.= The generic name of a North American Negro; derived from the - native _Zambo_, the offspring of a black and a Mulatto. - -=Sanci Diamond.= One of the great gems of the world, weighing 106 - carats, originally the property of a French nobleman of this name, - and purchased in 1835 by the Czar of Russia for half-a-million - roubles. - -=Sandbaggers.= A modern street terror in American cities while the - police are looking the other way, so called because they stun their - victims with elongated bags of hard, wet sand, and then rob them at - leisure. - -=Sandhillers.= A name given in America to the descendants of the white - labourers, who, ousted from their employment when slavery came in, - sought the sand-hills amid the pine forests of Georgia and South - Carolina. - -=Sandow Girl.= A physical culture girl trained at the Academy of Eugene - Sandow, or at home by means of appliances advertised in connection - therewith. Also known as the “Symmetrion Girl” from the name on the - familiar posters. The Sandow or Symmetrion Girls proved a great - attraction in the Athletic Scene of _The Dairymaids_ at the Apollo - Theatre. - -=Sandwich.= The sand village. - -=Sandwiches.= After John Montague, Earl of Sandwich, whose chief claim - to celebrity lay in the fact that he was an inveterate gamester. It - is on record that he often remained engrossed in play for thirty - hours at a stretch without partaking of a meal. From time to time, - however, he would ask the waiter to bring him a slice of meat - between two pieces of bread, as a stay to the appetite. The waiter - called this improvised meal a “Sandwich,” and by that name it has - ever since been known. - -=Sandwich Islands.= Named by Captain Cook in honour of Lord Sandwich, - First Lord of the Admiralty, at the time when they were discovered - by him. - -=Sandy.= The nickname of a Scotsman, being short for Alexander, the most - common Christian name to be met with in North Britain. - -=San Francisco.= Dedicated to St Francis, this Spanish-American city - really received its name from a coast settlement of missionaries - styled “San Francisco de Costa Dolores” as far back as September - 1776. - -=Sankey’s Horse.= The regimental nickname of the 39th Foot. This was - merited in India, when they were called upon to do temporary service - on horseback under Colonel Sankey. - -=Sansculottes.= The lowest orders of the people during the French - Revolution. This, literally “without breeches,” was the scornful - title at first bestowed by the aristocrats upon the Democratic party - on account of their neglectful attire. A little while later the Red - Republicans accepted it with pride as the password for patriotism. - -=San Salvador.= This being the first land sighted in the New World by - Columbus, he honoured it with the name of the “Holy Saviour,” as a - perpetual expression of thanksgiving. - -=Sans Souci.= This, the French for “free and easy,” or “without care,” - was the name borne by a famous place of amusement originally built - by Dibdin as a bijou theatre in Leicester Square. - -=Santa Fe.= Spanish for “Holy Faith.” - -=Santa Cruz.= Spanish for “Holy Cross.” - -=Santiago.= From the cathedral (in the city of Spain so named) - containing the bones of St Jago, or James the Less, the national - patron saint. - -=Saraband.= After Zarabanda, a celebrated dancer of Seville, who - invented it. - -=Saracens.= From the Arabic _sharkeyn_, “eastern people”; originally the - designation of the Bedouins of Eastern Arabia. By the Crusaders it - was applied to the Mohammedans generally. See “Moors.” - -=Saracen’s Head.= An inn sign of the time of the Crusades. Lest it might - be thought that this was complimentary to the enemies of - Christianity, mention may be made of the fact that the head of the - Saracen was represented as severed. - -=Saragossa.= A corruption of the Roman name _Cæsarea Augusta_. - -=Saratoga.= Indian for “miraculous waters from the rock,” touching the - famous mineral springs. - -=Saratoga Trunk.= The popular type of travelling trunk in the United - States, so called because it was first used by visitors to Saratoga - Springs. - -=Sarcophagus.= A Greek compound of _sarkos_, flesh, and _phargo_, to - eat. The term was originally applied to a receptacle for the dead, - because the early examples were made out of a kind of limestone - which was thought to possess the property of consuming a corpse in a - very short time. - -=Sardines.= From Sardinia, in the waters of which island the true - species of this fish abound. - -=Sardinia.= Called _Sandaliotis_ by the Greeks on account of its - resemblance to a human footprint; this name was changed by the - Romans to _Sardo_. At a later period the island was called - _Sardonion_, from a poisonous herb, transplanted from Sardis in Asia - Minor, which brought about a twitching of the muscles of the face - resembling laughter; hence the phrase to “Smile sardonically.” - -=Sardinia Street.= From the Sardinian Chapel built in 1648 in connection - with the residence of the Sardinian Ambassador at the time when the - island of Sardinia was nominally a kingdom, but really in the - possession of Spain. - -=Sardonic Smile.= See “Sardinia.” - -=Sarsenet.= A fine silk originally of Saracenic manufacture. - -=Saturday.= This, the seventh day of the week, was dedicated by the - Romans to Saturn. As, however, all the other week-days were named by - the people of Northern Europe in accordance with Scandinavian - mythology, one must incline to the opinion that this was named after - Sæter, a water deity. Its Anglo-Saxon designation was _Sæterdæg_. - -=Saturnalia.= The great winter festival of the Romans in honour of - Saturn, the god of agriculture. - -=Saunders Blue.= An easy corruption of the French _Cendres bleus_, “blue - ashes,” calcined bluestone being the substance from which this - pigment is obtained. - -=Sauterne.= A French wine produced at the place of the name, in the - department of Gironde. - -=Saved my Bacon.= This expression originated during the Civil War, when - housewives took extraordinary measures to save the bacon stored up - for winter consumption from the greedy appetites of soldiers on the - march. - -=Savile Row.= After Dorothy Savile, who, marrying into the Burlington - family, received this portion of the estate as her separate - property. - -=Savoy.= A cabbage originally introduced from the French department of - this name. - -=Savoy Street.= From the Savoy Chapel, the original of which, prior to - its destruction by fire, 7th July 1864, was the only remaining - portion of the ancient Savoy Palace built by Peter of Savoy, uncle - to the queen of Henry III., in 1249. - -=Sawney.= A variant of “Sandy.” - -=Saxons.= From the _seax_, the short crooked knife with which this tribe - were armed. _Sahs_ is the Old German for knife. Since the days of - Daniel O’Connell Irish patriots have been fond of referring to the - English people as Saxons, the natural enemies of the Celts. - -=S’Blood.= A trooper’s corruption of “His Blood,” or the precious blood - of the Redeemer. This species of profanity survives in the vulgar - swear-word “Bloody.” - -=Scales of Justice.= The ancient Egyptians believed that the good deeds - of a soul after death would be weighed against his evil deeds. The - Koran likewise teaches that the merits and demerits of departed - souls are balanced in the scales of the Archangel Gabriel; hence the - phrase now popular all the civilised world over. - -=Scalper.= An Americanism for one who speculates in railroad tickets, - and consequently obtains them at a reduction of their top prices. - -=Scaramouch.= A character in the old Italian comedy, the prototype of - the modern clown, so called from _scaramuccia_, a skirmish. - -=Scarborough.= The fortified scar or precipitous cliff, so called on - account of the castle built about 1136. - -=Scarborough Warning.= A warning given too late to be taken advantage - of. In 1557 Thomas Stafford seized Scarborough Castle before the - townsfolk had the least intelligence of his approach. After taking - possession he advised them to fly from the town and leave their - belongings. - -=Scarlet.= From the Persian _sakarlat_, “bright red.” - -=Scavenger’s Daughter.= A corruption of Skevington’s Daughter, this - instrument of torture being the invention of William Skevington, - Lieutenant of the Tower, _temp._ Henry VIII. He called it his - daughter because it emanated from his own brain. Those who were - fated to suffer by it sadly consented, as the saying was, to “Kiss - the Scavenger’s Daughter.” - -=Schaffhausen.= Literal German for “sheep-houses” or pens. - -=Schiedam.= Another name for Hollands, or Dutch gin, from the place - where this native spirit is distilled. - -=Schooner.= This kind of vessel received its name from the exclamation - of a spectator at the time when its earliest example was launched: - “Look, she schoons!” - -=Schottische.= Expresses the German for a Scottish dance, a variation of - the polka, in three-quarter time. The Scots, however, repudiate its - invention. It is not improbable that a Scotsman, sojourning in the - Fatherland, blundered into this step through his inability to dance - the polka correctly. - -=Scilly Isles.= After the name of one of the smallest, in proximity to a - very dangerous rock similar to that of Scylla in Sicily which, - according to Homer, was the abode of a monster so denominated. - -=Scissors-tail.= A South American bird which in the course of its - flights opens and shuts its tail for the purpose of entrapping the - flies that constitute its prey. - -=Scorching.= A bicycling term which, curiously enough, only came into - vogue after the possibility of realising it had been removed. In the - days of the old “Bone-shaker,” before rubber tyres were heard of, - there would have been great likelihood of setting the wooden machine - on fire by furious riding on the part of an expert. - -=Scotch Reel.= See “Reel.” - -=Scot-free.= A phrase derived from the old legal exaction “Scot and - Lot,” the former being derived from the Anglo-Saxon _sceat_, pay, - and the latter meaning a tribute allotted to every man according to - his means. It was rare indeed that anyone got off “Scot-free” in - ancient times. - -=Scotia.= From the Celtic _scot_, wanderer, with the suffix _ia_, - country; the ancient designation of the Highlands, now, with the - Lowlands, called “Scotland.” - -=Scotists.= Those who accepted the doctrine of John Duns Scotus relative - to the Immaculate Conception, in opposition to the “Thomists.” - -=Scotland.= See “Scotia.” - -=Scotland Yard.= On the site of the original Scotland Yard stood an - ancient palace appropriated to the Scottish kings, who were required - to pay homage once a year to the English sovereign at Westminster - Abbey. The last Scottish monarch so accommodated was Margaret, the - sister of Henry VII. - -=Scots.= See “Scotia.” - -=Scottish Covenanters.= See “Covenanters.” - -=Scottish Hogarth.= The surname of David Allan of Alloa, whose portraits - and historical paintings occupy a high position in the esteem of his - countrymen. - -=Scottish Presbyterians.= The successors of the Scottish Covenanters, - and founders of the Established Church of Scotland. See - “Presbyterians.” - -=Scowerers.= Eighteenth-century rakes who scoured the streets of London - by night, overturning the “Old Charlies” in their boxes, and - molesting peaceable citizens. - -=Scratched Horse.= One that has its name struck out of the final list of - runners in a race. Those who have backed their money on it swear a - little, but no one else cares a jot for their discomfiture. - -=Screw.= Colloquial for “wages.” See “Raise your Screw.” - -=Screwed.= Drunk. This is simply a play on the word “Tight.” - -=Screw of Tobacco.= So called because it is screwed up in a paper. - -=Scriptures.= Expresses the plural of the Latin _scriptura_, a writing, - from the verb _scribere_, to write. The Bible is a collection of - books or writings. - -=Scroll of Fame.= The word “Scroll” is a corruption of “Roll,” relative - to paper, although from “scroll” we have derived the term - “Schedule.” See “Roll Call.” - -=Scullery.= The annexe to a kitchen, where the dishes and pots are - washed up, so called from the Norman-French _esculle_, a porringer - or dish. The man-servant or boy whose work lay in the scullery was - in former days called a “Scullion.” - -=S’Death.= A softened form of the profane oath “His Blood,” in reference - to the Saviour. - -=Sea of Marmora.= From the Latin _marmor_, marble, which for centuries - has been quarried on a small island at its western extremity. - -=Sebastopol.= From the Greek _Sebastopolis_, “august city.” - - Secretary Bird. A South African bird distinguished by a tuft of - feathers on each side of its head which form a fanciful resemblance - to quill pens stuck behind the ear. - -=Sectarians.= The general name for Dissenters attached to any one of the - numerous sects or denominations outside the Established Church. - -=Secular Clergy.= See “Regular Clergy.” - -=Secularist.= From the Latin _seculum_, an age, a generation; one who - advocates the happiness or well-being of the community during the - present life, leaving the future completely out of count. - - Sedan-chairs. First made at Sedan, France. - -=See how it pans out.= Originally a miners’ phrase in the Far West. To - separate the gold grains from the earth in which they are found a - pan of water is brought into service; when the pan is shaken the - gold collects at the bottom. - -=Seekers.= The original designation of the Quakers, because they sought - the truth with the solicitude of Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler (John - iii. 1-21). - -=Seething Lane.= A corruption of Sidon Lane, after the name of the first - builder on the land. - -=Selkirk’s Island.= Also called the isle of “Juan Fernandez.” - -=Seltzer Water.= A corrupted spelling of “Seltsers,” the name of a - village near Limburg in Prussia famous for its mineral springs. - -=Senate.= The Upper House of the United States Congress. The term - properly implies an elder, from the Latin _senis_, an old man. - -=Senegambia.= The territory situated between the Senegal and Gambia - Rivers. - -=Sent to Coventry.= As its name implies, Coventry was in olden times a - great centre of religious life, touching the number of its - conventual establishments. Soldiers sent to the garrison there soon - discovered that no woman would speak to them. Hence to be sent to - Coventry was a great hardship, since it meant being cut off from - “life” in every form, and female intercourse particularly. - -=Separatists.= Another name for the Home Rulers during the lifetime of - Mr Parnell. It implied virtual separation from English rule. - -=Sepia.= Greek for “cuttle-fish,” from the inky secretion under the - glands of which this pigment is obtained. - -=September.= The seventh month of the Roman year, counting from March. - -=Serjeants’ Inn.= Anciently the inn or mansion of the “Freres Serjens,” - a brotherhood of Servitors to the Knights Templars hard by. It was - these who performed the ordinary household duties in the Temple. - -=Serle Street.= After Henry Serle of Lincoln’s Inn, the owner of - considerable property in this neighbourhood when the parish of St - Clement Danes was very different to what it is now. - -=Sermon Lane.= Anciently “Sheremoniers’ Lane,” so called from the money - shearers or clippers’ office adjacent to the first London Mint. - -=Serpentine.= An artificial winding lake formed out of the pools and the - Tyburn in Hyde Park in 1733. See “Bayswater.” - -=Servia.= The country of the _Suevi_, a people driven by the Romans into - that portion of Germany now called “Suabia,” until after further - migrations northward they settled in Sweden. - -=Servites.= This religious Order grew out of the pious example of seven - Florentine merchants who in 1283 assembled each evening for - devotional exercises in a lady chapel and styled themselves “The - Religious Servants of the Holy Virgin.” The London house of the - Community is in the Fulham Road. - -=Set her Cap at him.= With the coquetry peculiar to her sex, a female - always put on her most becoming cap to attract the male visitor whom - she favoured. Now that caps are no longer worn she resorts to other - devices, but the old expression survives. - -=Set the Thames on fire.= A “temse” was the old name for a sieve, - agreeably to the French _tamis_ and the Italian _tamiso_, which - terms express the same implement. A sifter would require to work - very hard indeed to ignite his sieve. Accordingly a bystander often - said to him touching his apparent laziness: “You’ll never set the - temse on fire!” Its punning - -=Seven Dials.= A once notorious thieves’ neighbourhood, which received - its name from a stone column presenting seven dials or faces, from - which the same number of streets radiated. This, originally set up - to mark the limits of St Giles’s and St Martin’s parishes, was - removed in 1763, owing to the erroneous idea that a large sum of - money lay buried beneath it. - -=Seven Sisters’ Road.= This long road, extending from Holloway to - Tottenham, received its name from seven trees planted in Page Green - in the latter parish by the Sisters Page. Local tradition has it - that one of these was a cripple, and the tree planted by her grew up - deformed. - -=Seventh Day Baptists.= See “Sabbatarians.” - -=Saxagesima Sunday.= Approximately the sixtieth day before Easter. - -=Seymour Place.= After one of the family names of the Portmans, owners - of the estate. - -=Seymour Street.= Far removed from Seymour Place, this has no connection - with the Portman family, having received its name from the first - builder on the land. - -=Shadwell.= A corruption of “St Chad’s Well,” a reputed holy well - discovered hereabouts in ancient days. - -=Shaft Alley.= See “St Andrew Undershaft.” - -=Shaftesbury Avenue.= After Anthony Ashley Cooper, seventh Earl of - Shaftsbury, who performed the opening ceremony of this new - thoroughfare shortly before his death in 1885. - -=Shah Diamond.= A gem weighing 86 carats, long the property of Chosroes - I., Shah of Persia, who, dying in 579, presented it to a Khan of the - Tartars, from whom it descended to Ivan III., the grandfather of - Ivan the Terrible, the first Czar of Russia. - -=Shakers.= An American sect, first heard of in 1774, at Albany in the - state of New York, so called from the convulsive movements of the - hands and arms as part of their peculiar form of worship. Its - founder was Ann Lee, self-styled “Mother Ann,” of Manchester, who, - receiving little encouragement for her religious tenets in her - native land, emigrated with a few disciples to the New World. - -=Shalloon.= Originally manufactured at Chalons in France. - -=Shanty.= This term for a hut or cabin first obtained currency in - Canada, having been derived from the French settlers, who gave the - name _chantier_ to a hut erected in a dockyard under construction. - -=Shattered Prices.= An Americanism for “reduced prices.” - -=“She” Bible.= See “‘He’ Bible.” - -=Sheen.= See “Richmond.” - -=Sheet Anchor.= A corruption of “Shote Anchor,” an extra heavy one, that - can be expeditiously shot out for the greater security of a vessel - under stress of weather. To act as a sheet anchor to a man is to be - his mainstay or chief dependence. - -=Sheffield.= From the River Sheaf, on the confluence of which and the - Don the town stands. - -=Shekel Day.= The day (27th May) set apart every year throughout the - Jewish world for the collection of a shekel--a shilling, franc mark, - half rouble, or “quarter,” according to the currency of the - individual country--in support of the Zionist Movement for the - re-colonisation of Palestine. The word “shekel” is from the Hebrew - _shekal_, to weigh. - -=Shepherdess Walk.= A name reminiscent of the days when the entire - district between Finsbury and “Merrie Islington” was open fields. - -=Shepherd’s Bush.= Pleasantly pastoral as the name is, this district is - now wholly built over. A “Shepherd’s bush” was a hillock covered - with soft vegetation on which he reclined while tending his flocks. - -=Shepherd’s Market.= The site of a former weekly market, the land of - which, like that of Market Street and Shepherd Street, was owned by - a person of this name. - -=Shepperton.= A corruption of “Shepherd’s Town”; whether derived from - the name of the landowner, or because the district was originally - given up to sheep-folds, is not known. - -=Sherbet.= The national beverage in Arabia, so called from _shariba_, to - drink, because it is taken at a single draught; hence the same name - applied to effervescing liquors in this country. - -=Sherry.= An English corruption of “Sherris,” a dry wine exported from - Xeres in Spain. - -=Sherry Cobbler.= An American drink which, in addition to the ordinary - ingredients of a “Cobbler,” contains a dash of sherry. - -=Shetland Isles.= Anciently described as _Hyaltland_, the Norse for - “Viking Land,” the name was softened into Zetland, and finally as we - now have it. - -=She Wolf of France.= A name that will ever cling to the memory of - Isabella, the queen of Edward II., whom she caused to be murdered - most foully through the instrumentality of her paramour, the Earl of - Mortimer. This monster of iniquity lies buried in Christ Church, - Newgate Street. - -=Shift.= An old name for a chemise, denoting a shift or change of linen; - also an industrial term for a change of men at certain hours, so - that work can be carried on uninterruptedly by day and night. - -=Shillelagh.= A oaken sapling fashioned into a cudgel for self-defence, - so called from a wood in Ireland celebrated for its oaks. - -=Shilling.= This silver coin was of considerable value to our ancestors, - who always sounded it as a test of its genuineness. Hence, as the - “ringing coin,” the Anglo-Saxons gave it the name of _scilling_, - which, like the modern German _schilling_, is derived from the verb - _schallen_, to sound. - -=Shinplaster.= An Americanism for a bank-note. During the Civil War - paper money was so much depreciated in value that its possessors - could not easily negotiate it at any price. Finding this to be his - own case, an old soldier philosophically used his bank-notes as - plasters for a wounded shin. - -=Ship.= A tavern sign commemorative of the circumnavigation of the globe - by Sir Francis Drake; also a technical term in the printing trade - for the compositors working together in a particular room or - department, being an abbreviation of “Companionship.” - -=Shire.= A portion of land scired or sheared off under the Saxon - Heptarchy for the creation of an earldom. - -=Shoe Lane.= This name has no connection with shoemakers, or cordwainers - as they were anciently called. As an offshoot of Fleet Street, the - great thoroughfare of taverns, this was anciently “Show Lane,” lined - with booths and shows like a country fair. - -=Shooter.= An Americanism for a revolver. - -=Shooters’ Hill.= A corruption of “Suitors’ Hall,” so called from the - suitors or place hunters who came this way when Henry VIII. had his - Court at Greenwich. - -=Shooting Iron.= A Far West term for a rifle. - -=Shop.= Theatrical slang for an engagement. - -=Shop-lifting.= This phrase for abstracting goods from a shop counter - had its origin in the printer’s technical term “Lifting.” - -=Shoreditch.= All other suggested derivations notwithstanding, this - district really received its name from the manor of Sir John - Soerditch, a wealthy citizen, and a favourite of Edward the Black - Prince, by whose side he fought at Crecy and Poitiers. - -=Show.= Theatrical slang for a performance. - -=Shrewsbury.= See “Shropshire.” - -=Shropshire.= This name expresses in a roundabout way the shire of - Shrewsbury, the Anglo-Saxon _Scrobbesburgh_ that grew up around an - ancient castle among the scrubs or shrubs, softened by the Normans - into _Sloppesbury_, which lent its name to what is now “Salop,” and - finally corrupted into Shrewsbury. - -=Shrove Tuesday.= A corruption of “Shrive Tuesday” when all good - Catholics confessed their sins in preparation for receiving the - blest ashes on the following morning. - -=Siberia.= The country ruled from the ancient town of Sibir, the capital - of the Tartars, and which contained the palace of the renowned - Kutsheen Khan, the ruins of which are still visible. - -=Sicily.= From the _Siculi_, a tribe who became masters of the island, - expelling the _Sicanii_, its ancient inhabitants. - -=Sick.= A word uniformly used throughout the United States in the place - of “ill,” as in our own country. This is not an Americanism, but - good honest English, having been introduced to the New World by the - Pilgrim Fathers who sailed in the _Mayflower_. Both in the Bible and - in Shakespeare sick, not ill, is employed. This is one of the few - instances in which the Americans have preserved a word true to its - original meaning. - -=Sidmouth Street.= After Lord Sidmouth, a popular Minister at the - accession of George IV., when this street was first built upon. - -=Side Walk.= An Americanism for the English “pavement” and the Scottish - “causeway.” - -=Siedlitz Powders.= From Siedlitz in Bohemia, whence, like the - celebrated mineral waters of the same name, they are obtained. - -=Sienna.= A pigment obtained from the native _Terra di Sienna_ in Italy. - -=Sign on.= An industrial phrase for signing one’s name in a book on - arriving to commence the day’s work. The like procedure at the day’s - close is styled “Sign off.” - -=Silhouette.= After Etienne de Silhouette, Comptroller of Finance under - Louis XV., who was the first to have his features outlined from a - side view on black paper. - -=Sillery.= A champagne produced from the extensive vineyards of the - Marquis de Sillery. - -=Silver Captain.= The sobriquet of Admiral Sir Henry Digby from the - large haul he on 15th October 1799 made by the capture of a Spanish - treasure ship laden with dollars, his own share of the prize money - amounting to £40,730, 18s. This he attributed to a fortunate dream, - in which he repeatedly heard a voice exclaim: “Digby! Digby! steer - to the northward!” - -=Silver-tongued Sylvester.= John Sylvester, the translator of Du Barta’s - “Divine Week and Works,” so styled on account of his harmonious - verse. - -=Simple Life.= A term which has come into vogue, both in England and - America, since the publication of the Rev. Charles Wagner’s - remarkable book “The Simple Life,” in advocacy of plain living, - three or four years ago. - -=Single-speech Hamilton.= The sobriquet of William Gerard Hamilton, - Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland. He delivered on 13th - November 1775 a speech which electrified the House, but after that - memorable first effort he never spoke again. - -=Sing Small.= A corruption of “Sink Small,” meaning to be lowered in the - estimation of those to whom one has made a vain boast. - -=Sinking Fund.= One that provides for the annual reduction of a National - Debt. - -=Sinner-saved Huntingdon.= William Huntingdon, the theologian and - preacher, who, having led a wild life in his youth, made amends for - these delinquencies in the full vigour of manhood. - -=Sirree.= A vulgar American corruption of “Sir,” corresponding to the - old English “Sirrah.” Originating at New York, it is now quite a - common thing for people in the States generally to answer: “Yes, - sirree,” and “No, sirree.” - -=Sise Lane.= A corruption of St Osyth’s Lane, after an ancient church in - it, now removed. - -=Sixteen String Jack.= Jack Rann, the highwayman, hanged in 1791, so - called from the sixteen tags he wore on the knees of his breeches. - -=Six-shooter.= An Americanism for a six-chambered revolver. - -=Skagerrack.= Expresses the crooked strait between the _Skagen_, the - plural of the Gothic _skaga_, a promontory, between Jutland and - Norway. - -=Skald.= An ancient northern bard or minstrel. The word is Scandinavian - for “poet.” - -=Skied.= An artists’ term for a picture hung on the highest row, just - under the ceiling, at any exhibition, where no one can look at it - closely. - -=Skinner Street.= Stands on land belonging to the Skinners’ Company. - -=Skylarking.= Originally an American seaman’s term for rough sport among - the ship’s rigging and tops. - -=Sky Parlor.= An Americanism for an attic. - -=Sky Pilot.= An American naval expression for a ship’s chaplain. The - allusion is obvious. - -=Sky-scraper.= The name given in the United States to a building of - lofty proportions, often running to as many as thirty storeys. - Viewing these from Brooklyn Bridge it would really seem as if the - New Yorkers were anxious to scour the heavens out of their top - windows. - -=Sky Sign.= A structure on the roof of a house of business for the - purposes of a bold advertisement. This Transatlantic innovation has - within the last few years been interdicted by order of the London - County Council. - -=Slacker.= An Eton term for one who never takes part in games; he cannot - be coerced, and declines to exert himself in any way. - -=Slate Club.= Originally a parochial thrift society whose members met in - the schoolroom, their contributions being _pro tem_ entered on - slates, conveniently at hand. - -=Slick into it.= To do a thing right away, never pausing until it is - finished. As a variant of “Polish it off” this expression is rightly - employed, slick being derived from the German _schlicht_, polished, - clean. - -=Sling.= An American mixed drink, so called on account of the different - ingredients slung into it. - -=Sling your Hook.= Originally an abbreviated angler’s phrase: “Sling - your hook a little farther along, and then we shall both have more - room.” - -=Slipper.= A shoe into which the foot is easily slipped, more - particularly among the Orientals, who dispense with the back leather - clasping the heel. - -=Sloane Square.= After Sir Hans Sloane, the original owner of the - estate, whose daughter became by marriage the first Countess of - Cadogan. - -=Slope.= To run away with expedition, as it were down the slope of a - hill. - -=Smile.= An Americanism for a “drink.” Unlike the common run of - Americanisms, there is warranty for the term. When drinking their - native beverage, “pulque,” the Mexicans look at one another, and - smile. This custom has obtained with them ever since Montezuma - gulped down this tipple offered to him by the hand of his daughter. - See “Cocktail.” - -=Smithfield.= A corruption of “Smoothfield,” a fine tract of meadow land - on which mediæval tournaments were held, likewise horse races. - -=Smith of Antwerp.= Quentin Matsys, the celebrated painter, who began - life as a blacksmith. - -=Smalls.= In theatrical parlance “the small towns.” - -=Smart Set.= Originally an Americanism for the exclusive fashionable set - of Boston society. The term has latterly travelled over to these - shores, and the Smart Set of West End London does not appear to be - beloved by Father Bernard Vaughan. - -=Snapshot.= An Americanism for a photograph taken instantaneously with a - portable camera. “Snap” is, however, a good old English word. We - speak of a person being “snapped off” by disease--_i.e._ carried off - suddenly. - -=Sneesh-box.= Scottish for a snuff-box. - -=Snob.= This term arose out of the expressions on the part of the vulgar - whenever a conceited person who aped gentility was encountered: - “He’s a nob,” “He’s not a nob,” or “He wants to make people believe - he’s a nob,” until they resulted in the simple exclamation “Snob.” - Such a word having once been established as the antithesis of “Nob,” - a shoemaker merited the description of a Snob because his work was - confined to the pedal extremities instead of the person’s head. - -=Snow Hill.= A corruption of “Snore Hill,” so called because travellers - by the stage-coach from Guildford were generally snoring by the time - they reach their destination at the hill foot, “The Saracen’s Head.” - -=Soaker.= Both in England and America this term denotes a habitual - drunkard, soaked in liquor. - -=Soane Museum.= This magnificent but little known collection of works of - Art was acquired by Sir John Soane, the antiquary, at his residence - in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where, subject to certain seasonal - restrictions, it may be visited by anyone. - -=Sociable.= An open carriage with two seats, thus admitting of its - riders being face to face. - -=Socialists.= A term of wide meaning, but according to its modern - acceptation synonymous with “Levellers,” the adopted name of the - malcontents of the time of Charles I., who sought to reduce society - to a common level. - -=Society Islands.= Named by Captain Cook in compliment to the Royal - Society. - -=Society of Jesus.= See “Jesuits.” - -=Socinians.= The followers of Lælius Socinus, an Italian theologian of - the sixteenth century. They held the same views as the modern - “Unitarians.” - -=Sock and Buskin.= The drama, alluding to the low and high shoe or - sandal worn respectively by comic and tragic actors in the theatre - of the ancients. The _soccus_ was a simple shoe, whereas the - _brossquin_, a term remotely derived from the Greek _bursa_, a hide, - extended to the knee, and was, moreover, two or three inches thick - in the sole to increase the height of the performer. - -=Sod.= A north country term for a mean, ignorant fellow, no better than - a lout or clodhopper, in allusion to the sod of agriculture. - -=Soft Soap.= Flattery, because, unlike the ordinary kind, soft soap is - easily rubbed in. - -=Soho.= A name pleasantly recalling the days when, prior to the - sixteenth century, the whole of London westward of Drury Lane was - open country. _So ho_ was the cry of the huntsmen when a hare broke - cover, expressing the Norman-French for “See! Hie! (after him).” - -=Soirée.= A sociable evening party, so called from the French _soir_, - evening. - -=Soldier of Fortune.= A soldier without fortune who seeks to make one by - enlisting in any service which holds out the prospect of good pay. - -=Solid Straight.= Another name for a “Straight Drink.” - -=Somerset.= Described in Anglo-Saxon days as _Suthmorset_, the “South - Moor Settlement.” - -=Somerset House.= Covers the site of the palatial residence of Edward - Seymour, Duke of Somerset, the Lord Protector of Edward VI. On the - sequestration of his estates in 1552 this passed to the Crown, and - became a virtual royal residence. Here the body of James I. lay in - state; here too the queens of Charles I. and Charles II. took up - their abode. The present edifice dates from 1766. - -=Somers Town.= From Lord Somers, the owner of the estate. - -=Sorbonne.= After its founder Robert de Sorbon, a canon of Cambrai in - 1252. - -=Souchong.= A species of black tea called by the Chinese _se-ou-chong_, - “small, good quality.” - -=Soudan.= Properly “Suden,” from the Arabic _Belad-ez-Suden_, “district - of the blacks.” - -=Southampton.= The south town on the Ant or Hantone. See “Hampshire.” - -=Southampton Buildings.= Marks the site of Southampton House, in which - lived and died the last Earl of Southhampton, Lord Treasurer of - Charles II. - -=Southampton Street.= After one of the family titles of the Duke of - Bedford, the great ground landlord. - -=South Audley Street.= See “Audley Street.” - -=Southgate.= See “New Southgate.” - -=Southwark.= A name which points to the Danish rule in England. The - earliest London bridge of wood having been built in 1014, or two - years before Canute seized upon the throne, this monarch took up his - residence on the south bank of the Thames, and holding his Court - there, styled it _Sydrike_, the Norse for “South Kingdom.” His - successors also affected the Surrey side; as we know, Hardicanute - died of a surfeit at Lambeth. By the Anglo-Saxons under Edward the - Confessor the Danish _Sydrike_ was rendered _Suthwerk_, or South - Fortification, whence we have derived the name in its present form. - -=Southwick Crescent.= After Southwick Park, the country seat of the - Thistlewaytes, at one time joint lessees of the manor of Paddington. - -=Sovereign.= So called because when first struck, in the reign of Henry - VIII., this gold coin had upon it a representation of that sovereign - in his royal robes. - -=Sovereign Pontiff.= The superior title of the Pope. See “Pontiff.” - -=Spa.= From the town of the same name (which expresses the Flemish for - “fountain”) in Belgium, the fashionable Continental resort during - the seventeenth century. - -=Spa Fields.= From an ancient public resort known as the “London Spa,” - in connection with a medicinal well discovered during the thirteenth - century. An account of the “Spa Fields Chapel,” originally a - theatre, purchased by the Countess of Huntingdon, the name has - survived to our own time. - -=Spagnoletto.= See “Lo Spagnoletto.” - -=Spain.= Called by the Carthaginians “Hispania,” from the Punic _span_, - rabbit, on account of the wild rabbits which abounded in the - peninsula. See “Iberia.” - -=Spaniards.= This famous “house of call” for pedestrians across Highgate - Heath was originally the private residence of the Spanish Ambassador - to the Court of James I. - -=Spaniel.= From _Hispaniola_, the old name of Hayti Island, in the West - Indies, whence this breed of Spanish dog was introduced to Europe. - -=Spanish Main.= The ancient designation of the waters around the West - Indian Islands in the Caribbean Sea that rightly belonged to Spain. - -=Spanish Place.= From the residence of the Spanish Ambassador during the - eighteenth century. The private chapel attached to this mansion - formed the nucleus of the present Catholic church. - -=Sparking.= An Americanism for “courting.” There may be warranty for - this in relation to “the spark of affection.” - -=Spa Road.= From a long-forgotten spa or mineral well in this portion of - Bermondsey. - -=Spa Water.= Natural mineral waters drawn from a “Spa” or well. - -=Speaker.= The official designation of the President of the House of - Commons, to whom technically, the Members address themselves, though - as a matter of fact, they address the country at large through the - medium of the Press. Since he never speaks himself, except to rule a - point of order, his title is a misnomer. - -=Spencer.= A short overjacket introduced by the Earl of Spencer. This - nobleman made a wager that he would set a new fashion by appearing - abroad in any style of garment, however hideous it might be. He won - his bet, for “Spencers” became popular. - -=Specs.= Short for “spectacles.” - -=Spelling Bee.= The name given to a competitive examination, in spelling - in American schools, and later introduced in the cities as a - fashionable pastime. From the States it reached England about a - quarter of a century ago. The term “Bee” is essentially - Transatlantic, being employed in the sense of a “hive” for any - assemblage of workers--_e.g._ “a Sewing Bee.” - -=Spindle City.= Lowell in Massachusetts, so called on account of its - numerous cotton factories. - -=Spinet.= An early form of pianoforte, so called because it was played - upon exclusively by unmarried females, as a relaxation from the - labours of the spindle. - -=Spinster.= A maiden lady, so called from the distaff or spindle, the - regular occupation of an unmarried female. - -=Spiritualist.= One who cherishes a belief in the power of communicating - with departed spirits through the instrumentality of a Medium. - -=Spitalfields.= The derivation of this name is generally given as from - an ancient priory of “St Mary of the Spittle.” This is wrong. There - may have been such a priory, but if so, like the present parish - church, its designation arose out of the “spital,” or hospital in - the sense of an almshouse, founded in the fields for the poor by - Walter Brune and his wife during the reign of Richard Cœur de - Lion. - -=Spithead.= This famous roadstead, so eminently adapted for naval - reviews, received its name from being situated at the head of the - “spit” or sandbank which extends along the coast for three miles. - -=Spitzbergen.= Danish for “sharp-pointed mountains,” relative to the - mountain peaks in these islands. - -=Spook.= Expresses the Dutch for “ghost.” Introduced to the United - States by the early settlers of New York, this term has obtained - currency on both sides of the Atlantic in connection with - Spiritualism. - -=Spooning.= This word is a play on “billing and cooing.” Courting - couples in the act of whispering “soft nothings” have their mouths - in such close contact that it resembles the manner of a mother bird - feeding her young brood. - -=Sporting Women.= An Americanism for “gay women.” - -=Spouting.= Colloquial for public speaking, because the orator indulges - in a constant flow of rhetoric, like water issuing from a pump - spout. - -=Sprat Day.= 9th November, the opening of the London sprat-selling - season. - -=Spread Eagle.= An inn sign adopted from the arms of Germany, indicative - of the fact that the wines of that country were to be had on the - premises. - -=Spreads himself.= Said of one in America who makes an ostentatious - display of self-conceit. The allusion is to a peacock spreading its - tail feathers to their utmost capacity. - -=Spring Gardens.= So called because at this north-eastern entrance to St - James’s Park unwitting pedestrians were suddenly drenched by a spray - of water through stepping on a hidden spring. This was considered - fine sport for the gallants who looked on during the Restoration - period. - -=Spring Heel Jack.= The sobriquet of the eccentric Marquis of Waterford, - who about a century ago cultivated the habit of frightening people - after nightfall by springing upon them out of obscure corners and - alleys. It was said that terror of the streets had steel springs - fitted to his heels for the purpose. - -=Square Meal.= An Americanism for a full meal, which can only be enjoyed - at the table, in contradistinction to a snack at a luncheon bar. - -=Squatter.= Literally one who squats down on land to which he has no - legal title. - -=Squaw.= Algonquin for an Indian woman. - -=Stafford.= The county town of the shire derived this name from the - ancient mode of fording the River Sow, upon which it stands, by - means of staves or stilts. - -=Stage-coach.= So called from the stages or degrees of the whole - journey, at each of which the coach pulled up to change horses and - refresh the travellers. - -=Staines.= From the Saxon _stane_, stone, the boundary mark set up - beside the Thames, bearing date 1280, and the inscription: “God - preserve the City of London.” This defined the western limits of - jurisdiction claimed by the Thames Conservancy or Water Board. - -=Stand Sam.= An Americanism for to “stand treat,” which originated among - the soldiers during the Civil War. When billeted upon the people - they demanded liquor by wholesale, saying that “Uncle Sam” would pay - for it, and it was everyone’s duty to stand Sam. See “Uncle Sam.” - -=Stanhope.= An open carriage named in compliment to the Earl of - Stanhope, author and politician. - -=Stanhope Gate.= This entrance to Hyde Park, in Park Lane, received its - name from Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, residing at - Chesterfield House close by. - -=Staples Inn.= Properly “Staplers’ Inn,” the ancient Hall of the - Woolstaplers, styled Merchants of the Staple. - -=Star and Garter.= An inn or tavern sign commemorative of the - institution of the Order of the Garter by Edward III. - -=Star Chamber.= This historic court received its name not from the stars - decorating the ceiling, as generally stated, but because it was the - ancient depository of the _Starra_, or Jewish records, at the order - of Richard I. - -=Start your Boots.= An Americanism for “Be off!” “Walk away.” - -=Starvation Dundas.= The sobriquet of Henry Dundas, created Lord - Melville, owing to his constant repetition of the word “Starvation” - in the course of a debate on American affairs in 1775. - -=State of Spain.= New Jersey. After the battle of Waterloo Joseph - Bonaparte, the brother of Napoleon I., fled to New Jersey, and, - settling on an estate at Borderstown, gathered so many Frenchmen and - Spaniards around him that the Philadelphians regarded the people of - this state generally as Spaniards and foreigners. At this time - Joseph Bonaparte was nominally King of Naples and of Spain. - -=Stationer.= This term was not derived from “Stationery,” since the - latter grew out of the former. Ancient so-called booksellers were of - two kinds: the itinerants, and the stallholders in open market. Both - dealt in such books as were known at the time--hornbooks and the - like--but principally in writing materials, and as the stationery - booksellers had a more varied assortment than the pedlars, pen, ink, - and paper eventually received the name of “stationery,” and their - vendors that of “stationers.” - -=Steelyard.= The name given to a weighing machine on which a single - weight is moved along a graduated beam. This has no reference to a - “yard” measure, but to the ancient Steelyard near London Bridge, - where the German merchants of old landed, weighed, and sold their - fine steel. - -=Steeplechase.= This term originated in a race by a party of - unsuccessful fox hunters, who agreed to run a race to the village - church, the steeple of which was visible a couple of miles away, the - one who touched its stones with his whip first being declared the - winner. - -=Stepney.= A corruption of “Stebenhithe,” after the owner of a hithe or - wharf on this portion of the Thames bank in Anglo-Saxon days. - -=Sterling Money.= That originally coined in this country by the - “Esterlings,” the name given to the people of the Hanse Towns in the - eastern portion of Germany, at the invitation of King John. The - purity of the Esterling coinage was above reproach, whereas that of - England anterior to the mission of the Hansa merchants to reform it - had long become debased. - -=Sterling Silver.= Genuine silver in its natural purity as opposed to - “German Silver,” an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc first made in - Germany. See “Sterling Money.” - -=Stick a Pin there.= An Americanism for “make a note of it as a - reminder.” Dressmakers always stick a pin to mark the place where - material is to be stitched or taken in. - -=Stiletto.= Expresses the diminutive of the Italian _stilo_, a dagger. - -=Stingo.= See “Yorkshire Stingo.” - -=Stock.= This flower received its name from the circumstance that it was - largely sold in the Stocks Market (so called on account of a pair of - stocks that stood there), on part of the site of which the Mansion - House was erected in 1737. - -=Stock Exchange.= For the application of the term “Stock” to money, see - “Government Stock.” - -=Stockwell.= From an ancient well discovered in a _stoke_ or wood. - -=Stoke Newington.= Expresses the new town in the meadow adjacent to a - _stoke_, or wood, in reference to “Enfield Chase.” See “New - Southgate.” - -=Stonecutter Street.= From the lapidaries who congregated here in - ancient days. - -=Stone Jug.= See “In the Jug.” - -=Stones End.= See “Stony Street.” - -=Stonewall Jackson.= This sobriquet of General Jackson originated with - General Lee during the American Civil War. Rallying his troops after - the battle of Bull Run, he exclaimed, pointing in the direction with - his sword: “There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall!” - -=Stony Street.= So called from the nature of this portion of the great - Roman highway to Dover, in continuation of “Watling Street,” north - of the Thames. - -=Store.= An Americanism for a shop or warehouse. - -=Storey’s Gate.= Marks the site of the residence of Edward Storey, - keeper of the royal aviary of Charles II. in that portion of St - James’s Park known as Birdcage Walk. - -=Stormy Petrel.= A sea-bird, the appearance of which is regarded as a - portent of storms. Its Italian name, _Petrillo_, expresses the - diminutive of Peter, in allusion to St Peter, who walked on the sea, - because, instead of flying in the air, this bird habitually skims on - the surface of the water. - -=Storthing.= From the Norse _stor_, great, and _thing_, court, the - Norwegian and Swedish House of Assembly. - -=Stout.= This black alcoholic beverage is so called because it contains - more body and nourishment than ale or beer. - -=Stradivarius.= A violin made by the celebrated Antonio Stradivari of - Cremona; generally abbreviated into “Strad.” - -=Straight Drink.= An Americanism for a drink of pure, undiluted spirit. - -=Strand.= The name given to the north bank of the Thames (from the Norse - _strönd_, shore, border) in days when, with the exception of a few - princely houses dotted here and there, the whole of this portion of - London was open country. - -=Straphanger.= A term which has come into vogue since the introduction - of electrified railways, the trains being so crowded in the morning - and evening that straps are provided for standing passengers to - cling to _en route_. - -=Strasburg.= This name was first heard of in the fifth century, - expressing the German for a fortified town on the _strass_ or - _strata_, the great Roman highway into Gaul. - -=Stratford.= From the Latin _strata_, road, way; that portion of the old - Roman highway where the River Lea had to be forded. In Chaucer’s - time this little town, situated a long distance out of London, was - described as “Stratford-a-te-Bow,” in allusion to “Bow Bridge.” - -=Stratford Place.= After Edward Stratford, the second Lord Aldborough, - who leased the ground for building purposes from the Corporation of - the City of London in 1775. - -=Stratton Street.= After Lord Berkeley of Stratton, the owner of the - district now comprised in Mayfair, _temp._ Charles I. - -=Strenuous Life.= The antithesis of the “Simple Life.” - -=Stuarts.= This dynasty received its name from the fact that Walter, the - Lord High Steward of Scotland, married the daughter of King Robert - the Bruce. Since this Walter was the sixth of his line honoured with - such a position, he was said to belong to the Stewards, which, - eventually corrupted into “Stuarts,” resulted in a family name. - -=Stumped.= To have no money left. See “Stump up.” - -=Stump Orator.= One who harangues a crowd from the stump of a tree. - -=Stump Speech.= A term popularised in this country through the minstrel - entertainment, being an extempore speech delivered to the Negroes of - the southern states from the stump of a tree. - -=Stump the Country.= Colloquial for an electioneering campaign, derived - from the practice of political agents in the United States - addressing the people at large from a convenient tree stump. - -=Stump up.= Originally an Americanism for “put down your money.” After - delivering a speech for a benevolent object the “Stump Orator” - stepped down, and the people around laid their contributions on the - tree stump. - -=Suabia.= See “Servia.” - -=Sub.= Short for “subsidise,” or to draw something in advance of one’s - salary. - -=Sub Rosa.= “Under the Rose”--_i.e._ strictly between ourselves. It was - the custom of the Teutons when they assembled at a feast, to suspend - a rose from the ceiling as a reminder that whatever might be said - concerning their absent friends should not be repeated. - -=Subtle Doctor.= Duns Scotus, the schoolman and prince of - metaphysicians, whose subtlety of reasoning has never been equalled - in ancient or modern times. - -=Sucked in.= An expression derived from “Buying a pig in a poke.” See - “Let the Cat out of the Bag.” - -=Sucker State.= Illinois, so called from the Galena lead miners, who - disappeared during the winter and returned to Galena in the spring, - when the sucker-fish in the Fevre River abounded. The people of this - state are accordingly styled “Suckers.” - -=Suffolk.= A corruption of “South Folk,” the inhabitants of the southern - division of East Anglia. - -=Suffolk Lane.= From the ancient town house of the Dukes of Suffolk. - -=Suffolk Street.= From Suffolk House, the residence of the Earls of - Suffolk in former days. - -=Suffragette.= If this latter-day term possesses any etymological - significance whatever, it expresses the diminutive of one who claims - the suffrage or the right, from the Latin _suffragio_, to vote. A - suffragette is, in brief, a woman who ought to know better. Eager to - take upon herself the responsibilities of citizenship on a common - footing with the male orders of creation, she cannot but shirk those - which rightly belong to her own state. - -=Sulky.= A two-wheeled carriage for a single person, so called from the - popular idea at the time of its introduction that anyone who wished - to ride alone could not be otherwise than morose and sulky in his - disposition. - -=Sumatra.= From the Arabic _Simatra_, “happy land.” - -=Sumner Street.= After Dr Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, one of the last - occupants of Winchester House in this neighbourhood. - -=Sun.= An inn sign after the heraldic device of Richard II. - -=Sunday.= The first day of the week, dedicated in the Scandinavian - mythology to sun-worship. - -=Sun-down.= An Americanism for “sunset.” - -=Sunflower.= So called from the form and colour of its flower. See - “Heliotrope.” - -=Sunnites.= The orthodox Mohammedans, who accept the _Sunna_, or - collective traditions, equally with the Koran. - -=Sunset Land.= Arizona, on account of its glorious sunsets. - -=Supers.= In theatrical parlance short for “supernumeraries,” those who - form the stage crowds, but have no individual lines to speak. - -=Supper.= A term which has survived the changes of time. We still invite - a friend to “sup” with us, but the repast is more or less a - substantial one. Anciently the last meal of the day consisted only - of soup. - -=Surrey.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Suth-rey_, south of the river--_i.e._ - the Thames. - -=Surrey Street.= After the town mansion and grounds of the Howards, - Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and Surrey. - -=Suspenders.= An Americanism for trouser braces. - -=Sussex.= The territory of the _Suth-seaxe_, or South Saxons, under the - Heptarchy. - -=Sutton Place.= After Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charter House, whom - the good folk of Hackney were proud to number among their residents - on this spot. - -=Swallow Street.= It is difficult to imagine that this once merited the - name of “Slough Street,” on account of its miry condition; but such - is the fact. - -=Swan Alley.= From the ancient town house of the Beauchamps, whose crest - was a swan. - -=Swan-Upping.= The name given from time immemorial by the Vintners’ - Company to their annual up-Thames visitation of the swans belonging - to them for the purpose of marking their bills with two nicks, by - way of distinguishing them from the royal swans, that have five - nicks. - -=Swan with two Necks.= An ancient London inn sign, corrupted from “The - Swan with two Nicks,” in compliment to the Vintners’ Company. See - “Swan-Upping.” - -=Sweating.= A word used in the original Biblical sense, and applied to - the unhealthy conditions which obtain among the denizens of the East - End of London, specifically the Jewish tailors, numbers of whom work - together in the fœtid atmosphere of a single small room. - -=Swedenborgians.= The followers of Emmanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish - mystic. Prior to 1719, when his family became ennobled, his real - name was Svedborg. - -=Swedish Nightingale.= Jenny Lind Goldschmidt, the rage of musical - London, who died in 1887. - -=Sweepstake.= Money staked on a race by different persons, the fortunate - winner among whom takes the whole amount, literally at one sweep. - -=Sweetbriar.= Expresses a “fragrant thorn.” - -=Sweetheart.= A corruption of “Sweetard,” the suffix _ard_ expressing - the intensitive in many class names, such as “Dotard,” “Bastard,” - etc. - -=Swell.= Slang for one of the upper classes, no doubt suggested by the - phrase: “The bloated aristocracy.” Also applied to an overdressed - person puffed out with the idea of his own importance. - -=Switches.= An Americanism for ladies’ hair curlers, fringes, and other - hirsute appendages. - -=Switzerland.= The English form of the Austrian Schwyz and German - Schweitz, originally the name of the three forest cantons whose - people threw off the Austrian yoke and asserted the independence of - the whole country. - -=Switzerland of America.= West Virginia, so called on account of its - mountains. - -=Sworn Brothers.= An ancient legal phrase signifying that two friends - had entered into a solemn compact to lend mutual aid and protection - and share each other’s fortunes. This custom was of Scandinavian - origin. - -=Sydenham.= Expresses the home or family settlement in the south. - -=Symmetrion Girl.= See “Sandow Girl.” - - - - - T - -=Tabard.= The famous inn sign in Southwark immortalised by Chaucer’s - “Canterbury Pilgrims,” from the ancient tunic with wide flap sleeves - still worn by the heralds. - -=Tableaux Vivants.= French for “living pictures,” specifically the - realisation of a celebrated painting or a scene from history by a - group of persons. - -=Table d’Hôte.= Most people are under the impression that this term - means a dinner as served at a hotel. This is erroneous. Its literal - signification is “the table of the host.” Until quite modern days a - traveller who desired to be served with a meal at an inn had to take - it with the landlord at his own table. - -=Taboo.= Strictly speaking, there is no such word as “tabooed,” yet we - generally find it employed in the place of “taboo.” The latter is - the European rendering of the Polynesian _tapu_, signifying a thing - reserved or consecrated to the use of one person. For a South Sea - Islander to exclaim _tapu_ when he sees anything that he fancies, is - tantamount to saying “I claim this thing; anyone else who touches it - shall die.” Amongst ourselves a subject which is _taboo_ must not be - discussed. - -=Taffy.= The generic name for a Welshman, corrupted from Davy, which is - short for David, the most common Christian name of the country, in - honour of St David. - -=Tagus.= The Phœnician for “river of fish.” - -=Tailor.= From the French _tailleur_, based upon the verb _tailler_, to - cut. - -=Take a Back Seat.= An Americanism for “You have outdone me; I’ll retire - from the front row.” - -=Take a Rise out of Him.= To take an undue advantage, to benefit by a - mean action. This originated in fly-fishing; when a fish sees the - fly held out of the water it rises to seize the coveted prey, and is - caught itself. - -=Takes the Cake.= An expression derived from the Cake Walking - competitions of the Negroes in the southern states of the American - Union. A cake is placed on the ground, and the competitors, male and - female, walk around it in couples. Those who disport themselves most - gracefully take the cake as their prize. - -=Take your Hook.= See “Sling your Hook.” - -=Talbot.= An inn sign in compliment to the Earls of Shrewsbury. - -=Talbotype.= A process of photography, by means of the Camera Obscura, - invented by Fox Talbot in 1839. - -=Talking Shop.= The nickname for the House of Commons. See “Parliament.” - -=Tally Ho!= From the Norman hunting cry _Taillis au_ (“To the coppice”), - raised when the stag made for its native place of safety. - -=Tallyman.= One who supplies goods on the weekly instalment system, so - called originally from the acknowledgments for payments that he gave - to his customers having to “tally” or agree with the entries in his - book. Why such a one should be ashamed of his old-time designation, - and now style himself a “Credit Draper,” can only be explained on - the ground that the tallyman is in bad odour with the husbands of - the guileless women whom he systematically overcharges. See - “Government Stock.” - -=Tammany Ring.= The name given to certain officials of the Democratic - party in New York who in 1871 were punished for having during a long - series of years plundered the people wholesale. Tammany Hall was the - place where they held their meetings. This was originally the - headquarters of a benevolent society, but it degenerated into a - political club. By way of accounting for the designation, it may be - added that Tammany or Tammenund was the name of a famous Indian - chief of the Delaware tribe, greatly beloved by his people. - -=Taming the Alps.= A phrase which has lately come into vogue through the - popular solicitude to prevent intrepid amateurs from climbing the - Alps without the assistance of local guides. - -=Tantalise.= A word based upon the fable of Tantalus, a son of Jupiter, - who, because he betrayed his father’s secrets, was made to stand up - to his chin in water, with branches of luscious fruit over his head, - but when he wished to drink or to eat the water and the fruit - receded from him. - -=Tapestry.= From the French _tapisserie_, based on the Latin _tapes_, a - carpet. - -=Tapster.= The old name for a tavern-keeper or his assistant, applied in - days when taps were first fitted to barrels for drawing off liquor. - -=Tarantella.= A dance invented for the purpose of inducing perspiration - as a supposed remedy for the poisonous bite of the Tarantula spider, - which received its name from the city of Taranto in Italy, where its - baneful effects were first noted. - -=Tarlatan.= From Tarare in France, the chief seat of the manufacture. - -=Tar Heels.= The nickname of the people of South Carolina, relative to - the tar industry in its lowland forests. - -=Tarragona.= Called by the Romans _Tarraco_, after the name given to the - city by the Phœnicians, _Tarchon_, “citadel.” - -=Tarred with the same Brush.= This expression originated in the custom - of marking the sheep of different folds formerly with a brush dipped - in tar, but nowadays more generally in red ochre. - -=Tart.= A punning abbreviation of “Sweetheart.” - -=Tasmania.= After Abel Jansen Tasman, the Dutch navigator, who - discovered it in 1642. - -=Tattersall’s.= After Richard Tattersall, who established his famous - horse repository near Hyde Park Corner in 1786; on 10th April 1865 - it was removed to its present locale at Knightsbridge. - -=Taunton.= The town on the River Tone. - -=Tavern.= From the Latin _taberna_, a hut of boards. - -=Tavistock.= The stockaded place on the Tavy. - -=Tavistock Street.= After the ancestor of the present great ground - landlord, Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Marquis of - Tavistock, and Duke of Bedford, the father of the celebrated Rachel - who became the wife of Lord William Russell, beheaded in 1683. The - square and place similarly designated are included in the ducal - estate. - -=Tawdry.= A word derived from the cheap, showy lace anciently sold at - the annual fair of St Audrey in the Isle of Ely. This was called St - Audrey’s lace, afterwards corrupted into Tawdrey. The name of St - Audrey itself was a corruption of St Ethelreda. - -=Tay.= From the Celtic _tain_, river. - -=Tearless Victory.= Plutarch in his “Lives” gave this name to the great - victory won by Archimandus, King of Sparta, over the Arcadians and - Argives, B.C. 367, without the loss of a single Spartan soldier. - -=Teetotaler.= This designation of a total abstainer arose out of the - stammering address at Preston in September 1833 of one Richard - Turner, who concluded by saying: “Nothing but t-t-t-t-total - abstinence will do--that or nowt!” - -=Teetotum.= A coined term for a Working Man’s Total Abstinence Club, - suggested by the word “Teetotaler.” - -=Teignmouth.= Situated at the mouth, or in the estuary of, the Teign, - which name is a variant of the Celtic _tain_, river. - -=Tell that to the Marines.= In the old days, before the bluejackets - proved themselves as good fighting men on land as at sea, the - Marines were an indispensable adjunct to the Navy, but as time hung - heavily upon their hands they were always ready to listen to a - story. Finding that they were easily gullible, the sailors loved to - entertain them with the most extraordinary yarns, and, while on - shore, if they heard a wonderful story themselves they made up their - minds to “tell that to the Marines.” - -=Temple.= The seat of the “Knights Templars” in this country down to the - time of the dissolution of their Order by Edward II. in 1313. - -=Temple Bar.= The ancient gateway, at the western extremity of Fleet - Street, defining the “liberty” of the city of London on that side, - and originally set up as the ordinary entrance to the London house - of the Knights Templars. Taken down in 1878, the “Bar” now adorns - the park of Sir Henry Meux at Theobalds, Cheshunt, Herts. - -=Tenement House.= An Americanism for a dwelling-house let off to - different families. - -=Tennessee.= Indian for “river of the great bend.” - -=Tent Wine.= A corruption of _vinto tinto_, the Spanish for a white wine - coloured. - -=Terpsichorean Art.= After Terpsichore, one of the Nine Muses, who - presided over dancing. - -=Terra-cotta.= Italian for “baked earth”--_i.e._ clay. - -=Texas.= Indian for “the place of protection,” where a colony of French - refugees were kindly received in 1817. - -=Thaler.= Originally called a Joachims-Thaler, because this German coin - was struck out of silver found in the thal, or dale, of St Joachim - in France about 1518. From this “Thaler” the term “Dollar” has been - derived. - -=Thames.= To assert that this name has been derived from the Latin (?) - _Thamesis_, “the broad Isis,” or that it expresses the conjunction - of the Thame and the Isis, is ridiculous. The word is wholly Celtic, - from _tam_, smooth, and _esis_, one of the many variants of the - original _uisg_, water. It is quite true that that portion of our - noble river which flows past Oxford is called the Isis, but the name - is scholastic only, and cannot be found in any ancient charter or - historical document. _Thames_ simply means smooth water, or, if we - care to admit it, “the smooth Isis.” - -=Thames Street.= Runs parallel to the river on the north bank. - -=Thanet Place.= This _cul de sac_ at the eastern end of the Strand - received its name from the Earl of Thanet, the owner of the land - prior to 1780. - -=Thavie’s Inn.= A range of modern buildings on the site of an ancient - appendage to Lincoln’s Inn, so called by the Benchers in honour of - John Thavie, an armourer, who when he died in 1348 left a - considerable amount of property to the parish church of St Andrew. - -=Theobalds Road.= So called because James I. was wont to pass along it - on the way to his favourite hunting-seat at Theobalds in - Hertfordshire. See “Kingsgate Street.” - -=Thespian Art.= After Thespis, the Father of the Greek Drama. - -=Thirteen Cantons.= A tavern sign off Golden Square, complimentary to - the Cantons of Switzerland, at a time when Soho was as much a Swiss - colony as it is now French. - -=Thomas Street.= In honour of Thomas Guy, the founder of the Hospital, - also named after him. - -=Thomists.= Those who accepted the teaching of St Thomas Aquinas, in - opposition to that of John Duns Scotus relative to the Immaculate - Conception. - -=Threadneedle Street.= A corruption of, first, “Thridneedle,” and later - “Three-Needle” Street, so called from the arms of the Needlemakers’ - Company. - -=Three Chairmen.= A tavern sign in Mayfair, this house being the regular - resort of gentlemen’s servants in the days when sedan-chairs were - fashionable. - -=Three Exes.= The nickname of the 30th Regiment of Foot (XXX). - -=Three Kings.= An inn sign derived from the Magi or Three Wise Men who - came to adore the new-born Saviour at Bethlehem. - -=Three Men Wine.= The name borne by a very bad wine which requires two - men to hold the victim, while a third pours it down his throat. - -=Three Nuns.= A tavern sign in Aldgate, reminiscent of the neighbouring - priory of the Nuns of St Clare in ancient times. - -=Three Suns.= An inn sign derived from the device of Edward IV. as King - of England. - -=Throgmorton Street.= After the wealthy London banker, Sir Nicholas - Throgmorton. - -=Throw up the Sponge.= Originally a boxing expression. When a - prize-fighter had been badly bruised in the first round he often - declined the sponge offered to him by his second, or, in a sudden - fit, threw it up in the air, declaring he had had enough of it; - hence to “throw up the sponge” is to acknowledge oneself beaten. - -=Thundering Legion.= The name ever afterwards borne by that Roman legion - which, A.D. 179, overthrew the power of the Alemanni by defeating - them during a thunderstorm, which was thought to have been sent to - them in answer to the prayers of the Christians. - -=Thurlow Place.= After Lord Chancellor Thurlow, whose residence was in - Great Ormond Street, close by. - -=Thursday.= The day of Thor, the God of Thunder, in the Scandinavian - mythology. - -=Tied House.= A public-house owned or financed by a firm of brewers, - with the result that the nominal landlord is not allowed to - replenish his stock from any other brewer. - -=Tierra del Fuego.= Spanish for “land of fire,” so called from a volcano - on the largest island which throws up flame and smoke visible a very - great distance out at sea. - -=Tight.= Intoxicated, because a person in this state generally clutches - tight hold of a street lamppost or a convenient railing when unable - to walk home after a debauch. - -=Tighten your Purse Strings.= See “Purse Strings.” - -=Tilbury.= The ancient form of the name of the village two miles west of - Tilbury Fort was _Tillaburgh_, after one Tilla, a Saxon, of whom, - however, nothing is now known. A small two-wheeled gig without a - cover is called a Tilbury, after a London sportsman who introduced - it nearly a century ago. - -=Tinker.= A corruption of “tinner,” or tin-worker. This has given rise - to the verb “to tinker,” which meant originally to hammer lightly at - a thing after the style a tinman, without being able to repair it in - a thoroughly workman-like manner. - -=Tintoretto.= The better known name of the famous Italian painter, - Jacopo Robusti, because his father was a _tintore_, or dyer. - -=Tobacco.= From _tobaco_, the inhaling tube of the North American - Indians. By the Spaniards alone has the original spelling of the - name, now given universally to the fragrant weed itself, been - preserved. - -=Tobago Island.= So called by Columbus on account of its resemblance to - the inhaling tube of the Indians, the _tobaco_. - -=Toddy.= From the Hindoo _taudi_, a stimulating beverage made from the - juice of various palm-trees. - -=Toff.= A vulgar corruption of the University term “Tuft,” a young - nobleman who pays high fees and is distinguished by a golden tuft or - tassel on his cap. - -=Toggery.= A term derived from the same source as “Togs.” - -=Togs.= Slang for clothes, but originally derived from _toga_, the - characteristic male garment of the Romans. - -=Tokay.= An excellent white wine produced in the district of the same - name in Upper Hungary. - -=Tokenhouse Yard.= Marks the site of the ancient Token-House, which came - into existence through the insufficiency of small copper coinage. A - number of Nuremberg “tokens” having been introduced into this - country, tradesmen imported large quantities of them for purposes of - small (halfpenny and farthing) change, but instead of being kept in - circulation such tokens were afterwards exchanged by the inhabitants - of the city for their face value at the Token-House. About the same - time various municipalities throughout the country manufactured - their own tokens. The London Token-House was swept away by the Great - Fire and never rebuilt. - -=Toledo.= From the Hebrew _H’toledoth_, “generations,” “families,” - relative to the Jewish founders of the city. - -=Tom Folio.= The sobriquet of Thomas Rawlinson, the bibliomaniac. - -=Tommy Atkins.= This general designation of an English soldier arose out - of the hypothetical name, “Thomas Atkins,” which at one time figured - in the Paymaster-General’s monthly statement of accounts sent to the - War Office. So much money claimed by “Thomas Atkins” meant, of - course, the regular pay for the rank and file. - -=Tom Tidler’s Ground.= A corruption of “Tom the Idler’s Ground.” - -=Tontine.= The name given to a system of reducing the State Loans in - France in 1653 after Lorenzo Tonti, a Neapolitan protegé of Cardinal - Mazarin, its projector. According to this system, when one - subscriber dies, the money accredited to him passes to the others, - until the last survivor inherits the whole amount. - -=Tooley Street.= Originally “St Olaff Street” after the parish church - dedicated to St Olaff or Olave. This thoroughfare was in the time of - the Commonwealth known as “St Tulie Street,” of which its modern - name is an easy corruption. - -=Toothpicks.= A nickname borne by the people of Arkansas on account of - the Bowie Knives carried by the early settlers. - -=Topaz.= From _topazios_, after _Topazos_, the Greek name of an island - in the Red Sea where this gem was anciently - -=Tories.= Originally, during the Restoration period, the nickname - bestowed by the Protestants on their religious and political - opponents. This was in derisive allusion to a band of outlaws that - infested the bog districts of Ireland, the word _toree_ being Gaelic - for a robber. - -=Toronto.= Indian for “oak-trees beside the lake.” - -=Torquatus.= See “Manlius Torquatus.” - -=Torres Strait.= After the Spanish navigator, L. N. de Torres, who - discovered it in 1606. - -=Torrington Square.= After the family name of the first wife of John, - the sixth Duke of Bedford, the ancestor of the great ground - landlord. - -=Tothill Street.= A name which recalls the ancient manor of Tothill, - properly Toothill--_i.e._ beacon hill. Wherever _toot_ or _tot_ - appears in a place-name, it points to the one-time existence of a - beacon. - -=Totnes.= A corruption of “Toot Ness,” the beacon on the headland. - -=Tottenham.= From “Totham,” a corruption of _Toot ham_, the house or - hamlet by the beacon. - -=Tottenham Court Road.= So called ever since the days of Elizabeth - because it then led to “Tottenham Court.” This was an ancient manor, - originally belonging to St Paul’s, and held in the reign of Henry - III. by William de Tottenhall. - -=Touched him on the Raw.= Reminded him of something which hurt his - feelings. This expression arose out of an ostler’s solicitude to - avoid a sore place on a horse while grooming him. - -=Toulon.= The _Telonium_ of the Romans, so called after Telo Martius, - the tribune who colonised it. - -=Tractarians.= Those Oxford men who assisted Dr Pusey with the - composition of the famous “Tracts for the Times,” as well as those - who accepted the opinions expressed therein. - -=Trafalgar Square.= From the Nelson Column, set up in 1843, two years - before the square itself was laid out as it now exists. - -=Traitors’ Gate.= The riverside entrance to the Tower of London reserved - for State prisoners convicted of high treason. - -=Tramway.= An abbreviation of “Outram way,” after Benjamin Outram of - Derbyshire, who was the first to place his sleepers end to end the - whole length of the rails, instead of crosswise, as on our railways. - Long before this, however, the word “Tram” had been applied to a - coal waggon or truck in the colliery districts, while the rails on - which a vehicle ran bore the name of a “Tramroad.” - -=Transformation Scene.= So called because in the good old days of - Pantomine the Fairy Queen was at this juncture of the entertainment - supposed to transform the chief characters of the “opening” into - Clown, Pantaloon, Harlequin, Columbine, and Policeman. - -=Transvaal.= Expresses the territory beyond the Vaal River. - -=Transylvania.= From the Latin _trans_, beyond, and _sylva_, wood; this - name was given by the Hungarians to the country beyond their wooded - frontier. - -=Trappists.= A strict Order of Cistercian Monks, so called from their - original home at La Trappe in Normandy, established during the - twelfth century. - -=Treacle Bible.= A rare version of the Scriptures, so called on account - of the rendering of the passage (Jeremiah viii. 22): “Is there no - balm in Gilead?” as “There is no more traicle at Gilead.” - -=Trent.= Celtic for “winding river.” - -=Tried in the Balance and Found Wanting.= An expression founded on the - belief of the ancient Egyptians that the souls of men were weighed - after death. - -=Trilbies.= Colloquial for feet, because Trilby in the novel and the - play named after the heroine appears in bare feet. - -=Trilby.= A soft felt hat of the kind popularised by the heroine of the - famous Haymarket Theatre play, _Trilby_, founded upon the late - George du Maurier’s equally famous novel of the same title. - -=Trinidad Island.= The name given to it by Columbus as an emblem of the - Trinity, relative to its three mountain peaks which, when seen from - afar, he at first imagined rose from three different islands. - -=Trinitarians.= Those who accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as - opposed to the Unitarians; also the original designation of the - “Crutched Friars,” or Friars of the Holy Trinity. - -=Trinity House.= This had its origin in an ancient guild incorporated in - 1529 under the title of “The Master-Wardens and Assistants of the - Guild, or Fraternity, or Brotherhood, of the Most Glorious and - Undivisible Trinity, and St Clement, in the parish of Deptford, - Stroud, in the County of Kent.” The present building dates from - 1795. - -=Trinity Sunday.= That which follows Whitsunday, pursuant to the good - old Catholic custom of allowing religious exercises, specifically - the partaking of the Holy Communion, to be performed within the - octave, or eight days, of a great feast. - -=Tristan d’Acunha.= After the Portuguese navigator who discovered this - island in 1651. - -=Trithing.= See “Riding.” - -=Trump Street.= After the makers of trumpets, who, in the days of public - pageants and processions, here had their workshops. - -=Trust.= Another word for a “Combine” or “Corner,” with this difference - that its members are pledged to stand by one another, and faithfully - maintain the high prices their action has brought about. - -=Tudors.= This royal house received its name from Owen Tudor, a Welsh - soldier, who while stationed at Windsor, contracted a secret - marriage with Catherine, the widowed queen of Henry V. - -=Tuesday.= In the Scandinavian mythology the day set apart for the - worship of _Tiw_, the God of War. - -=Tuft.= See “Toff.” - -=Tulle.= From the French town of the same name, where this fabric was - first made. - -=Tumble to it.= This phrase is a vulgar perversion of “stumble upon - it”--_i.e._ the meaning or comprehension of a thing. - -=Tunis.= Anciently _Tunentum_, after the _Tunes_, who peopled the - country. - -=Turin.= Called by the Romans _Augusta Taurisonum_, the capital of the - _Taurini_. - -=Turkestan.= Conformably to the Persian _stan_, the country of the - Turks. - -=Turkey.= From “Turkia,” the Celtic suffix expressing the country of the - Turks. The bird of this name was long thought to be a native of - Turkey; it was, however, introduced to Europe from North America - early in the sixteenth century. - -=Turnagain Lane.= So called because it ends at a high brick wall, and - the pedestrian has no alternative but to retrace his steps. - -=Turnmill Street.= A name which recalls the days when an old mill, whose - sails turned with the wind, stood in the pleasant meadow. - -=Turpentine State.= North Carolina, from the turpentine found in its - great pine forests. - -=Turquoise.= From Turkey, the country where this precious stone was - first found. - -=Tuscany.= The territory of the Etruscans. - -=Tweed.= It is perfectly true that this cloth is fabricated in the - vicinity of the River Tweed, but the name is really a corruption of - “Twill,” which word, in an invoice sent to James Locke in London, - being blotted, looked like “tweed,” and the customer thought the - cloth might as well be called by that name as by its original. - -=Twelfth Night.= That which brought the Christmas holidays and - festivities to a close in former days. In the morning the people - went to church to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, afterwards - they gave themselves up right merrily to indoor amusements. - -=Twickenham.= When Pope resided in this pretty up-river village its name - was “Twitnam” for short, but it meant the same as of yore, a hamlet - located between two rivulets of the Thames. The word is Anglo-Saxon, - cognate with the modern German _zwischen_, between, and _heim_, a - home. - -=Twill.= From the German _zwillich_, “trellis work,” so called from the - diagonal ribs distinguished on the surface of this cloth. - -=Two Fours.= The 44th Regiment of Foot. - -=Two Sevens.= The 77th Regiment of Foot. - -=Two Twos.= The 22nd Regiment of Foot. - -=Tyburn.= A corruption of _Twa-burne_, “two streams,” the one from - Bayswater, the other from Kilburn, which met on the spot where the - public executions formerly took place and the Marble Arch now - stands. - -=Tyne.= Another variant of the Celtic _tain_, river. - - - - - U - -=Uisquebaugh.= From _uisge_, water, and _beatha_, life, the national - drink of the Irish people. Out of this we have derived the English - term “Whisky.” - -=Ukase.= From the Russian _ukasat_, to speak. - -=Ukraine.= Expresses the Slavonic for a “frontier country.” - -=Ultramarine.= Another name for “Saunders Blue,” introduced to England - from beyond the sea. - -=Umber.= From Umbria in Italy, where this pigment was first obtained. - -=Umbrella.= From the Latin _umbra_, a shade. The original function of - such an article was to act as a shelter against the scorching rays - of the sun, similar to those monster white or coloured umbrellas one - sees in a Continental market-place. It was Jonas Hanway who first - diverted it from its proper use. See “Hanway Street.” - -=Uncle.= How this name came to be applied to a pawnbroker was as - follows:--Before the “spout” was introduced all those pledges which - consisted of clothing were attached to a very large book, or _uncus_ - as it was called, conformably to the Latin description of the - article, since the Lombards were the earliest pawnbrokers of - history. When this _uncus_ could accommodate nothing more, the rope - from which it depended was unslung from the ceiling, and laid across - the shoulders of an assistant, who then carried the whole collection - to the store-rooms overhead. Hence an article which had been pledged - was said to have “Gone to the Uncus,” or, as the modern phrase has - it, “Gone to my Uncle’s.” - -=Uncle Sam.= The national nickname of the United States. This arose out - of the initials “U.S.,” which the Government caused to be painted or - branded on all its stores just as the Government property in this - country is marked with a broad arrow. Since it happened that the - official whose duty it was to see this marking properly carried out - was known among his numerous acquaintance as “Uncle Sam,” the - general impression obtained that the letters really applied to him, - as evidence that the goods had passed through his hands. In this way - “Uncle Sam” bequeathed his name to a great nation. - -=Uncle Sam’s Ice-box.= Alaska, so called on account of its northern - situation. Prior to the year 1867 this territory belonged to Russia. - -=Undertaker.= Specifically one who in former days undertook to be - responsible for the custody of a corpse until the moment that it was - lowered into the grave. This was the _raison d’être_ of the two - “mutes” stationed by him at the door of the house by day and by - night as guards. - -=Underwriter.= One who accepts the responsibility of insuring a vessel - or its merchandise by signing his name at the foot of the policy. - -=Unionists.= Those who are opposed to Home Rule for Ireland; now - identified with the Conservative Party. - -=Union Jack.= The first part of this name has, of course, reference to - the Union of England and Scotland in the person of James I., but the - application of the word “Jack” to our national flag is not so easily - disposed of. Nevertheless, reference to our note on “Jack-boots” - will afford the reader a key to the question. Twenty-six of such - “Jacques,” emblazoned with the arms of St George, were ordered by - Edward III. for one of his warships. Designed primarily for the - defence of his soldiers when in fighting array, they were placed in - a row along the low bulwarks while the vessel was sailing, just as - the Romans and the hardy Norsemen disposed of their shields at sea. - After this statement it should not be difficult to see how the Cross - of St George displayed on a _jacque_ lent its name at first to the - staff from which the English flag was flown, and later to the flag - itself. - -=Unitarians.= Those who are opposed to the doctrine of the Trinity, - denying, as they do, the Godhead or divinity of Jesus Christ and the - Holy Ghost. This tenet was promulgated by Lælius Socinus, an Italian - theologian, in 1546. - -=United Brethren.= Another name for the religious sect styled the - “Moravians.” - -=University.= From the Latin _universitatis_, the whole. This word - expresses the various distinct colleges and halls at Oxford, - Cambridge, and elsewhere, incorporated by a royal charter as one - great educational centre. - -=Unlearned Parliament.= See “Parliament of Dunces.” - -=Unready.= See “Ethelred the Unready.” - -=Up a Tree.= Completely cornered, yet defiant; the allusion is to the - refuge of a tree-branch against the attack of a bull stationed - beneath it. - -=Upper Berkeley Street.= See “Berkeley Street.” - -=Upper Crust.= A modern term for the aristocracy, because it was - formerly considered a mark of high honour to allow the most - distinguished guest to cut off the top of the loaf at table. - -=Upper Seymour Street.= After the Seymours, from whom the Portmans, - owners of the estate, are descended. - -=Upper Ten.= Short for “The Upper Ten Thousand,” which, at the time when - N. P. Willis first made use of the term, was the approximate number - of fashionables or really well-to-do in the city of New York. - -=Uppertendom.= An Americanism for the aristocracy. - -=Upper Thames Street.= The western portion of Thames Street between - London and Blackfriars Bridges. - -=Up the Spout.= This expression requires no elucidating. Nevertheless, - there was a time when a pawnbroking establishment had not the - convenience of a “spout,” and because this was so, the - matter-of-fact tradesman earned for himself the endearing title of - “My Uncle.” See “Uncle.” - -=Up to Snuff.= Said of one who has a keen scent for reckoning up his - neighbours. - -=Uruguay.= Expresses the Brazilian for “the golden water.” - -=Ural.= A Tartar word for “belt.” - -=Usher.= From the old French _huisher_, door, signifies a doorkeeper. - -=Usk.= A variant of the Celtic _uisg_, water. - -=Ursulines.= An Order of nuns named after St Ursula, who suffered - martyrdom at Cologne in the tenth century. - -=Utah.= After an Indian tribe, the Yuta or Utes, encountered in the - region so named. - -=Utilitarianism.= A word implying “the happiness of the greatest - number.” In this sense it was first popularised by John Stuart Mill, - after Jeremy Bentham had promulgated a similar ethical religion - under the style of “Utility.” - -=Utopia.= From the Greek _ou_, not, and _topos_, place, this compound - term signifies “nowhere,” “no such place.” Ideas and Systems are - said to be “Utopian” when they cannot be accepted by the average - reasoning mind. - - - - - V - -=Valance.= From Valencia in Spain, where bed drapery was at one time - made for the supply of the world’s markets. - -=Valencias.= Raisins grown in the Spanish province of Valencia, which - name, relative to the capital city, means “powerful, strong.” - -=Valenciennes.= Lace made at the French town of the same name. - -=Valentines.= See “St Valentine’s Day.” - -=Valparaiso.= Expresses the Spanish for “Vale of Paradise.” - -=Vamoose.= An Americanism for “decamp,” “run along,” “be off.” This had - its origin in the Spanish _vamos_, “let us go.” - -=Vanbrugh Castle.= This castellated mansion at Blackheath was built by - Sir John Vanbrugh in 1717. - -=Vancouver Island.= Discovered by Captain Vancouver while searching for - an inlet on the west coast of North America in 1792. - -=Van Diemen’s Land.= The name first given by Tasman, its discoverer, in - 1642, to what is now “Tasmania,” in compliment to the daughter of - the Dutch Governor of Batavia. - -=Vandyke.= A pointed lace collar, always distinguished in the portraits - painted by Sir Anthony Vandyck. Also a peculiar shade of brown - colour used by him for his backgrounds. - -=Vassar College.= Founded in the state of New York by Matthew Vassar in - 1861 for the higher education of women. This might be said to - constitute the Girton College of the New World. - -=Vaudeville.= The name given to a short, bright dramatic piece - interspersed with songs set to familiar airs, after Vaudevire, a - village in Normandy, where Olivier Basselin, the first to compose - such pieces, was born. The Vaudeville Theatre in the Strand was - built for entertainments of this class. - -=Vauxhall.= After Jane Vaux, the occupant of the manor house in 1615. - This name, however, would seem to have been corrupted in modern - times, since the manor was originally held soon after the Norman - Conquest by Fulka de Breante. The manor house might consequently - have been in those far-off days described as “Fulkes Hall.” - -=Venerable Bede.= The Saxon historian merited the surname of “Venerable” - because he was an aged man and also an ecclesiastic. - -=Venezuela.= Finding that the Indian villages in this country were - uniformly built upon piles in the water, the Spaniards gave it their - native term for “Little Venice.” - -=Venice.= After the _Veneti_, the early inhabitants of the district. - -=Vernier.= After Pierre Vernier, the inventor of the instrument. - -=Vere Street.= After the De Veres, owners of the estate before it passed - to the Harleys. - -=Verger.= From the French _verge_, a rod, the name borne by the - custodian of a cathedral or minster, because in common with official - attendants, he formerly carried a rod or staff of office. - -=Vermicelli.= Italian for “little worms.” - -=Vermont.= A corruption of “Verd Mont,” in allusion to its green - mountains. - -=Vermuth.= The white wine tinctured with bitter herbs appropriately - bears this name derived from the Anglo-Saxon _wermod_, wormwood. - -=Verulam Buildings.= This portion of Gray’s Inn was named in honour of - Lord Bacon, created Baron Verulam and Viscount St Albans. - -=Veto.= This word is Latin for “I forbid.” - -=Vicar.= From the Latin _vicarius_, in place of another. See “Rector.” - -=Vichy Water.= So called because drawn from the celebrated springs at - Vichy in France. - -=Victoria.= The carriage of this name was introduced in 1838, the - coronation year of the late Queen Victoria. Much about the same time - the Australian colony so designated in her honour was first - colonised. - -=Victoria Regia.= So called because it was brought to England from - Guiana soon after the accession of Queen Victoria. - -=Victoria Street.= After Queen Victoria, in the early years of whose - reign it was cut through and built upon. - -=Vienna.= From a small stream, the Wien, from which the city received - its German name. - -=Vignette.= Expressing the French for a “little vine,” this name was - given to an early style of photograph, and also to a book engraving - that faced the title-page, on account of the vine leaves and - tendrils that surrounded it. - -=Vigo Street.= In honour of the capture of Vigo by Lord Cobham in 1719, - shortly before this street was built upon. - -=Viking.= From the Icelandic _vik_, a creek, the usual lurking-place of - the northern pirates. - -=Villain.= Although signifying originally a mean, low fellow, but by no - means one of reprehensive morals as now, this term was applied to a - labourer on a farm or a country seat. To argue this point with the - humble day-labourer who trims the shrubs at a suburban villa in our - own time, would serve no useful purpose. - -=Villiers Street.= One of the group of streets the names of which - perpetuate the memory of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, whose - town mansion hereabouts was approached from the river by the old - water gate, still in existence. - -=Vinegar.= From the French _vinaigre_, “sour wine.” - -=Vinegar Bible.= So called from the substitution of the word “vinegar” - for “vineyard” in the headline to Luke xx., printed at the Clarendon - Press in 1717. - -=Vinegar Yard.= Wherever this corrupted term is met with in London it - points to a “vineyard” originally belonging to a religious order. - That in Clerkenwell was attached to the Priory of the Knights of St - John of Jerusalem, that adjoining Drury Lane Theatre to St Paul’s - Convent in what is now Covent Garden. - -=Vine Street.= Recalls the existence of a vineyard at Westminster and - off Piccadilly, anciently held by the abbots of the venerable pile - of St Peter’s at Westminster. - -=Vintry.= This ward of the city of London was anciently the “place of” - the vintners, or wine merchants who came from Bordeaux. - -=Virginals.= An early example of keyed musical instrument resembling the - pianoforte. Also this was played upon with some degree of skill by - Queen Elizabeth, the so-called “Virgin Queen,” and is said to have - given her name to the instrument. It was, however, well known long - before her time, having been used by nuns in convents to accompany - hymns to the Virgin. - -=Virginia.= Named by Sir Walter Raleigh in honour of Elizabeth, the - “Virgin Queen.” - -=Virginia Bible.= A translation of the Scriptures into the native tongue - of the Indians of the state of Virginia, first printed in 1661. - Copies are said to be worth at least £200. - -=Virgin Mary’s Body Guard.= The 7th Dragoon Guards, because this - regiment once served under Maria Theresa of Austria. - -=Voltaire.= The anagrammatic literary pseudonym of François Marie - Arouet, formed as follows:--“Arouet l. j.” (le jeune). - -=Volume.= From the Latin _volvo_, I roll. The earliest documents or - writings consisted of long rolls of the Egyptian papyrus, and when - these were rolled up each one corresponded to what the moderns - called a volume. See “Roll Call.” - - - W - -=Wadham College.= Founded at Oxford by Nicholas Wadham in 1613. - -=Walbrook.= From a pleasant stream of clear water which, after skirting - the wall of St Stephen’s Church, behind where the Mansion House now - stands, ran southward, to empty itself into the Thames at Dowgate. - -=Waldenses.= The followers of Peter Waldo, a merchant of Lyons, who - towards the end of the twelfth century had the four Gospels - translated for the benefit of the people, and was unsparing in his - denunciation of the clergy. With the Albigenses of Languedoc these - people, who entered with their leader into the valleys of Dauphine - and Piedmont, may be regarded as the earliest of the Reformers. - -=Wales.= This Celtic territory, which was never even penetrated by the - Anglo-Saxons, received the name of “Wallia,” signifying the country - of the _Wahlen_ or _Wahls_, foreigners. - -=Walham Green.= The original spelling of this name “Wahlheim,” expressed - from the Anglo-Saxon point of view a home or settlement of the - _Wahls_ or foreigners. - -=Walk a Virginia Fence.= An American phrase applied to a drunken man. In - Virginia the rail fences are constructed in a zig-zag manner, whence - they are also called “worm fences.” - -=Walking Gentlemen.= In theatrical parlance, one who plays the part of a - gentleman or noble on the stage; he may not have much to say, but - his bearing must be above reproach. The plays of Shakespeare abound - in parts of this kind. - -=Walk the Chalk.= An Americanism for to act straight or keep in the - right path. - -=Wallop.= In the year 1514 the French fleet ravaged the coast of Sussex, - and burned Brighthelmstone, now Brighton, whereupon Sir John Wallop, - one of the best naval commanders of his time, was sent by Henry - VIII. to make reprisals. In this he succeeded only too well; he - burned twenty-one French coasting villages, demolished several - harbours, and thrashed the enemy to his heart’s content. His men, - however, proud of the achievement, declared that they had Walloped - the French; and thus it was that a new synonym for “thrash” came to - be incorporated into the English language. - -=Waltham.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Waldheim_, the home or settlement in - the wood. - -=Waltz.= From the German “Waltzer,” the name of the dance, and - _waltzen_, to roll, relative to the revolutions made by the pairs of - dancers. - -=Walworth.= Originally a settlement of the _Wahls_, or foreigners, - descendants of the Danes (see “Southwark”). This district became in - Anglo-Saxon days a _worth_, or manor, from which Sir William - Walworth, the Lord Mayor who slew Wat Tyler, derived his family - name. - -=Wandsworth.= Anciently described as “Wandlesworth,” the manor watered - by the River Wandle. - -=Wapentake.= Expresses the Saxon for “a touching of arms.” This - territorial division, which obtained in Yorkshire in the time of the - Anglo-Saxons, and corresponded to the “Hundred” elsewhere, received - its name from the periodical meeting of the champions of each - hundred to touch spears and swear to defend the common cause. - -=Wardour Street.= After Wardour Castle, the seat of the ground landlord, - Lord Arundel of Wardour. - -=Wardrobe Terrace.= Marks the site of the ancient “Wardrobe,” when our - sovereigns resided in what was styled “Tower Royal” hard by. - -=Warwick.= From the Anglo-Saxon _Wærwic_, “war town,” so called on - account of its permanent garrison of soldiers. - -=Warwick Lane.= From the town mansion of the Beauchamps, Earls of - Warwick. - -=Warwick Road.= After the Earls of Warwick, owners of the Earl’s Court - estate before it passed to the Holland family. - -=Washington.= Laid out under the superintendence of George Washington, - the first President of the United States. This seat of the - Government was honoured with his name. - -=Water Lane.= Prior to the construction of Victoria Street this winding - lane led down to the Thames. - -=Waterloo Bridge.= So called because it was declared open 18th June - 1817, the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. - -=Waterloo Park.= After Sir Sidney Waterloo, who presented it to the - public. - -=Waterloo Place.= So called as a military set-off to Trafalgar Square - when the Duke of York’s column was erected by public subscription in - 1833. The statues of famous British generals around this open space - are quite in keeping with the design. - -=Water Poet.= The literary sobriquet of John Taylor, who was a Thames - waterman. - -=Watling Street.= A corruption of _Vitellina Strata_, “the road of - Vitellius,” so called because this great Roman highway from Dover to - Cardigan in Wales was projected by the Emperor Vitellius, and those - portions of it in London and elsewhere were constructed during his - reign. - -=Watteau.= See “Á la Watteau.” - -=Way Down.= An Americanism for “down the way to” _e.g._--“Way down the - lone churchyard.” - -=Wayzgoose.= A printers’ summer outing, so called from the wayz or - stubble goose which, when the outing took place later in the season, - was the invariable dinner dish. The term _wayz_ is from the Dutch - _wassen_ and German _waschen_, to grow; hence a goose that has - fattened among the stubble after the harvest has been gathered. - -=Wedding Breakfast.= The nuptial banquet had in Catholic days a real - significance, when, having fasted from midnight, the entire party - attended Mass, and partook of the Communion. At the close of the - marriage ceremony the priest regaled them with wine, cakes, and - sweetmeats in the church porch by way of breakfast. - -=Wednesday.= In the Scandinavian mythology this was “Wodin’s Day,” or - that set apart for the worship of Odin or Wodin, the god of magic - and the inventor of the Arts. - -=Wedgwood Ware.= The style of pottery invented or introduced by Josiah - Wedgwood in 1775. - -=Weeping Cross.= A cross set up on the way to a churchyard where the - coffin was rested for a brief space while prayers were offered up - for the soul of the deceased. The wailing of the women generally - interrupted the proceedings. - -=Weeping Philosopher.= Heraclitus of Ephesus, who voluntarily embittered - the declining years of his existence by weeping over the folly of - mankind. - -=Wedlock Street.= After Welbeck Abbey, the seat of the Duke of Portland, - the great ground landlord. - -=Wellingborough.= Anciently “Wellingbury,” on account of the medicinal - wells or springs which abound in its vicinity. - -=Wellington.= This province and capital city of New Zealand received the - name of the Duke of Wellington. - -=Wellington Boots.= After the Duke of Wellington. - -=Wellington Street.= In honour of the Duke of Wellington, because it - leads to Waterloo Bridge. - -=Wells Street.= A corruption of “Well Street,” after Well in Yorkshire, - the seat of the Strangeways family, from whom Lady Berners, owner of - the estate, was descended. - -=Welsher.= The name borne by an absconding bookmaker on a race-course - was originally a “Welshman,” in allusion to the old ditty: “Taffy - was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief.” - -=Welsh Rabbit.= A popular corruption of “Welsh Rarebit.” - -=Wesleyan Methodists.= The name borne by that portion of the Methodist - sect which worship in chapels and so-called churches, which was far - from the intention of their founder. See “Primitive Methodists.” - -=Wesleyans.= The followers of John Wesley, or “Methodists” in general. - -=Wessex.= The great kingdom of the _West Seaxe_, or West Saxons, under - the Heptarchy. - -=Westbourne Park.= The district formerly traversed by the west bourne or - stream between “Kilburn” and “Bayswater.” - -=West Indies.= Those islands in the Caribbean Sea, which Columbus - imagined to form part of the great unknown India, as approached from - the west. - -=Westminster.= This name has been from time immemorial given to the - district of which the ancient fane tautologically styled - “Westminster Abbey” is the centre. One does not speak of “York - Minster Abbey” or “Lincoln Minster Abbey.” A minster is a great - church in connection with a monastery. Since the Reformation the - abbeys have been swept away, the Minsters remain. The earliest - mention of “the West Minster” occurs in a Saxon charter of 785, in - contradistinction to “the East Minster” that stood in those days - somewhere on Tower Hill. All trace of this has been lost, yet it is - possible that St Katherine’s Hospital, now displaced by the docks of - the same name, grew out of it. - -=Westmorland.= The land peopled by the Westmorings, or those of the - Western moors. - -=Weymouth Street.= After Lord Weymouth, the son-in-law of the ground - landlord, the Duke of Portland. - -=What’s the Damage?= This expression arose out of the damages awarded to - a successful litigant in the Law Courts. - -=Whig Bible.= So called owing to the substitution of the word - “placemakers” for “peacemakers.” - -=Whigs.= An abbreviation of “Whigamores,” first applied to the Scottish - Covenanters in consequence of a rising among the peasantry among the - Lowland moors called the “Whigamore Raid,” and finally to that - political party which strove to exclude the Duke of York, James II., - from the throne because he was a Catholic. The term “Whigamore” - arose out of the twin-syllabic cry “Whig-am!” of the teamsters and - ploughmen of those districts of Scotland to drive their horses. - -=Whisky.= An English form of the Irish “Uisquebaugh.” - -=Whitby.= So called by the Danes when they took possession of this abbey - town on the cliffs, literally “white town.” - -=Whitebait.= On account of its silvery whiteness and because it was at - one time used exclusively for baiting crab and lobster pots. - -=Whiteboys.= A band of Irish insurgents who wore white smocks over their - ordinary garments. - -=Whitechapel.= As in the case of Westminster, this name now expresses a - district, and “Whitechapel Church” sounds ridiculous. Its ancient - designation was the “White Chapel of St Mary.” - -=Whitecross Street.= See “Redcross Street.” - -=Whitefriars Street.= In olden days this was the western boundary of the - Carmelite or White Friars’ Monastery, built in 1245. - -=Whitehall.= The central portion of the wide thoroughfare between - Charing Cross and Westminster. This received its name from the - Banqueting-hall of white stone, originally part of a palace designed - by Cardinal Wolsey for the London house of the Archbishop of York, - and now the United Service Museum. - -=White Hart.= An inn sign from the device of Richard II. - -=White Hart Street.= After an ancient inn, “The White Hart,” removed - during the reign of George I. - -=White House.= The official residence of the President of the United - States at Washington, so called because it is built of freestone - painted white. - -=White Quakers.= An offshoot of the Quaker sect, about 1840, who adopted - white clothing. - -=White Queen.= Mary Queen of Scots, who appeared in white mourning for - her murdered husband, Lord Darnley. - -=White Lion.= An inn sign from the badge of Edward IV. as Earl of March. - -=White Sea.= So called because during six months out of each year it is - frozen over and covered with snow. - -=White Swan.= An inn sign complimentary to Edward III. and Henry IV., - whose badge it was. - -=Whit Sunday.= A corruption of “White Sunday,” so called from the - earliest days of Christianity in England because the catechumens or - newly baptised attended Mass, and received the Sacrament dressed in - white, on the Feast of Pentecost. - -=Whittington Avenue.= After Sir Richard Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor - of London, who resided in this neighbourhood. - -=Whittington Stone.= The name of a tavern on Highgate Hill, opposite to - which is, according to tradition, the identical stone on which Dick - Whittington, the future Lord Mayor of London, rested while listening - to the bells of Bow Church chiming across the pleasant fields. - -=Wicked Bible.= Wilfully or otherwise the word “not” is omitted from - this edition of the Scriptures, so that the passage in Exodus xx. - 14. reads: “Thou shalt commit adultery.” - -=Wide-awake.= The slang term for a soft felt hat, because, having no - nap, it must always be wide awake. - -=Widow Bird.= A corruption of “Whydaw Bird,” from the country in West - Africa where it is found. - -=Wigmore Street.= In common with several neighbouring streets, this - perpetuates one of the titles of Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and - Mortimer, who in 1717 was created Baron Harley of Wigmore in - Herefordshire, the ground landlord. - -=Wilburites.= The orthodox or strict members of the Society of Friends - in America under John Wilbur, as opposed to the “Hicksite Friends.” - -=William the Lion.= The surname of this King of the Scots was due to his - selection of a lion rampant for his crest. - -=Willis’s Rooms.= See “Almack’s.” - -=Will Scarlet.= A euphonism invented by Robin Hood for William - Scathelocke, the real name of one of his merry men. - -=Wilton.= See “Wiltshire.” - -=Wiltshire.= A corruption of “Wiltonshire,” or the Shire of Wilton, - which name in its original form, “Willy Town,” expressed the town on - the River Willy. - -=Wimbledon.= Originally _Wibbadon_, expressing the Celtic for a - low-lying meadow or common belonging to one Wibba. - -=Wimpole Street.= After the country seat of the Harleys on the - Herefordshire and Cambridgeshire border. - -=Winchester Yard.= From Winchester House, the ancient town mansion of - the Bishops of Winchester. - -=Windermere.= Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “clear water lake.” - -=Winchester.= Inhabited by the _Belgæ_, this stronghold, called by them - _Cær-Gwent_, “fortified enclosure on the plain,” was after the Roman - invasion made a great centre of military activity under the - Latinised name of _Venta Belgarum_, which the West Saxons changed - into _Wintancæstre_, “the camp town of the Winte,” whence its modern - name has been derived. - -=Windmill Street.= A name suggestive of peaceful rusticity. The - thoroughfare in Finsbury so denominated marks the site of three - windmills that were erected on a mound formed by the deposition of a - thousand cart-loads of human bones from the Charnel-house of St - Paul’s Cathedral by order of the Lord Protector Somerset in 1549. - -=Windsor.= Anciently described as “Windlesora,” the winding shore. - -=Wine Office Court.= From an ancient office where wine licences were - issued. - -=Winnipeg.= Indian for “lake of the turbid water.” - -=Wirepuller.= In allusion to the manipulators of the figures at a - marionette show. - -=Wisconsin.= Indian for “wild-rushing channel.” - -=Within an Ace.= Since the ace in a pack of cards is the unit of pips, - he who accomplishes anything by the merest shave does so within a - single mark. - -=Wizard of the North.= Sir Walter Scott, so called on account of the - enchantment which, through his novels, he exercised over the - inhabitants of North Britain. - -=Woburn Square.= After Woburn Abbey, the ancestral seat of the Duke of - Bedford. - -=Woke up the Wrong Passenger.= An Americanism for having made a mistake - in the individual. This originated in the Mississippi steamboats, - the stewards on board of which often call up the wrong passenger at - the stopping-places by night. - -=Wolverhampton.= Anciently “Wulfrune’s Hampton,” so called from the - church and college of St Peter founded by Wulfrune, the sister of - King Edgar, in 996. - -=Wolverine State.= Michigan, on account of the prairie wolves which - formerly infested this region. Its people are called “Wolverines.” - -=Wood Green.= In old days this was a glade in Hornsey Wood. - -=Wood Street.= In this locality congregated the turners of wooden cups, - dishes, and measures of olden times. - -=Woolly Heads.= An Americanism for the Negroes of the southern states. - -=Woolsack.= The seat reserved for the Lord Chancellor in the House of - Lords, being a large sack stuffed with wool, and covered with - scarlet cloth, its object being to keep him in constant reminder of - the great importance of the woollen manufacture in England. - -=Woolwich.= Anciently described as _Hylwich_, “hill town.” - -=Worcester.= Known to the Anglo-Saxons as _Hwicwara ceaster_, “the - stronghold of the Huiccii.” The latter portion of the name, however, - proves that this must have been a Roman encampment; the _Huiccii_ - were a Celtic tribe. - -=Worcester College.= Originally known as Gloucester Hall, this Oxford - foundation was in 1714 enlarged and endowed as a college by Sir - Thomas Cooksey of Astley, Worcestershire, who, not desiring his name - to be handed down to posterity, called it after his native county. - -=Work a Dead Horse.= A journeyman’s phrase implying that he has to set - to work on the Monday morning upon that for which he has already - been paid on the previous Saturday. - -=World’s End.= A famous house of entertainment during the reign of - Charles II., so called on account of its immense distance in those - days out of London. Like many other places of outdoor resort, it - exists now only as a public-house. - -=Wormwood Street.= From the bitter herbs which sprang up along the Roman - Wall in ancient times. - -=Worsted.= After a town in Norfolk of the same name where this fabric - was of old the staple industry. - -=Writes like an Angel.= Dr Johnson said of Oliver Goldsmith: “He writes - like an angel and talks like a fool.” The allusion was to Angelo - Vergeco, a Greek of the sixteenth century, noted for his beautiful - handwriting. - -=Wych Street.= This now vanished thoroughfare was anciently _Aldwych_, - “Old Town,” so called because it led from St Clement Danes Church to - the isolated settlement in the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields, - which in our time is known as Broad Street, Bloomsbury. - -=Wye.= From the Welsh _gwy_, water. - -=Wyndham College.= The joint foundation at Oxford of Nicholas and - Dorothy Wyndham of Edge and Merefield, Somersetshire, in 1611. - - - X - - -=X Ale.= The original significance of the X mark on beer barrels was - that the liquor had paid a ten shilling-duty. Additional X’s are - simply brewers’ trade marks, denoting various degrees of strength - over that of the first X. - -=XL’ers.= See “Exellers.” - -=XXX’s.= See “Three Exes.” - - - Y - - -=Yale University.= After Elihu Yale, formerly Governor of the East - Indian Company’s settlement at Madras, whose princely benefactions - to the Collegiate School of the State of Connecticut, founded by ten - Congregational ministers at Killingworth in 1701, warranted the - removal of that seat of learning to New Haven fifteen years later. - -=Yang-tse-Kiang.= Chinese for “great river.” - -=Yankee.= A term popularly applied at first to one born in the New - England states of North America owing to the fact that _Yankees_, - _Yangkies_ and similar perpetrations were the nearest approaches to - the word “English,” which the Indians of Massachusetts were capable - of. Afterwards it came to be applied to the people of the continent - generally. - -=Yankee Jonathan.= The nickname of Jonathan Hastings, a farmer of - Hastings, Mass., on account of his addiction to the word “Yankee,” - used adjectively for anything American. Thus he would say “a Yankee - good cider,” “a Yankee good horse,” etc. - -=Yankee State.= Ohio, so called by the Kentuckians on account of its - many free institutions. - -=Yarmouth.= The port situated at the mouth of the Yare. See “Yarrow.” - -=Yarn.= A spun-out story bears this name in allusion to the thread out - of which cloth is woven. - -=Yarrow.= From the Celtic _garw_, rough, rapid. - -=Yeddo.= Japanese for “river entrance.” - -=Yellow Book.= A French Government report, so called from its yellow - cover. - -=Yellow Boy.= Slang for a sovereign. - -=Yellow Jack.= A yellow flag which is flown from a vessel in quarantine - and from naval hospitals as a warning of yellow fever or other - contagious disease on board. See “Union Jack.” - -=Yellow Press.= By this term is meant that section of the Press which is - given up to creating a scare or sensation. It has been derived from - what in the United States bears the name of “Yellow-covered - Literature,” consisting of trashy sensation novels, published - chiefly for railway reading. - -=Yellow Sea.= From the tinge imparted to its waters by the immense - quantities of alluvial soil poured into them by the Yang-tse-Kiang - River. - -=Yendys.= The literary sobriquet of Sydney Dobell, being simply his - Christian name reversed. - -=Yeoman’s Service.= Originally that rendered to the State in time of war - by volunteers of the Guilds or City Companies. The term “Yeoman” is - derived from the German _gemein_, common, and applied in the sense - of enlistment for the common good. - -=Yokohama.= Japanese for “Cross Shore.” - -=York.= The _Eboracum_ of the Romans, a Latinised rendering of the - British _Eurewic_ (pronounced _Yorric_), “a row of houses on the - Eure,” which river is now called the Ouse. - -=York and Albany.= An omnibus stage in Camden Town named after - Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, the second son of George III. - -=York Gate.= The water gate, still standing, built for York House, of - which no other vestige remains. - -=York Road.= This long road, parallel to the Great Northern Railway at - King’s Cross, owes its designation to the circumstance that the line - in question was originally styled the “London and York Railway.” - -=Yorkshire Stingo.= A public-house sign indicating that the celebrated - ale of this name, due to the sting or sharpness of its taste, is - sold on the premises. - -=York Street.= In Covent Garden, after James, Duke of York, the second - son of Charles I., and brother of Charles II., subsequently James - II. In Westminster, from the erstwhile residence of Frederick, Duke - of York and Albany, son of George III. - -=Young Buffs.= The 31st Foot, whose uniforms were very similar to those - of the Buffs, or 3rd Foot--viz. scarlet coats faced and lined with - buff, and the remainder wholly of buff-coloured material. Soon after - their formation in 1702 they distinguished themselves greatly in - action, whereupon the General rode up, exclaiming: “Well done, old - Buffs!” “But we are not the Buffs,” some of the men replied. “Then, - well done, young Buffs,” was the retort, and the name stuck to them - ever after. - -=Young Nipper.= See “Nipper.” - -=Yucatan.= From _Yuca tan_, “What do you say?” which was the only answer - the Spaniards were able to obtain from the aborigines when they - asked them the name of the country. - -=Yuletide.= Christmastide, from the Norse _juul_, Christmas. - - - Z - - -=Zadkiel.= The literary sobriquet of Lieutenant Richard James Morrison, - author of “The Prophetic Almanack,” after the angel of the planet - Jupiter in the Jewish mythology. - -=Zantippe.= After the wife of Socrates, whose name has become proverbial - for a bad-tempered spouse. - -=Zanzibar.= A European inversion of the Arabic _Ber-ez-Zuig_, the coast - of the Zangis, or Negroes. - -=Zeeland.= Expresses the Dutch for “Sea-land,” land reclaimed from the - sea. - -=Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas.= Duluth, so called from its - picturesque situation at the western extremity of the Great Lakes. - -=Zoroastrianism.= The religious system of the “Parsees” or - Fire-worshippers, introduced into Persia by Zoroaster _circa_ B.C. - 500. - -=Zounds.= A corruption of “His Wounds,” or the Five Sacred Wounds on the - Body of the Redeemer. This oath was first employed by John Perrot, a - natural son of Henry VIII. Queen Elizabeth was much addicted to the - exclamation “His Wounds,” but the ladies of her Court softened it - into “Zounds” and “Zouterkins.” - -=Zurich.= From the Latin _Thuricum_, in honour of Thuricus, the son of - Theodoric, who rebuilt the city after it had been destroyed by - Attila. - -=Zuyder Zee.= Properly _Zuider Zee_, the Dutch for “Southern Sea,” - relative to the North Sea or German Ocean. - - THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note - -Hyphens in words that occur on line-breaks are retained or removed based -upon the preponderance of other instances in the text. - -There are numerous cross-references in this text. There are several -reference to an entry for “Wassail”, which is not present as a separate -entry. The entry for “Pig and Whistle”, provides a description of the -word. Similarly, the reference to “Cop” in the entry for “Fair Cop” -likely refers to “Copper”. - -Where odd spellings are encountered without any other occurences, -allowances are made for the author’s possibly idiosyncratic manner, and -these are merely noted, but retained. - -Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and -are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. -The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions. - - 21.27 Verses w[r]itten in praise or dispraise Inserted. - - 37.27 an officer in the First Del[e/a]ware Regiment Replaced. - - 40.30 From the way in which [b/h]e adjusts Replaced. - - 43.33 generally a hired assas[s]in Inserted. - - 94.30 After William Farrin[g]don Inserted. - - 101.5 [w/t]hen Prince of Wales Replaced. - - 117.13 in the river near[ near] Fort Niagara Removed. - - 123.34 [I/A]n inn sign anciently depicting Replaced. - - 134.28 Harvard U[u/n]iversity Inverted. - - 138.9 It was according[ing]ly in the heel Removed. - - 157.22 Maize, brought f[r]om the West Indies Inserted. - - 163.30 at the memorable s[ei/ie]ge of Ostend Transposed. - - 169.11 appl[i]ed to dried beef Inserted. - - 172.37 the great [lexocographer] _Sic_: - lexicographer - - 179.12 K[ah/ha]n. Transposed. - - 199.3 from the Lat[a/i]n _liber_ Replaced. - - 201.7 A distingu[i]shed musical executant Inserted. - - 208.37 in the manufacturing dist[r]icts Inserted. - - 216.4 in the her[io/oi]c defence of the city Transposed. - - 223.30 After the magnific[i]ent sepulchral monument Removed. - - 224.1 Maydew Che[e/r]ries. Replaced. - - 254.23 wore a grogram clo[c/o]ak Replaced. - - 277.3 From the Spanish _[pegueno] nino_ _sic_: - pequeno - - 285.22 and other public announc[e]ments Inserted. - - 309.32 his invention of [“]Prince Rupert’s Drops,” Added. - - 320.36 to the queen of[ of] Henry III. Removed. - - 327.9 A corruption of [“]St Chad’s Well,” Inserted. - - 329.33 being an abbrev[i]ation of “Companionship.” Inserted. - - 337.31 Called by the Ca[r]thaginians “Hispania,” Inserted. - - 340.27 Al[g]onquin for an Indian woman. Inserted. - - 354.27 A tavern sign off[,] Golden Square Removed. - - 358.15 the nickname be[s]towed by the Protestants Inserted. - - 366.5 Ur[a/u]guay. Replaced. - - 374.12 by weep[l/i]ng over the folly of mankind Replaced. - - 377.36 The [othordox/orthodox] or strict members Replaced. - - 381.26 and similar pe[r]petrations Inserted. - - 383.37 [Y]uletide. Restored. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phrases and Names Their Origins and -Meanings, by Trench H. 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Johnson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Phrases and Names Their Origins and Meanings - -Author: Trench H. Johnson - -Release Date: May 3, 2017 [EBook #54657] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHRASES AND NAMES *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was -produced from images made available by the HathiTrust -Digital Library.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>Transcriber’s Note:</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c001'>Footnotes have been collected at the end of each chapter, and are -linked for ease of reference.</p> - -<p class='c001'>Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s <a href='#endnote'>note</a> at the end of this text -for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered -during its preparation.</p> - -<p class='c001'>The cover image has been created, based on title page information, and -is added to the public domain.</p> -<div class='htmlonly'> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /> -</div> - -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_I'>I</span> - <h1 class='c002'><span class='xxlarge'>PHRASES AND NAMES</span> <br /> <span class='xxlarge'>THEIR ORIGINS AND</span> <br /> <span class='xxlarge'>MEANINGS</span></h1> -</div> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<div class='boxtop'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>PHRASES AND NAMES</span></div> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>THEIR ORIGINS AND</span></div> - <div><span class='xxlarge'>MEANINGS</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='boxmid'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>BY</div> - <div><span class='xlarge'>TRENCH H. JOHNSON</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='boxmid'> - -<p class='c003'><span class='small'>“<em>How did such and such a country, city, -town, street, river, natural curiosity, or -world-renowned edifice obtain its name? -Whence arose a particular sobriquet, nickname, -byword, epithet, or slang term? -What was the origin of the thousand-and-one -phrases and expressions engrafted -upon our vocabulary which would appear -to have no meaning whatever? These -things are worthy of investigation.</em>”</span></p> - -</div> - -<div class='boxbot'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>PHILADELPHIA</div> - <div>J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY</div> - <div>LONDON</div> - <div>T. WERNER LAURIE</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_v'>v</span> - <h2 class='c004'>PREFACE</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c005'><em>Few words are necessary to introduce this work to the reader. -It partakes of the nature of an encyclopædia, with the saving -clause that the information it sets forth is confined to a plain -statement of facts. Verbal embellishments have been studiously -avoided. Those who seek for additional intelligence may easily -obtain it from ordinarily available sources. To account for the -origin of popular phrases and names has been the author’s sole -design. To the best of his knowledge, no other work of the kind -exists. From the stores of his own knowledge, acquired through -many years of omnivorous reading, patient inquiry, and investigation, -he has been enabled to bring together an</em> <span lang="es" xml:lang="es">Olla podrida</span> -<em>which should go far towards supplying a want</em>.</p> - -<p class='c001'><em>The origin of place-names is interesting in that it opens up the -history of peoples and the civilising influences, if so one might -term it, of conquest. London street-names, in particular, convey -in one word to a person of antiquarian tastes as much meaning -as “a volume of forgotten lore.” As to phrases and expressions, -the author has made a special study of the subject. A -great many Americanisms have been included, but as the -number is daily increasing it would require a monthly publication -of such home-made phrases to keep fully abreast with the -times. That nothing should be wanting in the way of exhaustiveness, -it has been thought advisable to incorporate in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_vi'>vi</span>text a number of slang terms and expressions which daily assail -one’s ears. To the author the compilation of this volume has -been a pleasant recreation in the intervals of more exacting -literary labours. If it be found to contain a plethora of good -things, the reader will, of course, take them out in small -doses.</em></p> - -<div class='c006'><em>T. H. J.</em></div> - -<p class='c001'><span class='sc'>London, 1906.</span></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c007'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span><span class='xlarge'>Phrases and Names</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<h3 class='c008'>A</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>A1.</b> An expression meaning “first-rate.” Derived from -Lloyd’s “Registry of Shipping,” in which letters denote -the quality of a ship’s hull, and figures that of its -equipment. A vessel registered A1 is of the first class -in all respects.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abbey Laird.</b> An insolvent debtor who in former times -sought the sanctuary of the precincts of Holyrood -Abbey against arrest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abbey Road.</b> From the ancient abbey of the Holy Virgins -of St John the Baptist in St John’s Wood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abbotsford.</b> The name given by Sir Walter Scott to his -residence on the banks of the Tweed, from the poetical -assumption that the abbots of Melrose must have -forded the stream hereabouts in olden times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>A.B.C. Girls.</b> Waitresses at the depots of the Aerated Bread -Company Limited.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aberdeen.</b> From the Celtic <em>aber</em>, estuary, confluence; the -town at the mouth of the Dee.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abernethy Biscuits.</b> From the name of the baker who -introduced them. Their connection with Dr Abernethy -was repudiated by the great physician himself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aberystwith.</b> The town at the mouth of the Ystwith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abigail.</b> The generic name for a waiting-maid, in allusion -to the handmaid who introduced herself to David -(1 Sam. xxv. 23). Its popularity during the second -half of the seventeenth century may be accounted for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>by the fact that the maiden name of Mrs Masham, the -waiting-woman of Queen Anne, was Abigail Hill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abingdon.</b> A corruption of Abbendon, the town of abbeys, -being a place famed for religious houses far back in -Anglo-Saxon days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abingdon Street.</b> From the ancient town residence of the -Earls of Abingdon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abney Park.</b> From Abney House, now a Conservative -Club, the residence of Sir Thomas Abney, Lord Mayor -of London. Dr Isaac Watts passed away at Abney -House in 1748.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abode of Love.</b> See “<a href='#AGAPEMONITES'>Agapemonites</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abolitionists.</b> The party sworn to the total and immediate -abolition of slavery in the United States.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Above Board.</b> Open, not playing an underhanded game. -The owners of the gaming-tables on a race-course unsuspectedly -regulated the issue of the spinning hand -on the board by means of a treadle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abraham Newlands.</b> Bank of England notes, so called -from the signature they bore early in the last century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Absinthe.</b> From the Greek <em>apsnithion</em>, wormwood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Absquatulate.</b> A Far-West Americanism. A squatter -who suddenly left his claim was said to have absquatulated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Abyssinia.</b> The country of the Abassins, or “mixed races.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ACADEMY'></a><b>Academy.</b> From the garden of Academus, where Plato -taught his disciples; called on this account the Academics, -or Academic School of Philosophy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>According to Cocker.</b> Strictly correct. After Edward -Cocker of Paul’s Chain, who published a most popular -arithmetic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>According to Gunter.</b> An expression much used in -America for anything done properly and systematically. -The allusion is to Edmund Gunter, the celebrated -mathematician, who invented a chain and scale for -measuring.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span><b>Achilles Tendon.</b> The tendon reaching from the calf of -the leg to the heel. See “<a href='#HEEL'>Heel of Achilles</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Acknowledge the Corn.</b> An Americanism of extremely -popular application. Its origin is thus given by <cite>The -Pittsburg Commercial Advertiser</cite>: “Some years ago a -raw customer from the upper country determined to -try his fortune at New Orleans. Accordingly he provided -himself with two flat boats--one laden with corn -and the other with potatoes--and down the river he -went. The night after his arrival he went up town to -a gambling-house. Of course, he commenced betting, -and, his luck proving unfortunate, he lost. When his -money was gone he bet his ‘truck’; and the corn and -potatoes followed the money. At last, when evidently -cleaned out, he returned to his boats at the wharf, -where the evidences of a new misfortune presented -themselves. Through some accident or other the flat -boat containing the corn was sunk, and a total loss. -Consoling himself as well as he could he went to sleep, -dreaming of gamblers, potatoes, and corn. It was -scarcely sunrise, however, when he was disturbed by -the ‘child of chance,’ who had arrived to take possession -of the two boats as his winnings. Slowly awakening -from his sleep, our hero, rubbing his eyes and -looking the man in the face, replied: ‘Stranger, I -acknowledge the corn--take ’em; but the potatoes you -<em>can’t</em> have, by thunder!’ Since that time it has become -customary for a man who frankly admits having -been hoaxed or beaten to say: ‘I acknowledge the -corn.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Acropolis.</b> From the Greek <em>akros</em>, highest, and <em>polis</em>, city. -A citadel or fortress overlooking a city, as at Athens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Acton.</b> Anglo-Saxon for “Oak Town,” built in the neighbourhood -of a great oak forest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Actors’ Day.</b> A day--the third Thursday in October--set -apart for a performance in all the theatres of the -United Kingdom in aid of the various theatrical -charities--actors being pledged to give their services, -dramatic authors to forego their fees, and managers to -devote the entire receipts to the good cause.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span><b>Adam Street.</b> After the Brothers Adam, who built the -streets collectively styled the “Adelphi.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adam’s Needle.</b> A plant so called from its long, pointed -leaves. Whether he and his spouse strung their aprons -together by its means is doubtful.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adam’s Wine.</b> Drinking water, because Adam knew not -the fermented juice of the grape.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ADAREHAN'></a><b>Ada Rehan.</b> This American actress is of Irish extraction, -her name being “Regan,” but on entering the dramatic -profession she changed it to “Rehan.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Addison of the North.</b> The literary sobriquet of Henry -Fielding, author of “The Man of Feeling,” on account -of the purity and elegance of his style.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Addison Road.</b> After the great English essayist, who, -having married the Dowager Countess of Warwick, -lived and died at Holland House, Kensington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Addled Parliament.</b> A memorable session during the -reign of James I., which, though it lasted from 5th -April 1614 to 7th June 1615, passed no new measure -whatever.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adelaide.</b> The capital of South Australia, an island, and -also a noted hostelry on Haverstock Hill, named in -honour of the consort of William IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adelphi.</b> The collective name for several streets and a -noble terrace on the south side of the Strand, built by -the Brothers Adam. <em>Adelphi</em> is Greek for “brothers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adieu.</b> Originally a popular commendation to the care of -God--<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>A Dieu!</em></span></p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adonis.</b> The name given to a beautiful youth, and also to -the anemone, after Adonis, who was beloved by Venus. -The flower is said to have sprung from his blood when -he was gored to death by a wild boar in the chase.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Admirable Crichton.</b> The designation of one accomplished -in all the arts. “Admirable” Crichton was a noted -Scottish prodigy of the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Admiral.</b> From the Arabic <em>emir-el-bahr</em>, Lord of the Sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adrianople.</b> The city founded by the Emperor Hadrian.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span><b>Adriatic Sea.</b> After the Emperor Hadrian.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Adullamites.</b> Those who in 1866 seceded from the Reform -Party. John Bright said they had retired to the Cave -of Adullam, there to gather around them all the discontented. -The allusion was to David’s flight from -Saul (1. Sam. xxii. 1, 2).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ad valorem.</b> A Customs term for duties levied according -to the stated value of goods imported. The duty on -various qualities of the same goods may therefore -differ.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ædiles.</b> Civil officers of Rome who had the care of the -streets and <em>ædes</em>, or public buildings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Æolian Harp.</b> A lute placed in the trees for the zephyrs -to play upon, so called after Æolus, the god of the -winds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Æsculapius.</b> The generic term for a physician, after the -one of this name mentioned by Homer, who was -afterwards deified in the Greek mythology.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Afghanistan.</b> Pursuant to the Persian <em>stan</em>, the country of -the Afghans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Africa.</b> From the Phœnician <em>afer</em>, a black man, and the -Sanskrit <em>ac</em>, earth, land, country. This great continent -is the natural home of the blacks--the negroes of North -America and the West Indian Islands being descended -from the slaves carried thither from the west coast of -Africa since the time of the original slave trader, Sir -John Hawkins, in 1562.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Agapæ.</b> Love feasts of the Romans, from the Greek -<em>agape</em>, love.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='AGAPEMONITES'></a><b>Agapemonites.</b> An old term which has newly come into -vogue in our day. <em>Agapemone</em> is Greek for “abode of -love.” There was such a retreat early in the nineteenth -century at Charlynch, Somerset, the seat of the -Agapemonists or Agapemonites, followers of Henry -James Prince, an ex-Churchman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Agar Street.</b> After William Agar, a wealthy lawyer, who -resided in it. See “<a href='#AGARTOWN'>Agar Town</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span><a id='AGARTOWN'></a><b>Agar Town.</b> A now vanished district covered by St -Pancras Railway Station, the lease of which was acquired -by William Agar in 1840 for building purposes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Agate.</b> From <em>Achates</em>, the Greek name of a Sicilian river, -in the bed of which this gem was found in abundance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Agnostic.</b> From the Greek <em>a</em>, without, and <em>gnomi</em>, to -know. One who professes a belief only in what he -knows or can discover for himself. Literally a “know-nothing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Agony Column.</b> At first this newspaper column was confined -to distressful inquiries for missing relatives and -friends. Latterly it has become a tacit means of communication -between persons who, for various reasons, -cannot exchange letters sent through the post.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ahoy.</b> From <em>Aoi</em>, the battle cry of the Norsemen as they -ran their galleys upon the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aigrette.</b> A French word, denoting the tall white plume -of a heron. From a feather head-dress the term has -now come to be applied to an ornament of gems worn -by a lady on the crown of her head when in full -evening dress.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Air of a Gentleman.</b> In this sense the word “air” is -synonymous with “manner” and “deportment.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Air Street.</b> When laid out and built upon in 1659 this -was the most westerly street in London. The allusion -to fresh air is obvious.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aix-la-Chapelle.</b> The <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>Aquis Granum</em></span> of the Romans, -famous for its baths. Hence the German name -Aachen, expressive of many springs. The place is also -noted for its many churches; the cathedral, which grew -out of the original chapel, contains the shrine of -Charlemagne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alabama.</b> Indian for “here we rest.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>A la Guillotine.</b> The name given in France after the -Revolution to the fashion of wearing the hair very -short, in memory of friends and relatives who had -fallen victims to the “Guillotine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span><a id='ALAWATTEAU'></a><b>A la Watteau.</b> The name given to a stage ballet in which -the pretty rustic costumes are after the style of those -ever present in the pastoral paintings of Antoine -Watteau, the famous French artist. Reproductions of -his pictures frequently also figure on expensive furniture--screens -in particular.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albania.</b> From the Latin <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>albus</em></span>, white, “the country of -snowy mountain ranges.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albany.</b> A commodious range of bachelor chambers in -Piccadilly, at one time the residence of Frederick, son -of George III., created Duke of York and Albany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albany Street.</b> After the Duke of York and Albany, <em>temp.</em> -George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albemarle Street.</b> In the West End street of this name -resided Christopher Monk, second Duke of Albemarle. -The other, in Clerkenwell, was built upon when General -Monk, the first Duke of Albemarle, was at the zenith -of his popularity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albert.</b> After the Prince Consort, to whom the jewellers of -Birmingham presented a short gold watch-chain on the -occasion of his visit to that city in 1849.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albert Gate.</b> After Prince Albert, the consort of Queen -Victoria. The Albert Bridge, Albert Memorial, and -Royal Albert Hall likewise perpetuate his name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albigensis.</b> Christian heretics of the twelfth century, drawn -from the Albigeois, whose capital was Albi, in -Languedoc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Albion.</b> The name given to Britain by the Romans on -account of its (<span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>albus</em></span>) white cliffs, as approached from -the sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alcantara.</b> From the Arabic <em>Al-kantarah</em>, “the bridge,” -referring to the fine stone bridge built by Trajan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alcove.</b> From the Arabic <em>El-kauf</em> through the Spanish -<em>alcoba</em>, a tent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aldermanbury.</b> The <em>bury</em> or enclosed place in which stood -the first Guildhall prior to the reign of Henry IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alderney.</b> In French Aurigny, from the Latin Aurinia, -Isle of Light.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span><b>Aldersgate Street.</b> From the ancient city gate near which -grew several fine alder-trees.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aldgate.</b> From the Auld Gate of Saxon London, the -earliest of the city gates.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aldine Editions.</b> Early editions of the classics produced -and given to the world by Aldo Manuzio, the celebrated -printer of Venice, in the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aldwych.</b> An old name for a magnificent new thoroughfare -which has taken the place of quaint, out-of-date -Wych Street, anciently described as <em>Auld Wych</em>, leading -as it did to the old village, whose parish church was -that of St Giles’s in the Fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ale-stake.</b> The pole anciently set up in front of an alehouse. -This was at first surmounted by a bush, in -imitation of a wine bush; later it became exchanged -for a sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ale-wife.</b> An old name for the wife of a tavern keeper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alexandra Limp.</b> When our present Queen, as Princess -of Wales, having sustained an injury to her knee, was -walking lame, it became the fashion to imitate her -gait.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alexandria.</b> The city founded by Alexander the Great, -<span class='fss'>B.C.</span> 332.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aleutian Islands.</b> From the Russian <em>aleut</em>, “bald rock.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alfreton.</b> Properly Alfred’s Town, identified with Alfred -the Great.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Algiers.</b> From the Arabic <em>Al Jezair</em>, “the peninsula.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alhambra.</b> From the Arabic <em>Kal-at-al-hamra</em>, “the red -castle.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alibi.</b> Latin for “elsewhere.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>A Little too Previous.</b> An Americanism for being in too -great a hurry; rushing at conclusions; saying or doing -a thing without sufficient warranty.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Abroad.</b> Provincial for scattered wits; “all over the -place.”</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Allahabad.</b> Arabic and Persian for “City of God.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span><a id='ALLBOSH'></a><b>All Bosh.</b> The introduction of the term “Bosh” into our -vocabulary must be accredited to James Morier, in -whose Oriental romances, “The Adventures of Haiji -Baba of Ispahan” and “Ayesha,” it frequently appears. -<em>Bosh</em> is Persian and Turkish, signifying rubbish, -nonsense, silly talk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alleghany.</b> A corruption of Alligewi, the name of an -Indian tribe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Allemanni.</b> Teutonic for “All Men”; expressing a confederacy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All-fired.</b> An Americanism for “great”--<em>e.g.</em> “He came -in an all-fired hurry.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All-hallowe’en.</b> The vigil of “All-hallows’ Day.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All-hallows’-Barking.</b> This ancient church, dedicated -to All the Saints, belonged to the Abbey at Barking, -Essex.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All-hallows’ Day.</b> The old-time designation of All Saints’ -Day, from Anglo-Saxon <em>halig</em>, holy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Moonshine.</b> As the light of the moon is reflected from -the sun, so an incredible statement received at second -hand is said to be “all moonshine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All my Eye and Betty Martin.</b> A corruption of <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>Ah mihi, -beate Martine</em></span> (Woe to me, Blessed Martin), formerly -used by beggars in Italy to invoke their patron saint. -The story goes that a sailor who wandered into a -church in that country, hearing these words, afterwards -told his companions that all he could make out from -the service was: “All my eye and Betty Martin.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Saints’ Bay.</b> Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci on the -Feast of All Saints, 1503.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Saints’ Day.</b> The day set apart by the Church for the -invocation of the whole body of canonised saints.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Serena.</b> From the Spanish <span lang="es" xml:lang="es"><em>serena</em></span>, used by sentinels as -a countersign for “All’s well.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All Souls’ College.</b> Founded at Oxford by Henry Chichely, -Archbishop of Canterbury, for the perpetual offering -up of prayers on behalf of the souls of those who fell -in the wars of Henry V. in France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span><b>All Souls’ Day.</b> The day of special prayers for the liberation -of the suffering souls in Purgatory. The French -people make it a point of duty to visit the graves of -their deceased relatives on this day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All the Go.</b> Originally a drapers’ phrase, meaning that -a certain line of goods is “going” fast and will soon -be gone. A publisher, too, thinks a book should “go” -with the reading public.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>All There.</b> An Americanism expressive of one who has -all his wits about him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ALMACKS'></a><b>Almack’s.</b> Fashionable assembly-rooms in King Street, St -James’s, opened 12th February 1765 by MacCall, a -Scotsman, who inverted his name to remove all suspicion -of his origin. The next proprietor called them -Willis’s Rooms, after himself. In 1890 they were converted -into a restaurant.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Almighty Dollar.</b> For this expression we are indebted to -Washington Irving, who in his sketch of “The Creole -Village” (1837) spoke of it as “the great object of -universal devotion throughout our land.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alnwick.</b> The <em>wick</em>, or village, on the Alne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alpaca.</b> Cloth made from the wool of the Peruvian sheep -of the same name, akin to the llama.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alps.</b> From the Latin <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>albus</em></span>, white, the mountains eternally -capped with snow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alsace.</b> Teutonic for “the other seat,” being the abode of -their own people west of the Rhine. With the Celtic -suffix the name became “Alsatia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alsatia.</b> Anciently the district of Whitefriars, which, being -a sanctuary for law-breakers, received the name of the -Rhine province notorious as the common refuge of the -disaffected.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Alter Ego.</b> Expresses the Latin for “my other self” or -“double.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amadeus.</b> The family name of the House of Savoy, from -its motto: “Love God.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span><b>Amain.</b> A nautical phrase meaning suddenly, at once--<em>e.g.</em> -“Strike amain,” “Lower amain.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amateur Casual.</b> The literary sobriquet of Mr James -Greenwood, who in 1866 spent a night in Lambeth -Workhouse, and wrote his experiences in <cite>The Pall -Mall Gazette</cite>. Within the last few months he has -undertaken a similar up-to-date commission for <cite>The -Tribune</cite>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amati.</b> A violin of rare excellence made by Andrea Amati -of Cremona.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amazon.</b> The Spaniards first called this river the Orellana, -in honour of their countryman who navigated it, but -after hearing accounts of the fighting women on its -banks they gave it the name of the fabled African -tribe of warlike women who cut or burnt off the right -breast in order the better to steady the bow. The -word Amazon is Greek, from <em>a</em>, without, and <em>maza</em>, -breast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ambrosian Chant.</b> Ascribed to St Ambrose, Bishop of -Milan in the fourth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ambuscade.</b> From the Italian <span lang="it" xml:lang="it"><em>imboscata</em></span>, concealed in a -wood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amen.</b> Hebrew for “Yea,” “Truly,” “So be it.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='AMENCORNER'></a><b>Amen Corner.</b> Old Stow tells us this lane was suddenly -stopped up in his time, so that people said “Amen” -on finding they had to turn back again. There may be -something in this; but the greater likelihood is that it -was here where the monks finished the recital of the -Paternoster before they took up the Ave Maria while -on their way in solemn procession to St Paul’s at the -great Church festivals.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>America.</b> After Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine adventurer, -who chanced to be at Seville when Columbus was preparing -for his second voyage to the West. With -Ojeda, Vespucci embarked upon an independent expedition. -Subsequently he made further voyages in -Portuguese ships, and discovered the Bay of All Saints. -His remaining days were spent in the service of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>King of Spain, preparing charts and prescribed routes -to the New World. Although these official publications -bore his signature, Vespucci never claimed to -have discovered the great Western Continent. A -wonderful narrative of his voyages, however, purporting -to have been written by Vespucci, found its way into -the hands of Martin Waldseemuller of Freiburg, Baden. -This he translated, and caused it to be published by a -bookseller at St Die in Lorraine in 1507. In his -preface to the work Waldseemuller suggested that the -newly discovered country should be called America, -after the author, who had visited it. Hence the name -really originated in Germany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>American Indians.</b> See “<a href='#INDIANS'>Indians</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Americanism.</b> A coined word or phrase in the United -States which, freely repeated, tickles the popular ear -and soon becomes engrafted upon the national vocabulary. -Many Americanisms are now as common in -England as in the land of their origin. The term may -also be applied to such American deviations from -British custom, as the substitution of “Depot” for -Railway Station, “News-stand” for Bookstall, “On the -street” for “In the street,” etc. etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amiens.</b> From the Latin <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>ambiens</em></span>, surrounded by water. -Three branches of the River Somme run through the -city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ammonites.</b> The descendants of Ben-ammi, the son of Lot -(Gen. xxix. 38).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Among the Gods.</b> At the time when the expression first -came into use, the ceiling of Drury Lane Theatre was -embellished with classical deities disporting themselves -among the clouds in an azure sky.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Among the Missing.</b> An Americanism for an absentee. -When a person wishes to be “out” to a visitor, he tells -the servant that he prefers to be “among the missing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amorica.</b> The country of the Armorici, “dwellers on the -sea.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ampthill Square.</b> From Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, one -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>of the seats of the ground landlord, the Duke of -Bedford.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amsterdam.</b> The town built on the dam of the Amstel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Amwell Street.</b> After one of the wells in Hertfordshire, -whose waters were drawn upon by Sir Hugh Myddleton -for the New River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anabaptists.</b> Conformably to the Greek <em>ana</em>, twice, the -designation of the original Baptists, who, having been -baptised at birth, went through the ceremony a second -time on reaching maturity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anacreon Moore.</b> The sobriquet of Thomas Moore, who -translated the <cite>Odes</cite> of Anacreon, and constructed his -own verses on the same classic model.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anatolia.</b> The Turkish and Greek description of Asia -Minor, from <em>anatolie</em>, east--<em>i.e.</em> of Constantinople.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ancient.</b> Iago is described as Othello’s “ancient.” Even -in Shakespeare’s day this word was a corruption of -<em>ensign</em>, or standard-bearer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ancient Lights.</b> After having enjoyed the light of a -window on his premises for twenty years uninterruptedly -a person may, subject to displaying the notice “ancient -lights,” prevent that light from being intercepted by -any other building.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ancona.</b> From the Greek <em>agkon</em>, elbow, relative to its -position on an angle of the coast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Andalusia.</b> Properly Vandalusia, the country of the -Vandals.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Andes.</b> From the Peruvian <em>anta</em>, copper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Andrea Ferrara.</b> A world-famous Italian sword blade -made by Andrea of the city of Ferrara.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Angel.</b> An inn sign, originally the “Angel and Salutation,” -depicting the visit of the angel who announced to the -Virgin that she was to be the mother of the Redeemer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Angelic Doctor.</b> One of the sobriquets of St Thomas -Aquinas, universally regarded as “The Angel of the -Schools.” He is said also to have written much on -the nature of angels.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span><b>Anglesea.</b> Properly Anglesey, expressing, from the point of -view of the Celtic inhabitants of Wales, the <em>ey</em>, or -island of the Angles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anglesea Morris.</b> After William Morris, who caught this -species of fish off the Isle of Anglesea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Angola.</b> Wool brought from Angola on the West Coast of -Africa.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Angostura Bitters.</b> Prepared from the celebrated medicinal -bark discovered by Capuchin monks in the Venezuelan -city Angostura, which name signifies a strait.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anguilla Island.</b> West Indian for “Little Snake,” from -its shape.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anisette.</b> A cordial prepared from aniseed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Annunciator.</b> An Americanism for bell or gong.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Antarctic Ocean.</b> That situate <em>anti</em>, opposite to, the -Arctic Ocean.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Antelope State.</b> Nebraska, from the number of antelopes -found there.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Anthem.</b> A hymn sung by the entire congregation, as -distinguished from Antiphone, which term expresses -a series of choral responses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Antigua.</b> Expresses the Spanish for an ancient city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Antwerp.</b> In French Anvers, the <em>Antverpia</em> of the -Romans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Any.</b> An Americanism for “at all”--<em>e.g.</em> “It didn’t -trouble me any.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apache State.</b> Arizona, the scene of many bloodthirsty -encounters with the wild Apaches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apennines.</b> The Pennine Alps, from the Celtic <em>ben</em>, which -is the same as the Welsh <em>pen</em>, summit or mountain -head.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apollinaris Water.</b> Brought from the famous mineral -spring in the valley of the Ahor of the Rhine province. -The ruins of a temple of Apollo gave the name to the -spot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apothecary.</b> The old name for a dispenser of medicines. -The Greek word really implies a storehouse or depository; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>it is compounded out of <em>apo</em>, to put away, and -<em>theke</em>, chest, box. Differing from modern chemists and -druggists, licentiates of the Apothecaries’ Company may -visit the sick and prescribe for them, as well as make -up physicians’ prescriptions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Appian Way.</b> The construction of this famous road leading -from Rome to Capua was commenced by Appius -Claudius.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apostle of Temperance.</b> Father Mathew, the inveterate -enemy of tipplers in the Emerald Isle of his time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apostles’ Creed.</b> The whole summary of Christian Faith, -according to the Apostles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='APOSTOLICFATHERS'></a><b>Apostolic Fathers.</b> Those early doctors of the Church -who, living in the first century after Christ, received -their teaching from His disciples, if they did not -actually enjoy personal communion with the Apostles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apricot.</b> From the Latin <span lang="la" xml:lang="la"><em>præcoqus</em></span>, early ripe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>April.</b> The month in which the buds begin to shoot, -from <em>aperio</em>, to open.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>April Fish.</b> The French equivalent of “April Fool,” since, -like a fish, the unsuspecting victim of a practical joke is -easily caught.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>April Fool.</b> The custom of April Fooling originated in -France, which country took the lead in shifting the -New Year from what is now Lady Day to the 1st of -January. This occurred in 1564. From the earliest -periods of history people bestowed gifts upon their -neighbours at the New Year, but as the 25th of March -so often fell in Holy Week, even on Good Friday -itself, the Church uniformly postponed the celebration -of the New Year until the octave--viz. the 1st -of April. When, therefore, New Year’s Day had been -transferred to the 1st of January, people paid mock -visits to their friends on the 1st of April with the -object of fooling them into the belief that matters -remained as they were. The like custom was introduced -into England on the alteration of our calendar -in 1762. April Fools’ Day is supposed to be over at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>twelve o’clock, since the New Year’s visitation and -bestowal of gifts always took place before noon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Apsley House.</b> The residence of the Duke of Wellington, -built by Henry Apsley, Lord Chancellor, afterwards -Lord Bathurst.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aquarians.</b> A Christian sect of the fourth century who -substituted water for wine in the Communion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aqua Tofana.</b> A colourless poison invented by a Sicilian -woman named Tofana towards the close of the -seventeenth century. So extensive was her secret -traffic with this liquid among young married women -who were anxious to rid themselves of their husbands -that when, at a great age, Tofana was dragged from -the convent where she had taken refuge, and executed, -she admitted to having caused the deaths of 600 -persons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arabia.</b> The country of the Arabs, or “men of the desert.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arbor Day.</b> A day set apart in America for planting trees.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arbroath.</b> Originally Aberbrothockwick, the village at the -mouth of the Brothock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arcadian.</b> An ideal farmer or a rustic scene; after the -Arcadians, who were essentially a pastoral race.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arcadian Poetry.</b> Pastoral poetry, in allusion to the -Arcadians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Archangel.</b> A town in Russia which derived its name -from a great monastery of St Michael the Archangel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Archer-fish.</b> A fish endowed with the power of shooting -water at insects, which thus become an easy prey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Archway Road.</b> Leads to the modern successor of the -famous Highgate Archway opened in 1813.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arctic Ocean.</b> From the Greek <em>arktos</em>, bear, having -reference to the great northern constellation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ardennes.</b> The great forest on the heights.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argand Lamp.</b> After its inventor, Aimé Argand.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argentine Republic.</b> The modern name of Argentina, -through which runs the La Plata, or River of Silver. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>While preserving their original designation of the river, -the Spaniards Latinised that of the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argosy.</b> A vessel laden with rich merchandise, from the -<em>Argo</em>, in which Jason and his fellow-adventurers, the -Argonauts, sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden -Fleece, <span class='fss'>B.C.</span> 1263.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argyll.</b> From <em>Garra Ghaidhael</em>, the country of the West -Gaels.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argyll Street.</b> From the old town mansion of the Dukes -of Argyll. The celebrated Argyll Rooms, now the -Trocadero Restaurant, were a far cry from the other -extreme of Regent Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Argus-eyed.</b> After the fabled Argus, who had a hundred -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arians.</b> The followers of the first Christian heretic, Arius, -a presbyter of the Church of Alexandria in the fourth -century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arizona.</b> Indian for “sand-hills.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arkansas.</b> The same as Kansas, “smoky water,” with the -French suffix <em>arc</em>, a bow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arkansas Toothpick.</b> The Far-West designation of a -“Bowie Knife,” the blade of which, as used by the -people of this state, shuts up into the handle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arlington Street.</b> From the town mansion of Henry -Bennett, Earl of Arlington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arminians.</b> The anti-Calvinists of Holland, led by James -Harmensen under the Latinised name of Jacobus -Arminius.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arras.</b> Mediæval tapestry, for the production of which -the town of Arras, in the French Netherlands, was -famous.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arrowroot.</b> So called because the Indians of tropical -America regarded the root of the plant as efficacious -against arrow wounds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Artemus Ward.</b> The pseudonym of Charles Farrar -Browne, the American humorous lecturer. This was, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>however, the actual name of an eccentric showman -whom he had encountered on his travels.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Artesian Well.</b> From Artois, where such wells were first -bored.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arthur’s Seat.</b> Said to have derived its name from King -Arthur, but how his association with the city of -Edinburgh arose no man can tell.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Artichoke.</b> From the Arabic <em>ardischauki</em>, earth thorn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Artillery Lane.</b> Stands on part of the site of the practising -ground of the London Artillery Company, <em>temp.</em> -Henry VIII., and later of the Tower Gunners, when -all the land towards the north hereabouts was open -fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arundel.</b> The dale of the River Arun.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Arundel Street.</b> That in the Strand from the town -mansion and extensive grounds of the Howards, Dukes -of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and Surrey. That in -the Haymarket after the ground landlord, Lord -Arundel of Wardour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ascension Island.</b> Discovered by the Portuguese on the -Feast of the Ascension, 1501.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>As Cross as Two Sticks.</b> Two sticks held together in the -centre like the letter X form a cross.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ashby-de-la-Zouch.</b> The home among the ash-trees of the -De La Zouches. <em>By</em> expresses the Anglo-Saxon for a -dwelling.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Asia.</b> From the Sanskrit <em>Ushas</em>, “land of the dawn.” By -the Western nations Asiatics were anciently styled -“the people of the sun.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Asia Minor.</b> Lesser Asia, called by the Turks and Greeks -“Anatolia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aspasia.</b> A flower named after Aspasia of Miletus, the -mistress of Pericles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>As Poor as a Church Mouse.</b> A church is one of the very -few buildings that contain neither kitchen nor larder. -Church mice, therefore, have a hungry time of it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span><b>As Rich as a Jew.</b> The Jews in England were the first -usurers, bankers, and bill-brokers. They only had the -command of ready money, the wealth of the nobility -consisting in the possession of broad lands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Assumptionists.</b> A modern religious Order, founded fifty -years ago, whose full title is the Augustinians of the -Assumption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Astoria.</b> From the fur-trading station established in 1811 -by John Jacob Astor of New York.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Astrakhan.</b> Fur brought from Astrakhan, which name -signifies the country or district ruled by a khan of the -Tartar or Mogul Empire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Asturia.</b> From the Basque <em>asta</em>, rock, and <em>ura</em>, water, -denoting a region of mountains and estuaries.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Atlantic Ocean.</b> Called by the Greeks <em>Atlantikos pelagos</em>, -from the Isle of Atlantis, imagined by Homer and -Plato to be beyond the Strait of Gibraltar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Athanasian Creed.</b> Opinions affecting the doctrine of the -Trinity, ascribed to St Athanasius of Alexandria, -adopted and formally compiled by St Hilary, Bishop -of Arles in the fifth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Athens.</b> From the Temple of Athene, or Minerva, the -tutelary goddess of the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Athens of America.</b> The city of Boston, considered the -chief seat of learning in the New World.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Athens of the South.</b> Nashville, Tennessee, on account of -the number of its scholastic institutions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Athelney.</b> The “Royal Island” or “Isle of the Nobles,” -where Alfred the Great founded a Benedictine -monastery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Atlas.</b> Since the publication of “Mercator’s Projections,” -with the figure of Atlas bearing the globe on his -shoulders as a frontispiece, in 1560, all books of maps -have received this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>At Loggerheads.</b> See “<a href='#LOGGERHEAD'>Loggerhead</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Auburn.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon Auld Bourne, old bourn, -or stream.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span><b>Auckland.</b> The capital of New Zealand, named in honour -of Lord Auckland, a famous politician of his time, -who became Governor-General of India, and after his -retirement was elected President of the Asiatic Society. -His ancestor, the first Lord Auckland, took his title -from Auckland in Durham, which name was originally -Oakland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='AUDLEYSTREET'></a><b>Audley Street</b> (North and South). Perpetuate the memory -of Hugh Audley, a barrister of the Middle Temple, -whose landed estates hereabouts were computed at his -death in 1662 to be worth a million of money.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Augsburg Confession.</b> The Lutheran Confession of faith -drawn up by Melancthon, and presented by Martin -Luther to Charles V. during the sitting of the German -Diet at Augsburg in 1530.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>August.</b> After Augustus Cæsar, who regarded this as his -lucky month. Its original name was <em>Sextilis</em>, the -sixth month of the Roman year.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Augustan Age.</b> The best literary age of any country, -because Rome in the time of Augustus Cæsar produced -the finest examples of Latin literature.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Augustin Friars.</b> The religious Order said to have been -founded by St Augustine, the first Archbishop of -Canterbury. See “<a href='#AUSTINFRIARS'>Austin Friars</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Auld Reekie.</b> The name given to the old part of Edinburgh, -from the cloud of reek or smoke which usually -caps it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='AUSTINFRIARS'></a><b>Austin Friars.</b> Part of the site of the priory of the -Augustin Friars, whose church still remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Australasia.</b> Southern Asia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Australia.</b> From the Latin <em>Australis</em>, southern.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Austria.</b> From <em>Oesterreich</em>, or Eastern Empire, as distinguished -from the Western Empire founded by -Charlemagne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Autocar.</b> The name first given to a motor car; incorrectly, -however, since so far from being automatic such a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>one, like all mechanically propelled vehicles, requires -a guiding intelligence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Autun.</b> The <em>Augustodunum</em>, or Town of Augustus, of the -Romans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Auvergne.</b> From the <em>Auverni</em>, who overran it in the time -of the Cæsars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Avoca.</b> Gaelic for “the meeting of the waters.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='AVEMARIALANE'></a><b>Ave Maria Lane.</b> Where the monks of old chanted -the “Ave Maria” on their way to St Paul’s. See -“<a href='#AMENCORNER'>Amen Corner</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Avon.</b> From <em>Arfon</em>, the Celtic for river or stream, which -enters into many place-names.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Axminster.</b> The monastery town on the Axe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ayah.</b> Hindustani for waiting-woman or nurse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aye-Vye.</b> An animal found in Madagascar, so called from -its cry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Aylesbury Street.</b> From the town house and garden of -the Earls of Aylesbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Azores.</b> The Portuguese named this group of islands -Acores, the plural of <em>acor</em>, hawk, on account of the -great number of hawks there.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Azov.</b> A Russianised form of Asak, the name given to it -by the Tartars.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>B</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Bacchanalia.</b> Roman festivals in honour of Bacchus, the -god of wine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bacchus Verses.</b> Verses <a id='corr21.27'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='witten'>written</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_21.27'><ins class='correction' title='witten'>written</ins></a></span> in praise or dispraise of -Bacchus, and affixed to the doors of the College at -Eton on “Collop Monday.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bachelor Girl.</b> One who lives in her own rooms, belongs to -a woman’s club, and considers herself superior to what -is called home influence--a distinctly modern creation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Backgammon.</b> From the Saxon <em>Bac</em> and <em>gamen</em>, “back-game,” -because the pieces have at times to go back -and be moved up afresh.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span><b>Back a Man.</b> To have full confidence in him. From -backing or endorsing a bill on another’s behalf.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Badajoz.</b> Called by the Moors <em>Beledaix</em>, “Land of Health.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bad Egg.</b> A man who is commercially or morally unsound, -and therefore fit only to be shunned.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Badger State.</b> Wisconsin, from the name given to the -early miners, who made for themselves winter habitations -in the earth, like a badger.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Badminton.</b> A drink of spiced claret, and also a game of -tennis played with shuttlecocks instead of balls, introduced -by the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton, his -country seat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baffin’s Bay.</b> After William Baffin, the pilot of an expedition -sent out to explore this region in 1616.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bagatelle.</b> From the Italian <em>bagetella</em>, a conjurer’s trick.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baggage.</b> A term often applied to a woman, because the -wives of soldiers taken on foreign service go with the -stores and baggage generally. In the United States -this word is an equivalent for the English “Luggage.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bagman.</b> The old name for a commercial traveller, who -carried his samples in a bag.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bag o’ Nails.</b> A popular corruption of the ancient inn sign, -“The Bachannals,” referring to Pan and the Satyrs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bag o’ Tricks.</b> In allusion to the large bag in which an -itinerant conjurer carried his tricks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bakers’ Dozen.</b> In olden times, when bread was sold in -open market instead of shops, women took up the -trade of selling bread from door to door. They received -from the bakers thirteen loaves for the price of -twelve, the odd one constituting their profit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baker Street.</b> After Sir Edward Baker, a great friend of -the Portmans of Dorsetshire, the ground landlords.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bakshish.</b> A Persian word for “gratuity.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Balaklava.</b> When settled by the Genoese, they gave it the -name of <em>Bella-chiava</em>, or “Fair Haven.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span><b>Balearic Islands.</b> From the Greek <em>ballein</em>, to throw, -expresses the Island of Slingers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BALL'></a><b>Ball.</b> A dancing party received this name primarily from -the curious ancient Ball Play in Church by the Dean -and choir boys of Naples during the “Feast of Fools” -at Easter. While singing an antiphon the boys caught -the ball thrown by the Dean as they danced around -him. At private dancing parties the dancers always -threw a ball at one another as, to the sound of their -own voices, they whirled around in sets, the pastime -consisting in loosening hands in time to catch it. -Afterwards the ball was discarded, but the dance time -received the name of a Ballad, from the Latin <em>ballare</em>, -to dance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ballad.</b> See “<a href='#BALL'>Ball</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ballet.</b> Expresses the French diminutive of <em>bal</em>, a dance. -See “<a href='#BALL'>Ball</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ball’s Pond.</b> From an inn, the “Salutation,” kept by -John Ball, whose dog and duck sports in a large pond -attracted a great concourse of visitors in former days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Balsover Street.</b> From Balsover, Derbyshire, the seat of -the Fitzroys, Dukes of Grafton, the ground landlords.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baltic Sea.</b> A sea of belts or straits. <em>Bält</em> is Norse for -strait.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baltimore.</b> After Lord Baltimore, the founder of the -neighbouring state of Maryland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baltimore Bird.</b> Though found almost everywhere in the -United States, it is said to have received its name -from the correspondence of its colours with those -distinguished in the arms of Lord Baltimore, the -Governor of Maryland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bancroft Road.</b> After Francis Bancroft, the founder of -the Drapers’ Almshouses, in this road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bandana.</b> The Hindu term for silk goods generally, but -now applied to cotton pocket-handkerchiefs with -white or yellow spots on a blue ground.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bandy Words with You.</b> From the old game of Bandy, in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>which the ball was struck or bandied to opposite -sides.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bangor.</b> From <em>Ban-choir</em>, “The White Choir” of the -Abbey, founded by St Cungall in the sixth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Banjo.</b> Properly Bandore, from the Greek <em>Pandoura</em>, a -stringed instrument named after Pan. The word was -introduced into North America from Europe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Banker Poet.</b> Samuel Rogers, author of “The Pleasures -of Memory,” who was a banker all his life.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Banshee.</b> From the Gaelic <em>bean sidhe</em>, woman fairy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bantam.</b> A species of fowl said to have been introduced -to Europe from Bantam in Java.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BANTING'></a><b>Banting.</b> After William Banting, a London cabinetmaker, -who in 1863 reduced his superfluous fat by a dietic -system peculiarly his own.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BAR'></a><b>Bar.</b> In old days, when a counter did not obtain, and -drinking vessels had to be set down on the benches or -barrel ends, a bar separated the frequenters of a tavern -from the drawers or tapsters. Similarly, at the Courts -of Law the <em>Bar</em> was a rail behind which a barrister or -counsel had to plead his client’s cause.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barbadoes.</b> From the streamers of moss, resembling a -beard, suspended from the tree branches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barbarians.</b> The name universally applied by the Romans -to wandering or warlike tribes who were unkempt and -unshaven.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barbarossa.</b> The sobriquet of Frederick the First of -Germany, on account of his red beard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barbary.</b> The land of the Berbers, the Arabic description -of the people of this region prior to the Saracen -Conquest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barber.</b> From the Latin <em>barba</em>, a beard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barber-surgeons.</b> Hairdressers who, down to the sixteenth -century, also practised “cupping” or blood-letting, a -relic of which is the modern Barber’s Pole. The red and -white stripes around the pole denoted the bandages, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>while in place of the gilt knob at the end there originally -hung the basin affixed under the chin of the -patient operated upon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barbican.</b> That portion of the Roman wall round the city -of London where there must have been a watch-tower -looking towards the north. <em>Barbacana</em> is a Persian -word for a watch-tower in connection with a fortified -place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barcelona.</b> Anciently Barcino, after Hamilcar Barca, the -father of Hannibal, who refounded the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baring Island.</b> Named by Captain Penny after Sir Francis -Baring, first Lord of the Admiralty.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barley Mow.</b> An old sign for a tavern in connection with -the Mow or house where the barley was stored for -brewing. <em>Mowe</em> is Saxon for “heap.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barmecide’s Feast.</b> An illusory banquet. From the story -of the Barber’s Sixth Brother, in “The Arabian Nights.” -Barmecide invited a starving wretch to a feast, but -gave him nothing to eat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barnsbury.</b> Anciently Berners’ Bury, the manor of which -was held by Lady Berners, abbess of St Albans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barnstormer.</b> A strolling actor. In the old days, away -from the regular circuits, there were no provincial -theatres or halls licensed for stage plays whatever. -The consequence was a company of strolling players -obtained permission to perform in a barn. Edmund -Kean admitted, when in the zenith of his fame, that he -had gained his experience “by barnstorming.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barrister.</b> See “<a href='#BAR'>Bar</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barrow Road.</b> This, with Barrow Hill Place, marks the site -of a barrow or sepulchral mound of the Britons and -Romans slain in battle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barry Cornwall.</b> The anagrammatic pseudonym of Bryan -Waller Procter, the poet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bar Tender.</b> An Americanism for barman or barkeeper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bartholomew Close.</b> The site of the ancient cloisters of -St Bartholomew’s Priory, connected with the neighbouring -church, which is the oldest in London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span><b>Bartholomew Fair.</b> The famous fair which for centuries -survived the mediæval mart that had given rise to it in -the neighbouring street, still known as Cloth Fair. It -was held on the Feast of St Bartholomew.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Barton Street.</b> A street in Westminster built by Barton -Booth, the eminent actor of Drury Lane Theatre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bashaw.</b> Properly “Pashaw.” See “<a href='#PASHA'>Pasha</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Basinghall Street.</b> From the mansion and grounds of the -Basings, whose ancestor, Solomon Basing, was Lord -Mayor of London in 1216.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BASSANO'></a><b>Bassano.</b> The better known, indeed to most people the -only proper, name of the famous Italian artist, Jacopa -da Ponte, who signed all his pictures “Il Bassano,” -having been born at Bassano in the state of Venice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bass’s Straits.</b> Discovered by Matthew Flinders. These -straits were named by him after a young ship’s -surgeon, who, with a crew of only six men, in a small -vessel, accompanied him on the expedition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bath Chair.</b> First introduced at Bath, the great health -resort of a bygone day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bath Street.</b> From a Bagnio, or Turkish Bath, established -here in the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battersea.</b> Anciently Patricesy, or St Peter’s-ey, the -manor belonging to the abbey of St Peter’s, Westminster. -The suffix <em>ey</em> implied not only an island, but -also a creek.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle-born State.</b> Nevada, because admitted into the -American Union during the Civil War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle Bridge Road.</b> In this neighbourhood the <em>Iceni</em>, -under Boadicea, sustained their total defeat at the -hands of the Romans, <span class='fss'>A.D.</span> 61.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle of all the Nations.</b> The battle of Leipsic, 16th to -18th October 1813, so called because it effected the -deliverance of Europe from the domination of Napoleon -Buonaparte.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span><b>Battle of the Giants.</b> That of Marignano, in which 1200 -Swiss Guards, allies of the Milanese, were defeated, -13th September 1515.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle of the Herrings.</b> From the sortie of the Orleaners -to cut off a convoy of salted herrings on its way to the -English, besieging their city, 12th February 1429.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle of the Standard.</b> From the high crucifix borne as -a standard on a waggon by the English at Northallerton, -29th August 1138.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle of the Spurs.</b> That of Guinnegate, 16th August -1513, when the French were utterly routed in consequence -of a panic; they used their spurs instead of -their weapons of defence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Battle of the Spurs of Gold.</b> From the enormous number -of gold spurs picked up on the field after the defeat of -the French knights at Courtray, 11th July 1302.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bavaria.</b> The country of the <em>Boii</em>, anciently styled -Boiaria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Baynard’s Castle.</b> See “<a href='#BAYSWATER'>Bayswater</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bayonet.</b> Not from the town of Bayonne, but because a -Basque regiment in the district of Bayonnetta in 1647, -surprised by the Spaniards, stuck their knives into -the muzzles of their muskets, and, charging, drove off -the enemy with great slaughter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bay State.</b> Massachusetts, from the original denomination -of this colony in the New England Commonwealth--viz. -Massachusetts Bay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bayon State.</b> Mississippi, from the French <em>bayon</em>, watercourse, -touching its great river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BAYSWATER'></a><b>Bayswater.</b> Originally described as “Baynard’s Watering,” -being a manor built by Ralph Baynard, one of the -favourites of William the Conqueror, the owner of -Baynard’s Castle, in what is now Thames Street, -destroyed in the Great Fire of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>B. D. V.</b> A tobacco advertisement which stands for “Best -Dark Virginia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span><b>Beak.</b> The slang term for a magistrate, on account of the -<em>beag</em> or gold collar that he wears.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beak Street.</b> This name has a sportive reference to the -magistrate at the neighbouring police court in Great -Marlborough Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beanfeast.</b> From the Bean-goose (so called from the -similarity of the nail of its bill to a bean) which was -formerly the invariable dinner dish.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bear.</b> Wherever this enters into the name of a tavern -sign (with the single exception of that of “The Bear -and Ragged Staff”) it denotes a house that had -originally a bear garden attached to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bear and Ragged Staff.</b> A common inn sign in Warwickshire, -from the heraldic device of Warwick the King -Maker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bear Garden.</b> This name at the corner of Sumner Street, -Southwark, recalls the old Paris Garden, a famous bear-baiting -establishment founded by Robert de Paris as -far back in English history as the reign of Richard I. -A “Bear Garden” is in our time synonymous with a -place of resort for roughs or rowdies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bear State.</b> Arkansas, from the Western description of -the character of its people. “Does Arkansas abound -with bears that it should be called the Bear State?” a -Western man was once asked. “Yes, it does,” was -the reply; “for I never knew a man from that state -but he was a <em>bar</em>, and, in fact, the people are all <em>barish</em> -to a degree.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bearward.</b> The custodian of the bear at public and -private bear-baiting gardens. Most English towns -anciently retained a bearward. See “<a href='#CONGLETONBEARS'>Congleton Bears</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beats a Philadelphia Lawyer.</b> An American expression -implying that the lawyers of Philadelphia are noted -for shrewdness and learning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beauchamp Tower.</b> After Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of -Warwick, whom Richard II. caused to be imprisoned -here for inciting the barons to remove the King’s -favourite, Sir Simon de Burley.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span><b>Beauclerc.</b> The surname of Henry I., on account of his -accomplishments in an age when learning was rare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beckenham.</b> The home in the vicinity of becks or brooks. -The Saxon terminal <em>en</em> expresses the plural.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bedad.</b> An Irishman’s exclamation, derived from the -English “Begad” or “By Gad.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bedford.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Bedican-ford</em>, the protected -ford over the Ouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bedfordbury.</b> The <em>bury</em> or enclosed land of the Duke -of Bedford. Bedford Street and Bedford Square likewise -point to the great ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bedlam.</b> Short for Bethlehem Hospital, a “Lazar House” -in South London which in 1815 was converted into -an asylum for lunatics. See “<a href='#BETHLEHEM'>Bethlehem</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bedouins.</b> From the Arabic <em>badawiy</em>, “dwellers in the -desert.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beech Street.</b> Said to have been the property of Nicholas -de la Beech, Lieutenant of the Tower, <em>temp.</em> Edward III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beefeaters.</b> Although it has been proved that the word -<em>Buffetier</em> cannot be met with in any old book, the -Yeomen of the Guard instituted by Henry VII. -certainly waited at the royal table, and since this -monarch was largely imbued with French manners, -his personal attendants must after all have received -their nickname from the <em>Buffet</em>, or sideboard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beer Bible.</b> From the words “the beer” in place of -“strong drink” (Isaiah xxiv. 9).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Before the Mast.</b> The for’ard part of a ship, where, in -the forecastle, the sailors have their quarters. Hence -a common seaman is said to “Serve before the Mast.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Begad.</b> See “<a href='#BYGAD'>By Gad</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Begorra.</b> An Irish form of the English corrupted oath -Begad or “By Gad.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beguines.</b> An order of nuns in France, from the French -<em>beguin</em>, a linen cap. These nuns are distinguished by -their peculiar head covering.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span><b>Begum.</b> A lady of high rank in the East, a princess in -India, or the wife of a Turkish <em>beg</em> (generally corrupted -into <em>bey</em>) or Governor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beldame.</b> From the French <em>Belle-dame</em>, “fine lady.” The -meaning has now been corrupted from a lady entitled -to the utmost respect on account of age or position to -an ugly old woman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Belgium.</b> From the <em>Belgæ</em>, the name given by Cæsar to the -warlike people who overran this portion of Gaul.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Belgravia.</b> The fashionable district of which Belgrave -Square is the centre, after one of the titles of the Duke -of Westminster, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bell.</b> A tavern sign, originally denoting a haunt for the -lovers of sport, where a silver bell constituted the -prize.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bell, Book, and Candle.</b> The instruments used by the -Church in carrying out a sentence of excommunication. -The bell apprised all good Christians of what was -about to take place, the dread sentence was read out of -the book, while the blowing out of the candle symbolised -the spiritual darkness in which the excommunicated -person would in future abide.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Belleisle.</b> French for “beautiful isle.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Beloochistan.</b> Pursuant to the Persian <em>stan</em>, the country of -the Belooches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Below Par.</b> Not up to the mark in point of health. The -allusion is to Government stock not worth its nominal -£100 value.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Belvedere.</b> A public-house sign, derived from the Italian -word for a pavilion built on a house-top commanding -a fine prospect.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ben.</b> Theatrical slang for “benefit.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bench.</b> The primitive seat of judges and magistrates -before the modern throne-like chair was introduced. -Barristers of the Inns of Court are styled “Benchers” -from the wooden seats formerly provided for them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Benedict.</b> A confirmed bachelor, after St Benedict, who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>unceasingly preached the virtues of celibacy. Also -a newly-married man who, like Benedick in <em>Much -ado about Nothing</em>, after having long forsworn -marriage, at length succumbed to the grand passion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Benedictine.</b> A liqueur made at the Benedictine monastery -at Fécamp.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Benedictines.</b> The monastic Order founded by St Benedict -in the sixth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bengal Tigers.</b> The Leicester Regiment, which as the old -17th Foot rendered good service in India at the commencement -of the last century, and received a royal -tiger as a badge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bennett Street.</b> From the town mansion of Henry Bennett, -Earl of Arlington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bentinck Street.</b> After William Bentinck, second Duke of -Portland, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bergen.</b> From the Danish <em>bierg</em>, mountain, the port -nestling at the foot of high hills.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Berkeley Square.</b> The whole district hereabouts comprised -the land of Lord Berkeley of Stratton, one of the -officers of Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BERKELEYSTREET'></a><b>Berkeley Street</b> (Upper and Lower). After Edward -Berkeley Portman, the ground landlord. There is a -Berkeley Street too in Clerkenwell, on the site of which -stood the residence of Sir Maurice Berkeley, the -standard-bearer of Henry VIII., Edward VI., and -Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Berkshire.</b> The <em>Beoric</em>, or “forest shire,” of the Saxons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Berlin.</b> From the Slavonic <em>Berle</em>, denoting its situation in -the midst of a sandy plain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bermondsey.</b> The <em>ey</em>, or creek land, belonging to the -Saxon lord Beomund.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bermuda Islands.</b> After Juan Bermudas, who discovered -them in 1522.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BERNADINEHOSPICE'></a><b>Bernardine Hospice.</b> This noble institution on the Alpine -heights was not founded by St Bernard, nor has it ever -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>been served by the monks of his Order. It takes its -name from Bernard de Menthon, a wealthy Savoyard, -who in 962 established this house of refuge for the -pilgrims crossing the Alps on their way to the Holy -Land. The monks who serve the Hospice are -Augustinians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bernardines.</b> The monastic Order founded by St Bernard -in 1115.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Berne.</b> From the German <em>Bären</em>, which expresses the -plural for bear. The figure of a bear is conspicuous -on the public buildings, fountains, etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Berners Street.</b> After Lady Berners, the original owner of -the land hereabouts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Best Man at a Wedding.</b> A survival of feudal times, when -the particular friends of the “Bridegroom” undertook -to frustrate the designs of a rival sworn to carry off the -bride before the nuptials could take place. In Sweden -weddings formerly took place under cover of night. -Behind the high altar of the ancient church at Husaby, -in Gothland, a collection of long lances, with sockets -for torches, may yet be seen. These were served out -to the groomsmen on such occasions, both for defence -and illumination. These groomsmen were the bravest -and best who could be found to volunteer their services.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BETHLEHEM'></a><b>Bethlehem.</b> Hebrew for “house of bread.” Hence -Bethlehem Hospital, the original name for a lazar or -poor house.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bethnal Green.</b> Anciently Bednal Green, but corrupted -from the family name of the Bathons, who resided here, -<em>temp.</em> Edward I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bevis Marks.</b> Properly Bury’s Marks, from the posts -to define the limits of the ground belonging to the -town house of the Abbots of Bury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bideford Postman.</b> The sobriquet of Edward Capern, the -poet, who was a letter-carrier at Bideford in Devon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Big Ben.</b> After Sir Benjamin Hall, Bart., M.P., one of the -designers of the New Houses of Parliament, and Chief -Commissioner of Works.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span><b>Big Bend State.</b> Tennessee, which name expresses the -Indian for “river of the great bend.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bilbo.</b> The old name for a Spanish sword blade made at -Bilboa.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bilboes.</b> The irons with which mutinous sailors are -manacled together. From Bilboa, Spain, their place -of origin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bilker.</b> A corruption of <em>Balker</em>, one who balks or outwits -another. In our day one hears mostly of the “Cab -bilker”; formerly the “Tavern bilker” was an equally -reprehensible character.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Billingsgate.</b> After Belin, a Saxon lord, who had a residence -beside the old Roman water-gate on the north -bank of the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Billiter Street.</b> A corruption of Belzettar, the name of -the first builder on the land hereabouts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Billycock.</b> The slang term for a “bowler” hat always worn -by William Coke at the Holkham shooting parties.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bingham’s Dandies.</b> One of the nicknames of the 17th -Lancers, after their Colonel and their smart uniforms.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bioscope.</b> Moving or living pictures thrown on a screen, -so called from the Greek <em>bios</em>, life, and <em>skopein</em>, to -view.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Birchin Lane.</b> Properly Birchover Lane, after the name of -the builder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Birdcage Walk.</b> From the Royal Aviary of the Restoration, -located along the south wall of St James’s Park.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bird of Passage.</b> A hotel phrase applied to a guest who -arrives at stated seasons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bird’s Eye Tobacco.</b> So called from the oval shape of the -stalks when cut up with the leaf.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Birkbeck Institute.</b> The premier Mechanics’ Institute, -established by Dr Birkbeck in 1824.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Birmingham.</b> Called Bremenium by the Romans and -Birmingeham in Domesday Book. This being so, it -cannot be corrupted from “Broom-place town,” as -some authors say.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span><b>Birrell.</b> To write, speak, or do anything after the manner -of Mr Augustine Birrell, M.P., President of the Board -of Education.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Birrelligion.</b> A word coined by Dr Casterelli, Roman -Catholic Bishop of Salford, who, speaking on Mr -Birrell’s New Education Bill, said it was not one exactly -of irreligion, but of Birrelligion, acceptable to no party -or denomination.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bishopsgate Street.</b> From the ancient city gate rebuilt by -Bishop Irkenwald, the son of King Offa, and repaired -by Bishop William in the time of the Conqueror.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Biz.</b> Theatrical slang for “business” or stage by-play.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Brunswickers.</b> A celebrated regiment of seven -hundred volunteers raised in Bohemia in 1809 by -Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick, who took up -arms against Napoleon because the latter had obstructed -his succession to his father’s dukedom. Their -uniform was black, in token of mourning for the deceased -Duke. Finding they could not bear against the -power of France, they enlisted in the English service. -Thus it came to pass that the Black Brunswickers -fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where their gallant -leader met his death. Afterwards they were heard of -no more.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Bull.</b> An inn sign derived from the heraldic device -of the House of Clare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Country.</b> The name given to the great coalfield -in the Midlands. It extends from Birmingham to -Wolverhampton on one side and from Lyle Waste to -West Bromwich on the other.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Friars.</b> The Order of the Dominicans, so called -from their habits. In the district of Blackfriars stood -the great monastery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blackguards.</b> A derisive nickname given originally to the -scullions of the Royal Household, touching their -grimy appearance, as contrasted with the spruceness -of the Guards of Honour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span><b>Blackheath.</b> A corruption of Bleak Heath.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blackleg.</b> After sporting men of a low type, who invariably -wore black gaiters or top-boots.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blackmail.</b> Originally a tax or tribute paid to robbers or -freebooters as a compromise for protection. “Black” -implied the Gaelic for security, while <em>mal</em> was Anglo-Saxon -for tribute.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Maria.</b> Slang for a prison van. Many years ago a -negress of powerful build and strength, named Maria -Lee, kept a sailor’s lodging-house at Boston. Everyone -dreaded her, and she so frequently assisted the police -of that day to pin down a refractory prisoner before he -could be manacled that “Send for Black Maria!” -became quite a common exclamation among them. -Hence the earliest vehicles for the conveyance of -offenders against law and order, especially since they -were painted black, were named after her.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Museum.</b> The collection of criminal relics preserved -at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police at New -Scotland Yard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Prince.</b> The sobriquet of Edward, Prince of Wales, -son of Edward III., not because he wore black armour, -as is generally supposed, but, according to Froissart, -“by terror of his arms,” and again, Strutt, “for his -martial deeds.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Sea.</b> From its many black rocks, which render -navigation dangerous.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blackwall.</b> A corruption of Bleak Wall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Black Watch.</b> Soldiers first appointed to watch the -Highlands of Scotland. They received the name -from their black tartans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blandford Square.</b> From Blandford, Dorsetshire, near -Bryanstone, the seat of the great ground landlord, -Viscount Portman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blankets.</b> First made by the Brothers Blanket, of Bristol, -in 1337.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span><b>Blarney.</b> Suave speeches intended only to gain time. When -Cormack Macarthy was besieged by the English in -Blarney Castle in 1662 he concluded an armistice, with -the object of surrendering after a few days; but instead -of doing so he sent out soft, evasive speeches, until Lord -Carew and his soldiers were forced to admit that they -had been duped. Hence the expression: “None of -your Blarney.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blenheim Oranges.</b> First cultivated at Blenheim, the seat -of the Duke of Marlborough.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blenheim Street.</b> In compliment to the Duke of Marlborough -after the battle of Blenheim.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blind Man’s Buff.</b> So called because if any one of those -taking part in the game allowed the blind man to buff -up against him he had to be blindfolded in his place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blood.</b> See “<a href='#PENNYBLOOD'>Penny Blood</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloody.</b> The addiction of the vulgar to the use of this -adjective on all occasions has made it low and reprehensible. -Anciently, however, it was employed in a -most reverential sense, relative to the Blood of Christ--<em>e.g.</em> -the “Bloody Sacrifice of the Mass.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloody Assizes.</b> Those held by Judge Jeffreys in 1685 for -the punishment of all who had taken part in the Duke -of Monmouth’s rebellion. Three hundred persons were -executed, and more than a thousand transported to the -plantations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloody Butcher.</b> The sobriquet of the Duke of Cumberland, -son of George II., owing to his wholesale -slaughter of the adherents of Prince Charles Stuart, -the Young Pretender, after the battle of Culloden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloody Eleventh.</b> The 11th Foot, in memory of the terrible -slaughter inflicted on this regiment at Salamanca.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloody Tower.</b> Where the infant Princes were murdered -at the order of their uncle, Richard, Duke of Glo’ster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bloomers.</b> After Mrs Ann Bloomer of New York, who -introduced the original nondescript style of “New -Woman” in 1849.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span><b>Bloomsbury.</b> A corruption of “Lomesbury,” the name of a -manor house and grounds which stood on the site of -the present square. “Lomesbury village” sprang up -around the ancient church of St Giles’s in-the-Fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bluchers.</b> After Field-Marshal von Blucher, who affected -this style of military half-boot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue.</b> An indecent story is said to be “blue” because -harlots in the ancient Bridewell, and in more modern -houses of correction or penitentiaries, were habited in -blue gowns.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Boar.</b> An inn sign derived from the heraldic device -of Richard III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Grass State.</b> Kentucky, from the character of the -orchard grass in this fertile limestone region.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Hen’s Chickens.</b> A nickname for the people of -Delaware. <em>The Delaware State Journal</em> thus accounts -for its origin: “At the beginning of the Revolutionary -War there lived in Sussex county of that colony a -gentleman of fortune named Caldwell, who was a -sportsman, and breeder of fine horses and game-cocks. -His favourite axiom was that the character of the -progeny depends more on the mother than on the -father, and that the finest game-cocks depended on -the hen rather than on the cock. His observation led -him to select a <em>blue</em> hen, and he never failed to hatch -a good game-cock from a blue hen’s egg. Caldwell -distinguished himself as an officer in the First <a id='corr37.27'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Deleware'>Delaware</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_37.27'><ins class='correction' title='Deleware'>Delaware</ins></a></span> -Regiment for his daring spirit. The high state -of its discipline was conceded to its exertions, so that -when officers were sent on recruiting service it was -said that they had gone home for more of Caldwell’s -game-cocks; but as Caldwell insisted that no cock -could be truly game unless its mother was a <em>blue</em> hen, -the expression <em>Blue Hen’s Chickens</em> was substituted for -game-cocks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Law State.</b> An old name for Connecticut, whose -original settlers shared with the Puritans in the mother -country a disgust of the licentiousness of the Court -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>of the Restoration, and on this account were said to -advocate “Blue” Laws.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Noses.</b> A nickname bestowed upon the Nova -Scotians, from the species of potato which they produce -and claim to be the best in the world.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Peter.</b> The flag hoisted at the mast head to give -notice that a vessel is about to sail. Its name is a -corruption of the French “Bleu Partir,” or blue departure -signal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Pig.</b> An inn sign, corrupted from the “Blue Boar.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blue Stocking.</b> From the famous club of literary ladies -formed by Mrs Montague in 1840, at which Benjamin -Stillingfleet, who habitually wore blue stockings, was -a regular visitor. Blue stockings, therefore, became the -recognised badge of membership. There was, however, -such a club of ladies and gentlemen at Venice -as far back as 1400, called <em>Della Calza</em>, from the colour -of stockings worn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Blunderbuss.</b> A corruption of the Dutch <em>donderbus</em>, -“thunder tube.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Board of Green Cloth.</b> The steward of the Royal Household -presides over this so called court, which has a -green cover on its table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boar’s Head.</b> The sign of the ancient tavern in Eastcheap -immortalised by Shakespeare. This, like all others of -the same name, was derived from the heraldic device -of the Gordons, the earliest of whom slew a boar that -had long been a terror of the forest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bob Apple.</b> A very old boyish pastime. Standing on -tiptoe, with their hands behind them, they tried to -catch in their mouths an apple as it swung to and fro -at the end of a piece of string suspended from the -ceiling. A variant of the same game consisted in lying -across a form and plunging their heads into a large tub -of water, at the bottom of which was the apple.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bobby.</b> The nickname of a policeman, after Sir Robert -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>Peel, to whom the introduction of the modern police -system was due.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bobs.</b> The popular nickname of Lord Roberts during the -South African War. He is also called “Lord Bobs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boer.</b> Expresses the Dutch for a farmer. Synonymous -with the English “boor,” an uncultivated fellow, a -tiller of the soil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bogtrotter.</b> An Irishman, from the ease with which he -makes his way across the native bogs, in a manner -astonishing to a stranger.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bogus.</b> In reporting a trial at law <em>The Boston Courier</em> in -1857 gave the following authoritative origin:--“The -word Bogus is a corruption of the name of one Borghese, -a very corrupt individual, who twenty years ago or -more did a tremendous business in the way of supplying -the great west, and portions of the south-west, -with counterfeit bills and bills on fictitious banks. -The western people fell into the habit of shortening -the name of Borghese to that of <em>Bogus</em>, and his bills, -as well as all others of like character, were universally -styled by them ‘bogus currency.’” So that the word -is really American.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bohea.</b> Tea of the poorest quality, grown in the hilly district -of Wu-i; pronounced by the Chinese <em>Vooy</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bohemia.</b> From the <em>Bohii</em>, the ancient inhabitants of the -country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bohemian.</b> One who leads a hand-to-mouth existence by -literary or other precarious pursuits, who shuns the -ordinary conventions of society, and aspires to that only -of his fellows. The term originally meant a “Gipsy,” -because the earliest nomadic people who overran -Western Europe did so by way of Bohemia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boiled Shirt.</b> An Americanism, originally from the -western states, for a starched white shirt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bolivia.</b> After General Simon Bolivar, surnamed “The -Liberator of Peru.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span><b>Bologna.</b> A settlement of the <em>Boii</em>, after whom the Romans -called it Bononia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bomba.</b> The sobriquet of Ferdinand, King of Naples, on -account of his bombardment of Messina in 1848.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bonanza State.</b> Nevada, on account of its rich mines, -styled Bonanza mines. <em>Bonanza</em> is Spanish for -“prosperity.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BONDSTREET'></a><b>Bond Street</b> (Old and New). Built on the land owned -by Sir Thomas Bond, Comptroller of the Household -of Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bone of Contention.</b> In allusion to two dogs fighting over -a bone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bone-shaker.</b> The original type of bicycle, with wooden -wheels, of which the rims consisted of small curved -pieces glued together. Compared with a modern -machine it was anything but easy riding.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boniface.</b> The popular name for an innkeeper--not that -St Boniface was the patron saint of drawers and tapsters, -but because one of the Popes of this name instituted -what was called “St Boniface’s Cup,” by granting an -indulgence to all who toasted his health, or that of -his successors, immediately after saying grace at meals.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Booking Office.</b> In the old coaching days passengers had -to book their seats for a stage journey several days in -advance at an office in the innyard whence the coaches -set out. When railways came in the name was retained, -though no “booking” was ever in evidence. -Nearly all the old coaching innyards have been converted -into railway goods and parcels receiving depots.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bookmaker.</b> From the way in which <a id='corr40.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='be'>he</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_40.30'><ins class='correction' title='be'>he</ins></a></span> adjusts his clients’ -bets, so that, ordinarily, he cannot lose on the issue of -a day’s racing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boot-jack.</b> A wooden contrivance by which the wearer -could help himself to take off his high-legged boots -without the aid of a servant. Hence it was called a -<em>jack</em>, which is the generic term for a man-servant or boy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span><b>Border Eagle State.</b> Mississippi, on account of the Border -Eagle in the arms of the state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bore.</b> This name was first applied by the “Macaronies” to -any person who disapproved of foppishness or dandyism. -Nowadays it implies one whose conversation is -uninteresting, and whose society becomes repugnant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Borneo.</b> A European application of the Sanskrit <em>boorni</em>, -land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Born in the Purple.</b> Since purple was the Imperial colour -of the Cæsars and the Emperors of the East, the sons -of the reigning monarch were said to be born in it. -This expression had a literal truth, for the bed furniture -was draped with purple.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Born with a Silver Spoon in his Mouth.</b> In allusion to -the silver apostle spoon formerly presented to an infant -by its godfather at baptism. In the case of a child -born lucky or rich such a gift of worldly goods was -anticipated at the moment of entering life.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Borough.</b> The <em>Burgh</em> or town which arose on the south side -of Old London Bridge, long before the City of London -became closely packed with streets and houses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Borough English.</b> A Saxon custom, whereby the youngest -son of a burgher inherited everything from his father, -instead of the eldest, as among the Normans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bosh.</b> See “<a href='#ALLBOSH'>All Bosh</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bosphorus.</b> From the Greek <em>bos-porus</em>, cow strait, agreeably -to the fable that Io, transformed into a white cow, -swam across it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boss.</b> A term derived from the Dutch settlers of New -York, in whose language <em>baas</em> (pronounced like the <em>a</em> -in <em>all</em>), expressed an overseer or master.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boston.</b> Short for St Botolph’s Town. “The stump” of -the church is seen from afar across the Boston Deeps.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Botany Bay.</b> So called by Captain Cook on account of the -variety of, to him, new plants found on its shores. -This portion of New South Wales was the first British -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>Convict Settlement; hence Botany Bay became a -term synonymous with penal servitude.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Botolph Lane.</b> From the church of St Botolph, situated -in it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BOTTLEOFHAY'></a><b>Bottle of Hay.</b> A corruption of “bundle of hay,” from -the French <em>botte</em>, a bundle, of which the word bottle -expresses the diminutive.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bottom Dollar.</b> An Americanism for one’s last coin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bovril.</b> An adaptation of <em>bovis</em>, ox, and <em>vril</em>, strength--the -latter being a word coined by Lord Lytton in “The -Coming Race.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bow.</b> From the ancient stone bridge over the Lea, which -was the first ever built in this country on a bow or -arch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BOWCHURCH'></a><b>Bow Church.</b> Properly the church of St Mary-le-Bow, -Cheapside, the first in this country to be built on bows -or arches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bowdlerise.</b> In the year 1818 Thomas Bowdler brought -out an expurgated edition of Shakespeare’s Plays; -hence a “Bowdlerised Edition” of any work is one -of which the original text has been unwarrantably -tampered with.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bowie Knife.</b> After Colonel Jim Bowie, a famous fighter -of the western states, who first armed himself with -this weapon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bow Street.</b> From its arc shape when first laid out.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bow Street Runners.</b> Primitive detectives sent out from -their headquarters in Bow Street in highwayman days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bowyer Tower.</b> Anciently the residence of the Tower -bowyer or bowmaker. Here, according to tradition, -the Duke of Clarence was drowned in a butt of -“Malmsey.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boxing Day.</b> See “<a href='#CHRISTMASBOX'>Christmas-box</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Box Office.</b> At one time only the private boxes at a theatre -could be booked in advance; hence the term.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span><b>Box the Compass.</b> To be able to repeat all the thirty-two -degrees or points of the mariner’s compass; a mental -exercise all round the compass-box.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boycott.</b> To ostracise a man. This word came into use -in 1881, after Captain Boycott of Lough Mark Farm, -co. Mayo, was cut off from all social and commercial -intercourse with his neighbours for the crime of being -an Irish landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boy King.</b> Edward VI., who ascended the throne of -England in his tenth, and died in his sixteenth, year.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Boz.</b> Under this <em>nom de plume</em> Charles Dickens published -his earliest “Sketches” of London life and character -in <em>The Morning Chronicle</em>. He has told us himself -that this was the pet name of a younger brother, after -Moses Primrose in “The Vicar of Wakefield.” The -infantile members of the family pronounced the name -“Bozes,” and at last shortened it into “Boz.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bradford.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Bradenford</em>, “broad -ford.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Braggadocio.</b> After <em>Braggadochio</em>, a boasting character in -Spenser’s “Faery Queene.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brahma Fowl.</b> Originally from the district of the Brahmapootra -River in India. <em>Pootra</em> is Sanskrit for Son; -hence the river name means “The Son of Brahma.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brandy.</b> From the German <em>Brantwein</em>, burnt wine. A -spirituous distillation from wine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brazenose College.</b> The brazen nose on the college gate -notwithstanding, this name was derived from the fact -that here stood an ancient <em>brasenhuis</em>, or “brew-house.” -Oxford has always been famous for the -excellent quality of its beer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bravo.</b> In Italy one who is always boasting of his courage -and prowess; generally a hired <a id='corr43.33'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='assasin'>assassin</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_43.33'><ins class='correction' title='assasin'>assassin</ins></a></span>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brazil.</b> From <em>braza</em>, the name given by the Portuguese to -the red dye-wood of the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span><b>Bread Street.</b> Where the bakers had their stalls in connection -with the Old Chepe, or market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Break Bread.</b> To accept hospitality. In the East bread -is baked in the form of large cakes, which are broken, -never cut with a knife. To break bread with a stranger -ensures the latter personal protection as long as he -remains under the roof of his host.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Breakfast.</b> The morning meal, when the fast since the -previous night’s supper is broken.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Break the Bank.</b> Specifically at the gaming-tables of -Monte Carlo. With extraordinary luck this may be -done on occasion; but the winner’s triumph is short-lived -since, the capital of the bank being unlimited, -if he continues to play after fresh stores of gold have -been produced, he must lose in the end.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brecon.</b> See “<a href='#BRECKNOCK'>Brecknock</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BRECKNOCK'></a><b>Brecknock.</b> The capital (also called Brecon) of one of the -shires of Wales, originally <em>Breckineauc</em>, after Brychan, -a famous Welsh prince. Brecknock Road takes its -name from Lord Camden, Earl of Brecknock, the -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Breeches Bible.</b> From the word “breeches” for “aprons” -(Genesis iii. 7).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brentford.</b> The ford over the Brent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Breviary.</b> The name given to an abridgment of the daily -prayers, for the use of priests, during the Seven -Canonical Hours, made by Pope Gregory VII. in the -eleventh century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brevier.</b> The style of type originally employed in the -composition of the Catholic “Breviary.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bridegroom.</b> The word <em>groom</em> comes from the Gothic and -Anglo-Saxon <em>guma</em>, man, allied to the Latin <em>homo</em>, -man. It still expresses a man-servant who grooms -or attends to his master’s horse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bride Lane.</b> From the church of St Bride or Bridget.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span><b>Bride of the Sea.</b> Venice, in allusion to the ancient -ceremony of “The Marriage of the Adriatic.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bridewell.</b> The name anciently given to a female penitentiary, -from the original establishment near the well -of St Bride or Bridget in the parish of Blackfriars. -The name is preserved in Bridewell Police Station.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brigadier.</b> The commanding officer of a brigade.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bridge.</b> Twenty years ago two families at Great Dalby, -Leicestershire, paid each other a visit on alternate -nights, for a game of what they called Russian whist. -Their way lay across a broken bridge, very dangerous -after nightfall. “Thank goodness, it’s your bridge -to-morrow night!” they were wont to exclaim on parting. -This gave the name to the game itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bridge of Sighs.</b> The bridge forming a covered gallery -over the Canal at Venice between the State prisons on -the one hand and the palace of the Doges on the other. -Prisoners were led to the latter to hear the death -sentence pronounced, and thence to execution. No -State prisoner was ever known to recross this bridge; -hence its name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bridgewater Square.</b> From the town house of the Earls of -Bridgewater.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brief.</b> A brief summary of all the facts of a client’s case -prepared by a solicitor for the instruction of counsel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bristol.</b> Called by the Anglo-Saxons “<em>Brightstow</em>,” or -pleasant, stockaded place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Britain.</b> This country was known to the Phœnicians as -<em>Barat-Anac</em>, “the land of time.” The Romans called -it <em>Britannia</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>British Columbia.</b> The only portion of North America -which honours the memory, as a place name, of Christopher -Columbus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brittany.</b> The land anciently possessed by the kings of -Britain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brixton.</b> Anciently <em>Brigestan</em>, the bridge of stone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span><b>Broadside.</b> A large sheet printed straight across instead -of in columns.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BROKER'></a><b>Broker.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>brucan</em>, through the Old -English <em>brocour</em>, to use for profit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brompton.</b> Anciently Broom Town, or place of the broom -plant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brook Street.</b> From a stream meandering through the fields -from Tyburn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brooke Street.</b> From the town house of Fulke Greville, -Lord Brooke. In this street the boy poet Chatterton -poisoned himself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brother Jonathan.</b> After Jonathan Turnbull, the adviser -of General Washington in all cases of military emergency. -“We must ask Brother Jonathan” was the -latter’s invariable reply to a suggestion made to him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brougham.</b> First made to the order of Lord Brougham.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brought under the Hammer.</b> Put up for sale by public -auction. The allusion is, of course, to the auctioneer’s -hammer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bruce Castle.</b> The residence of Robert Bruce after his -defeat by John Baliol in the contest for the Scottish -crown.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bruges.</b> From its many bridges.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brummagem.</b> The slang term for cheap jewellery made -at Birmingham. In local parlance this city is -“Brummagem,” and its inhabitants are “Brums.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Brunswick Square.</b> Laid out and built upon at the accession -of the House of Brunswick.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bruton Street.</b> From the seat of the Berkeleys at Bruton, -Somersetshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bryanstone Square.</b> From the seat, near Blandford, Dorset, -of Viscount Portman, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bucephalus.</b> A horse, after the famous charger of Alexander -the Great.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span><b>Buckeye State.</b> Ohio, from the buckeye-trees with which -this state abounds. Its people are called “Buckeyes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Buckingham.</b> The Anglo-Saxon <em>Boccenham</em>, or “beech-tree -village.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Buckingham Palace.</b> After the residence, on this site, of -John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Buckingham Street.</b> From the older mansion of John -Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. The water-gate is -still in evidence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Buckle to.</b> An expression descended from the days of -chivalry, when a knight buckled on his armour for the -tournament.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bucklersbury.</b> Anciently the <em>bury</em> or enclosed ground of -a wealthy grocer named Buckle or Bukerel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Budge Row.</b> From the vendors of “Budge” or lambskin -fur who congregated here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bug Bible.</b> From the word “bugges”--<em>i.e.</em> bogies--in place -of “the terror” (Psalm xci. 5).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Buggy.</b> From <em>bâghi</em>, the Hindustani for a one-horse -vehicle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bull.</b> A papal edict, so called on account of the <em>bulla</em>, or -seal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bull and Gate.</b> An inn sign, corrupted from “Boulogne -Gate,” touching the siege of Boulogne and its harbour -by Henry VIII. in 1544.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bulgaria.</b> A corruption of Volgaria, the country of the -<em>Volsci</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bull-dog.</b> A dog originally employed in the brutal sport of -bull-baiting. The name is also given to one of the -two attendants of the proctor at a university while -going his rounds by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BULLIONSTATE'></a><b>Bullion State.</b> Missouri, after Thomas Hart Benton, who, -when representing this state in Congress, merited the -nickname of “Old Bullion,” from his spirited advocacy -of a gold and silver currency instead of “Greenbacks” -or paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span><b>Bullyrag.</b> See “<a href='#RAGGING'>Ragging</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bullyruffian.</b> A corruption of the <em>Bellerophon</em>, the vessel -on which Napoleon surrendered after the battle of -Waterloo.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bungalow.</b> From the Bengalese <em>bangla</em>, a wooden house -of one storey surrounded by a verandah.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bunhill Fields.</b> Not from the Great Plague pit in Finsbury, -but from the cart-loads of human bones shot here when -the charnel-house of St Paul’s Churchyard was pulled -down in 1549.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bunkum.</b> Originally a Congressman’s speech, “full of -sound and fury, signifying nothing.” An oratorial flight -not intended to carry a proposal, but to catch popular -applause. The representative for Buncombe, in North -Carolina, occupied the time of the house at Washington -so long with a meaningless speech that many -members left the hall. Asked his reason for such a -display of empty words, he replied: “I was not -speaking to the House, but to Buncombe.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bureau.</b> French for a writing-desk, from <em>buro</em>, a drugget, -with which it was invariably covered.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Burgess Roll.</b> See “<a href='#ROLLCALL'>Roll Call</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Burgundy.</b> A wine produced in the French province of -the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Burke.</b> To stop or gag--<em>e.g.</em> to burke a question. After -an Irishman of this name, who silently and secretly -took the lives of many peaceable citizens by holding a -pitch plaster over their mouths, in order to sell their -bodies to the doctors for dissection. He was hanged -in 1849. His crimes were described as “Burking.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Burleigh Street.</b> From the residence of Lord Burleigh in -Exeter Street, hard by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BURLINGTON'></a><b>Burlington Street</b> (Old and New). After Richard Boyle, -Earl of Burlington and Cork, from whom Burlington -House, refronted by him, also received its name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span><b>Burmah.</b> From the natives, who claim to be descendants -of Brahma, the supreme deity of the Hindoos.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Burton Crescent.</b> After the name of its builder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bury St Edmunds.</b> A corruption of the Borough of St -Edmund, where the Saxon king and martyr was crowned -on Christmas Day, 856. Taken prisoner and killed -by the Danes, he was laid to rest here. Over the site -of his tomb Canute built a Benedictine monastery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bury Street.</b> Properly Berry Street, after its builder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Bury the Hatchet.</b> At a deliberation of war the hatchet -is always in evidence among the Indians of North -America, but when the calumet, or pipe of peace, is -being passed round, the symbol of warfare is carefully -hidden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Busking.</b> Theatrical slang for an <em>al fresco</em> performance to -earn a few coppers. To “go busking on the sands” is -the least refined aspect of a Pierrot Entertainment. -See “<a href='#SOCKBUSKIN'>Sock and Buskin</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BUYAPIG'></a><b>Buy a Pig in a Poke.</b> A man naturally wants to see what -he is bargaining for. “Poke” is an old word for a -sack or large bag, of which <em>pocket</em> expresses the -diminutive.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BYGAD'></a><b>By Gad.</b> A corruption of the old oath “By God.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BYGEORGE'></a><b>By George.</b> Originally this oath had reference to the -patron saint of England. In more modern times it -was corrupted into “By Jove,” so that it might have -applied to Jupiter; then at the Hanoverian Succession -the ancient form came in again.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By Hook or by Crook.</b> The final word here is a corruption -of Croke. More than a century ago two eminent -K.C.’s named Hook and Croke were most generally -retained by litigants in action at law. This gave rise -to the saying: “If I can’t win my case by Hook I will -by Croke.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='BYJINGO'></a><b>By Jingo.</b> An exclamation traceable to the Basque -mountaineers brought over to England by Edward I. -to aid him in the subjection of Wales at the time when -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>the Plantagenets held possession of the Basque provinces. -“Jainko” expressed the supreme deity of these -hillmen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By Jove.</b> See “<a href='#BYGEORGE'>By George</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By the Holy Rood.</b> The most solemn oath of the crusaders. -“Rood,” from the Anglo-Saxon <em>rod</em>, was the Old English -name for Cross.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By the Mass.</b> A common oath in the days of our Catholic -ancestors, when quarrels were generally made up by the -parties attending Mass together.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By the Peacock.</b> See “<a href='#PEACOCK'>Peacock</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>By the Skin of my Teeth.</b> An expression derived from -Job xix. 20: “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my -flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Byward Tower.</b> A corruption of Bearward Tower, the -residence of the Tower “Bearward.” The bear-house -at our national fortress in the time of James I. is -mentioned in Nichol’s “Progresses and Processions.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>C</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Cab.</b> Short for “Cabriolet,” or little caperer, from <em>cabriole</em>, -a goat’s leap. See “<a href='#CAPRI'>Capri</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cabal.</b> A political term formed out of the initials of the -intriguing ministry of 1670--thus: Clifford, Ashley, -Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cabinet.</b> The designation of Ministers of State, who first -conducted their deliberations in a cabinet, from the -Italian <em>gabinetto</em>, a small room. A picture or photograph -of this size received its name from the apartment -for which it was best suited.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cabin Girls.</b> Waitresses at the “Cabin” Restaurants Limited.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cablegram.</b> An Americanism for telegram.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cadiz.</b> Called Gades by the Romans, from the Phœnician -<em>Gadir</em>, enclosed, shut in.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span><b>Cadogan Square.</b> From the Earl of Cadogan, the lord of -the manor of Chelsea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cahoot.</b> An Americanism for partnership or company, -derived from the French <em>capute</em>, hut, cabin. Men who -share a cabin or shanty are said to be “in cahoot.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caitiff.</b> An old term of contempt for a despicable person, -derived from the Latin <em>captivis</em>, a captive, slave.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caius College.</b> The name given to Gonville College, -Cambridge, after its refoundation by Dr Caius by -royal charter in 1558.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cake Walk.</b> A musical walking competition round a cake, -very popular among the negroes of the southern states. -The couple adjudged to walk most gracefully receive -the cake as a prize.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Calcutta.</b> From <em>Kalikutta</em>, “the village of Kali,” the -goddess of time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CALEDONIA'></a><b>Caledonia.</b> The country of the Caels or Gaels; <em>Gadhel</em> in -the native tongue signified a “hidden cover.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caledonian Road.</b> From the Royal Caledonian Asylum for -Scottish orphans, now removed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Calico.</b> First brought from Calicut in the East Indies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>California.</b> Called by Cortez <em>Caliente Fornalla</em>, or “hot -furnace,” on account of its climate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caliph.</b> From the Arabic <em>Khalifah</em>, a successor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Called over the Coals.</b> A corruption of “Hauled over the -Coals.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Camberwell.</b> From the ancient holy well in the vicinity of -the church of St Giles, the patron saint of cripples. -<em>Cam</em> is Celtic for “crooked.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cambria.</b> The country of the <em>Cimbri</em> or <em>Cymri</em>, who -finally settled in Wales.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cambric.</b> First made at Cambray in Flanders.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cambridge.</b> From the bridge over the Cam, or “crooked” -river. See “<a href='#CANTAB'>Cantab</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span><b>Camden Town.</b> After the Earl of Camden, the ground -landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Camellia.</b> Introduced into Europe by G. J. Camelli, the -German missionary botanist.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Camera Obscura.</b> Literally a dark chamber.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cameron Highlanders.</b> The Scottish regiment of infantry -raised by Allan Cameron in 1793.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Camisard.</b> A military term for a night attack, after the -Camisards, Protestant insurgents of the seventeenth -century, who, wearing a <em>camise</em>, or peasant’s smock, -conducted their depredations under cover of night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Camomile Street.</b> From the herbs that grew on the waste -north of the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Campania.</b> An extensive plain outside Rome, across which -the “Appian Way” was constructed. The word -comes from the Latin <em>campus</em>, a field.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Campden Square.</b> From the residence of Sir Baptist Hicks, -created Viscount Campden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canada.</b> From the Indian <em>kannatha</em>, a village or collection -of huts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canary.</b> Wine and a species of singing bird brought from -the Canary Islands, so called, agreeably to the Latin -<em>canis</em>, on account of the large dogs found there.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Candia.</b> Anciently Crete, called by the Arabs <em>Khandæ</em>, -“island of trenches.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Candy.</b> An Americanism for sweetmeats. The Arabic -<em>quand</em>, sugar, gave the French word <em>candi</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canned Meat.</b> An Americanism for tinned meat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cannibal.</b> See “<a href='#CARIBBEAN'>Caribbean Sea</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cannon Row.</b> The ancient residence of the Canons of -St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cannon Street.</b> A corruption of Candlewick Street, where -the candle-makers congregated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cannucks.</b> See <a href='#KNUCKS'>“K’nucks</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span><b>Canonbury.</b> From the manorial residence of the priors of -St Bartholomew Church, Clerkenwell, of which the -ancient tower remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cant.</b> After Alexander and Andrew Cant, a couple of -bigoted Covenanters, who persecuted their religious -opponents with relentless zeal, and at the same time -prayed for those who suffered on account of their -religious opinions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CANTAB'></a><b>Cantab.</b> Of Cambridge University. The River Cam was -anciently called the Granta; hence the Saxon name -of the city <em>Grantabrycge</em>, or the bridge over the Granta, -softened later into <em>Cantbrigge</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canterbury.</b> The fortified place or chief town of “Kent.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canterbury Music Hall.</b> This, the first of the London -music halls, opened in 1848, grew out of the old-time -popular “free-and-easy,” or “sing-song,” held in an -upper room of what was until then a tavern displaying -the arms of the city of Canterbury, and styled -the “Canterbury Arms.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cantlowes Road.</b> See “<a href='#KENTISHTOWN'>Kentish Town</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Canvas Back.</b> A species of sea-duck, regarded as a luxury -on account of the delicacy of its flesh. So called from -the colour of the plumage on its back.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cape Finisterre.</b> Adapted by the French from the Latin -<em>finis terra</em>, “land’s end.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Capel Court.</b> The Stock Exchange, so called from the -residence of Sir William Capel, Lord Mayor in 1504.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cape of Good Hope.</b> So called by John II., King of -Portugal, after Diaz had touched this point of Africa, as -a favourable augury for the circumnavigation of the -globe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cape Horn.</b> Named Hoorn, after his birthplace, by -Schouten, the Dutch navigator, who first rounded it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CAPRI'></a><b>Capri.</b> From the Latin <em>caper</em>, a he-goat, expresses the -island of wild goats.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span><b>Capuchin Friars.</b> From the pointed cowl or <em>capuce</em> worn -by them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carat Gold.</b> So called because gold and precious stones -were formerly weighted against carat seeds or seeds -of the Abyssinian coral flower.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carbonari.</b> Italian for charcoal-burners, in whose huts -this secret society held its meetings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carburton Street.</b> From the Northamptonshire village on -the ducal estate of the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cardiff.</b> From <em>Caer Taff</em>, the fort on the Taff.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cardigan.</b> After Ceredog, a famous chieftain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CARIBBEAN'></a><b>Caribbean Sea.</b> From the Caribbs, which West Indian -designation signifies “cruel men.” Corrupted through -the Spanish <em>Caribal</em>, we have derived the word -“Cannibal,” for one who eats human flesh.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carlton House Terrace.</b> From Carlton House, built by -Lord Carlton, later the residence of Frederick, Prince -of Wales, the father of George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carmagnole.</b> A wild song and dance which came into -prominence during the French Revolution. It received -its name from Carmagnolas, a town in Piedmont, -whence the Savoyard boys carried the tune into the -south of France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carmarthen.</b> A corruption of <em>Caer-merlin</em>, or the fortress -built by Merlin, in the neighbourhood of which he -was born.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carmelites.</b> White Friars of the order of Mount Carmel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carnarvon.</b> The fortress on the <em>Arfon</em>, or water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carolina.</b> After Carollus, the Latinised name of Charles -II., who granted a charter of colonisation to eight of -his favourites.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caroline Islands.</b> In honour of Charles I. of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carpenter.</b> Originally one who made only the body or -wooden portion of a vehicle. So called from the Latin -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span><em>carpentum</em>, waggon. An ordinary worker in wood -was, and still is in the English provinces, a joiner.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carpet Knight.</b> A civilian honoured with a knighthood -by the sovereign. One who has not won his spurs on -the field, like the knights of old.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carry Coals to Newcastle.</b> To do that which is altogether -superfluous. It would be ridiculous to take coals to a -place where they are found in abundance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cartaret Street.</b> After John Cartaret, Earl of Granville, -Secretary of State, and one of the most popular -ministers of the reign of George II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carte de Visite.</b> Photographs received this name because -the Duc de Parma in 1857 had his likeness printed on -the back of his large visiting-cards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carthage.</b> From the Phœnician <em>Karth-hadtha</em>, New Town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carthagena.</b> From <em>Carthago Novo</em>, or New Carthage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carthusians.</b> Monks of La Chartreuse, near Grenoble. -This name is also given to former scholars of the -“Charter House.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Carthusian Street.</b> Although some distance to the west -of it, this street leads to the “Charter House.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caspian Sea.</b> From the <em>Caspii</em>, who peopled its shores.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Castile.</b> In Spanish Castilla, from the castles or forts set -up for defence against the Moors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Castle.</b> An inn sign denoting a wine-house, from the -castle in the arms of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Catacombs.</b> Italian <em>Catacomba</em>, from the Greek <em>kata</em>, -downward, and <em>kumbe</em>, a hollow, a cavity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cat and Fiddle.</b> A corruption of “Caton le Fidele,” the -faithful Caton, Governor of Calais, whose name was -honoured by many an inn sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cat and Wheel.</b> A corruption of the old inn sign the -“Catherine Wheel,” the instrument of the martyrdom of -St Catherine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span><b>Cat Call.</b> A corruption of <em>Cat Wail</em>. When a theatre or -music-hall audience is dissatisfied with the performance, -and impatient for it to be brought to an end, the -“Gods” indulging in “Mewing” like a chorus of cats -on the roof by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Catch a Weasel asleep.</b> No one ever caught a weasel -napping, for the simple reason that he hides himself in -a hole away from the sight of man.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Catchpenny.</b> Short for “Catnach Penny,” from the penny -dying speeches and yard of songs printed by James -Catnach in Seven Dials, and hawked about the streets. -The “Catnach Press” was as great a power in that -day as the trashy “Bits” literature is in our own.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cathedral.</b> From the Greek <em>kathedra</em>, a seat--<em>i.e.</em> the -chair of a bishop. See “<a href='#CITY'>City</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Caucus.</b> From the Caulkers of Boston, U.S., who shortly -before the Revolution came into open conflict with the -British soldiery. Meetings were held in the calk -houses, and a Caulkers’ Club was formed. Since -that time a political meeting of American citizens has -been styled a Caucus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cavalier.</b> From the French <em>chevalier</em>, a horseman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cavendish.</b> Tobacco pressed into plugs for chewing, from -the name of the first maker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CAVENDISHSQUARE'></a><b>Cavendish Square.</b> After Henrietta Cavendish, second -wife of Lord Harley, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Centennial State.</b> Colorado, admitted into the American -Union one hundred years after the Declaration of -Independence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ceylon.</b> Called by the Portuguese Selen, an abbreviation -of the Sanskrit <em>Sinhaladwipa</em>, “Island of Lyons.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chadwell Street.</b> After the name of the source of the -New River in Hertfordshire. The well was anciently -dedicated to St Chad.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chaff.</b> A corruption of <em>chafe</em>, to make hot with anger, as -heat may be produced by friction.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span><b>Chalk Farm.</b> Originally “Chalcot Farm,” a noted resort -for duellists of a past day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chalk it up.</b> In allusion to the drink score chalked on a -slate against a customer at a country ale-house.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Champagne.</b> A light wine, from the French province of -the same name, which expresses a plain, from the -Latin <em>campus</em>, field.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Champs de Mars.</b> Expresses the large open space or “Plain -of Mars,” in Paris, set apart for military reviews.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chancery Lane.</b> A corruption of “Chancellor’s Lane,” -from the town house of the Bishops of Chichester, -afterwards the residence of the Lord High Chancellor -of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chandos Street.</b> From the residence of James Bridges, -Duke of Chandos.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chap.</b> Originally short for “Chapman,” one who sold his -wares at a <em>chepe</em>, or market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chap Book.</b> A small book or tract sold by chapmen. See -“Chap.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chapel.</b> A printers’ meeting held in the composing-room, -so called because Caxton set up the first English press -in a disused chapel of Westminster Abbey. The presiding -workman is styled “The Father of the Chapel.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chapel of Ease.</b> An auxiliary place of worship, for the -convenience of those who resided at a great distance -from the parish church.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Charing Cross.</b> The idea that this spot received its name -from the “good Queen” Eleanor, whose bier was set -down here for the last time on its way to Westminster -Abbey has been exploded. It was even then called -the village of Charing, in honour of <em>La Chère Reine</em>, -the Blessed Virgin, this being the usual halting-place -between London and the venerable Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Charlatan.</b> From the Italian <em>ciarlatano</em>, a quack, a babbler, -a loquacious itinerant who sold medicines in a public -square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span><b>Charles Martel.</b> See “<a href='#MARTEL'>Martel</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Charles Street.</b> Built upon in the reign of Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CHARLIES'></a><b>Charlies.</b> The old night watchmen reorganised by Charles I. -These were the only civic protectors down to the introduction -of the modern police system by Sir Robert Peel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Charlotte Street.</b> After the queen of George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Charter House.</b> A corruption of La Chartreuse, one of the -English houses of the Order of monks of the place of -the same name in France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chartreuse.</b> The liqueurs prepared at the monastery of -La Chartreuse, near Grenoble.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chauffeur.</b> The French term for a motor-car driver; it has -no English equivalent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cheap Jack.</b> A modern equivalent for “Chap-man.” Jack -is a generic name for man-servant or an inferior person.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cheapside.</b> The High Street of the city of London, -consequently abutting on the <em>chepe</em>, or market-place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cheese it.</b> A corruption of “Choose it better,” or, in -other words, “Tell me something I can believe.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chef.</b> French for head or master. Employed alone, the -word expresses a head man cook.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chelmsford.</b> The ford over the Chelmer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chelsea.</b> Anciently “Chevelsey,” or “Shingle Island.” -See “<a href='#CHISWICK'>Chiswick</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chequers.</b> An inn sign derived from the arms of the -Fitzwarrens, one of whom had the granting of vintners’ -licences.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cherry Bob.</b> An old summer pastime for boys. A bunch -of cherries suspended from a beam or tree-branch was -kept swinging to and fro, while the boys, with their -hands behind them, tried to catch the fruit with their -mouths.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CHERRYGARDENPIER'></a><b>Cherry Gardens Pier.</b> A name reminiscent of a popular -resort of bygone days in connection with the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>“Jamaica” in front of which rum, newly arrived from -the West Indies, was landed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cherry Pickers.</b> The 11th Hussars, because, when captured -by the French during the Peninsular War, some men -of the regiment were robbing an orchard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chesapeake.</b> Indian for “great waters.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chester.</b> The city built on the Roman <em>castra</em>, or camp.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chestnut.</b> Edwin Abbey, the painter of the Coronation -picture, is said to have been responsible for the term -“Chestnut” as applied to a stale joke. While a -member of a club at Philadelphia he always told a -story about a man who had a chestnut farm, but made -nothing out of it because he gave his chestnuts away. -Abbey invariably began this story differently, so that -his follow clubmen would not recognise it, but they -soon interrupted him by exclaiming “Chestnuts!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chestnut Sunday.</b> The first Sunday in June, when the -chestnut-trees in Bushey Park at Hampton Court are -in bloom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cheyne Walk.</b> After Lord Cheyne, lord of the manor of -Chelsea in the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chicago.</b> Indian for “wild onion.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chichester.</b> The Roman camp town taken by Cissa, King -of the South Saxons, thenceforth called <em>Cissanceaster</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chichester Rents.</b> The site of the town mansion of the -Bishops of Chichester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chili.</b> Peruvian for “land of snow.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>China.</b> After Tsin, the founder of a great dynasty. Earthenware -of a superior quality was first made in China; -hence the name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chin Music.</b> An Americanism for derisive laughter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chip off the Old Block.</b> A saying in allusion to the -“Family Tree.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chippendale.</b> Furniture of elegant design, named after its -famous maker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span><a id='CHISWICK'></a><b>Chiswick.</b> Anciently “Cheoselwick,” or village of shingles, -from the Anglo-Saxon <em>ceosal</em>, sand, gravel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chocolat-Menier.</b> The perfection of chocolate, introduced -by M. Menier of Paris, who died in 1881.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Choke Him off.</b> The allusion is to grip a dog by the throat -in order to make him relax his hold.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Christiania.</b> Rebuilt by Christian IV. of Denmark.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Christian Scientists.</b> A modern offshoot of the Peculiar -People, or Faith Healers, who believe that sickness -and pain can be cured by faith and prayer without -medicine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CHRISTMASBOX'></a><b>Christmas-box.</b> A relic of Catholic days, when a box was -placed in all the churches to receive Christmas alms -for the poor. These were distributed on the day -following.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Christmas Island.</b> Captain Cook landed here on Christmas -Day, 1777.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Christ’s College.</b> Founded at Cambridge by Lady Margaret, -Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII., for a -master and twelve fellows, corresponding to Christ and -His apostles, to whom it was dedicated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Christy Minstrels.</b> After Charles Christy, who introduced -the Negro Minstrel Entertainment to England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Church Ale.</b> Specifically the ale brewed by the church-wardens -for merrymakers on the village green at Whitsuntide -and other high holidays. Later the assemblage -itself came to be styled a “Church Ale.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Chute.</b> The French for “a fall,” applied by the Americans -to a declivity of water. The exciting diversion of -boating on such a waterfall is styled “Shooting the -Chutes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cicerone.</b> After Cicero, the prince of speakers. The -comparison between the celebrated orator and the -“Roman Guide” befooled by Mark Twain is rather -painful.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span><b>Cigar.</b> From the Spanish <em>Cigarro</em>, the original name of a -particular kind of Cuban tobacco.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cinderella Dance.</b> Because it is brought to an end at -twelve o’clock, in allusion to the heroine in the fairy -story.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Circumlocution Office.</b> A term first applied to the shuttle-cock -methods in vogue at our public offices by Charles -Dickens in “Little Dorrit.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cistercians.</b> An Order of monks established at Cistercium, -or Citeau, near Dijon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CITY'></a><b>City.</b> The proper and historic distinction between a city -and a town lies in the fact that the former is the seat -of a bishop, and accordingly contains a cathedral. In -modern times many burghs or towns have been advanced -to the dignity of a city on account of their -commercial importance. These are, however, cities -only in name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>City Fathers.</b> Aldermen of the city of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>City Golgotha.</b> Old Temple Bar, from the heads of rebels -spiked on its top. <em>Golgotha</em> is Hebrew for “the place -of skulls.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Claim.</b> A squatter’s term for a piece of land which he has -marked off and settled upon pending its legal acquisition -from the Government. During the gold fever the -name also came to be applied to the land parcelled out -to each digger.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clare Market.</b> The site of Clare House, the residence of -the Earl of Clare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clarence.</b> A carriage named after the Duke of Clarence, -afterwards William IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clarges Street.</b> From the mansion of Sir Walter Clarges, -afterwards taken over by the Venetian ambassador.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clarendon.</b> The black type first used at the Clarendon -Press, Oxford, which owed its foundation to the profits -of Lord Clarendon’s “History of the Rebellion,” -presented to the University.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span><b>Claude Lorraine.</b> The assumed name of the celebrated -landscape painter Claude Galée, who was a native of -Lorraine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cleaned Out.</b> Pockets emptied of cash. The allusion is to -a saucepan or other domestic cooking utensil which is -cleansed after use.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clerkenwell.</b> The holy well beside which the parish clerks -performed their miracle plays on festival days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clifford Street.</b> After Elizabeth Clifford, wife of the Earl -of Burlington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Closure.</b> A modern parliamentary term signifying the -right of the Speaker to order the closing of a useless -debate. The Closure was first applied 24th February -1884.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cloth Fair.</b> The great annual mart for the sale of cloth -brought over by Flemish merchants.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Club.</b> From the German <em>kleben</em>, to adhere, cleave to, -associate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Clyde.</b> The strong river, from the Gaelic <em>clyth</em>, strong.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coast is Clear.</b> Originally a smugglers’ phrase relative to -coastguards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coat of Arms.</b> During the days of chivalry, when a knight -was completely encased in armour and the vizor of his -helmet was drawn over his face, his sole mode of -distinction was by the embroidered design of his -armorial bearings on a sleeveless coat that he wore in -the lists at tournaments. In warfare the coat was -dispensed with, but he was known to his comrades by -another device on the crest of his helmet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cobbler.</b> An American drink of spirits, beer, sugar, and -spice, said to have been first concocted by a Western -shoemaker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coblentz.</b> From the Latin name, <em>Confluentia</em>, being -situated at the confluence of the Rivers Rhine and -Moselle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span><b>Cockade.</b> From the party badge originally displayed on a -cocked hat. See “<a href='#KNOCKED'>Knocked into a Cocked Hat</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cockade State.</b> Maryland, from the brilliant cockades -worn by the brave Old Maryland Regiment during the -War of Independence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cockney.</b> From “Cockayne,” a Fools’ Paradise, where -there is nothing but eating and drinking, described in -a satiric poem of the thirteenth century. The word -was clearly derived from <em>coquere</em>, to cook, and had -reference to London, where the conduits on occasion -ran with wine, and good living fell to the lot of men -generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cock-penny.</b> A penny levied by the master on each of the -boys for allowing the brutal sport of cock-throwing -in school on Shrove Tuesday formerly. The master -himself found the bird.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='COCKTAIL'></a><b>Cocktail.</b> Tradition has it that one of Montezuma’s -nobles sent a draught of a new beverage concocted by -him from the cactus plant to the Emperor by his -daughter Xochitl. The Aztec monarch smiled, tasted -it, gulped it down with a relish, and, it is said, afterwards -married the girl; thenceforward this drink became -the native tipple, and for centuries it bore the -softened name of Octel. The corruption of <em>Octel</em> into -<em>Cocktail</em> by the soldiers of the American Army when, -under General Scott, they invaded Mexico, about sixty -years ago, was easy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coger.</b> A slang term derived from the members of the -celebrated Cogers’ Club in Salisbury Court, Fleet -Street. They styled themselves “Cogers” from the -Latin <em>cogito</em>, to think deeply.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cohees.</b> Natives of Western Pennsylvania, owing to their -addiction to the phrase “Quoth he,” softened into -<em>Quo’he</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coin Money.</b> To make money as fast as it is turned out -at the Mint. Few men are so fortunate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coke Hat.</b> After William Coke, who popularised it. See -“Billycock.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span><b>Coldbath Fields.</b> A district of Clerkenwell now long built -over, but famous for a cold bath; the site is marked -by the present Bath Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Colchester.</b> The camp town on the Colne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coldstream Guards.</b> The regiment raised by General -Monk at Coldstream, Berwickshire, in 1660.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coleman Street.</b> Said to have been built upon by one -Coleman; but long before his time the coalmen or -charcoal merchants congregated here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Colleen.</b> Irish for girl. “Colleen Bawn” expresses a -blonde girl.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>College Hill.</b> From a collegiate foundation of Sir Richard -Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>College Port.</b> Inferior port served up to the older students -at college. It is said to be specially prepared for this -market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Collop Monday.</b> The day preceding Shrove Tuesday, -when housewives cut up all their meat into large -steaks or collops for salting during Lent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cologne.</b> The <em>Colonia Agrippina</em> of the Romans, so called -after the mother of Nero, who was born here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Colonel.</b> A Far-West title of courtesy bestowed upon anyone -who owns a stud horse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Colorado.</b> The Spaniards gave this name to the state in -allusion to its coloured ranges.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Colosseum.</b> Greek for “great amphitheatre.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Combine.</b> An Americanism for “Combination.” Applied -in a financial or commercial sense, this term is now -well understood in our own country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Come up to the Scratch.</b> A prize-fighting expression. A -line was scratched on the ground with a stick, and the -combatants were expected to toe it with the left foot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Commonwealth.</b> In theatrical parlance, a sharing out of -the proceeds of the week’s performances after all -expenses have been deducted. This generally happens -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>when the manager has decamped with the entire -takings, and left his company stranded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='COMPTONSTREET'></a><b>Compton Street</b> (Old and New). Built upon by Sir -Richard Compton and Bishop Compton respectively.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Conduit Street.</b> From a conduit of spring water set up -here before the land was built over.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Confidence Man.</b> An Americanism for one who in this -country is known to extract money from strangers by -the “confidence trick.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Confounded Liar.</b> Literally one who is covered with -confusion on being brought face to face with the -truth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CONGLETONBEARS'></a><b>Congleton Bears.</b> A nickname given to the people of -Congleton, Cheshire. Local tradition has it that the -bear intended for baiting at the holiday sports died, -and, to procure another, the authorities appropriated -the money collected for a new Church Bible.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Congregationalists.</b> Independent Nonconformists, who are -neither Baptists nor Wesleyans, and claim the right to -“call” their own ministers, each congregation managing -its own affairs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Connecticut.</b> From the Indian <em>Quinnitukut</em>, “country of -the long river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Conscience Money.</b> Money sent anonymously to the -Treasury in respect of Income-Tax after the thought -of having defrauded the Revenue has pricked the -individual conscience.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Constance.</b> Founded by Constantine, the father of -Constantine the Great; one of the oldest cities of -Germany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Constantinople.</b> The city of Constantine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Constitution Hill.</b> Where John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, -took his daily constitutional walk while residing -at Buckingham House, built by him in 1703. -On the site of this mansion George IV. erected the -present edifice, Buckingham Palace, in 1825.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span><b>Cook your Goose.</b> An old chronicler thus explains this -saying: “The Kyng of Swedland coming to a towne -of his enemyes with very little company, his enemyes, -to slyghte his forces, did hang out a goose for him to -shoote, but perceiving before nyghte that these fewe -soldiers had invaded and sette their chief houlds on -fire, they demanded of him what his intent was, to -whom he replied, ‘To cook your goose.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coon.</b> Short for racoon, an American animal much prized -on account of its fur.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cooper.</b> A publican’s term for half ale and half porter. -See “<a href='#ENTIRE'>Entire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Copenhagen Street.</b> From Copenhagen Fields, where stood -a noted tea-house opened by a Dane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='COP'></a><b>Copper.</b> A policeman, from the thieves’ slang <em>cop</em>, to -take, catch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Copperheads.</b> A political faction of North America -during the Civil War, regarded as secret foes, and so -called after the copperhead serpent, which steals upon -its enemy unawares.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cordeliers.</b> Franciscan Friars distinguished from the -parent Order by the knotted waist-cord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Corduroy.</b> In French <em>Cord du Roy</em>, “King’s cord,” -because ribbed or corded material was originally worn -only by the Kings of France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cordwainer.</b> The old name for a shoemaker, because the -leather he worked upon was Cordwain, a corruption of -Cordovan, brought from the city of Cordova.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cork.</b> From the Gaelic <em>corroch</em>, a swamp.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cork Street.</b> From the residence of Lord Cork, one of -the four brothers of the Boyle family.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Corncrackers.</b> The Kentuckians, from a native bird of the -crane species called the Corncracker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Corner.</b> The creation of a monopoly of prices in respect -of natural produce or manufactured goods. The allusion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>here is to speculators who agreed in a quiet corner, at -or near the Exchange, to buy up the whole market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cornhill.</b> The ancient city corn market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cornwall.</b> Pursuant to the Saxon <em>Wahl</em>, the horn of land -peopled by foreigners.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Corpus Christi College.</b> At Cambridge, founded by the -united guilds or fraternities of Corpus Christi and the -Blessed Virgin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Corsica.</b> A Phœnician term for “wooded isle.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cossack.</b> The Russian form of the Tartar term <em>kasake</em>, a -horseman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Costa Rica.</b> Spanish for “rich coast.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Costermonger.</b> In Shakespeare’s time a Costardmonger, -or trader in a famous species of apple so called.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cottonopolis.</b> Manchester, the city identified with English -cotton manufacture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cotton Plantation State.</b> Alabama, from its staple -industry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cotton to.</b> An Americanism meaning to cling to a man -as cotton would cling to his garments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Counter-jumper.</b> The derisive nickname of a draper’s -assistant, on account of his agility in leaping over the -counter as a short cut from one department to another.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Country Dance.</b> A corruption of the French <em>contre danse</em>, -from the opposite positions of the dancers.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Coup de Grace.</b> The merciful finishing stroke of the executioner -after a criminal had been tortured by having -all his bones broken on a wheel. One blow on the -head then put him out of his misery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Court Cards.</b> Properly Coat Cards, on account of their -heraldic devices.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Court of Arches.</b> The ecclesiastical Court of Appeal for -the Archbishopric of Canterbury which in ancient -times was held in the crypt of St Mary-le-Bow, or St -Mary of the Arches at Cheapside. See “<a href='#BOWCHURCH'>Bow Church</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span><b>Court Plaster.</b> The plaster out of which ladies of the -Court fashioned their decorative (?) face patches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='COVENANTERS'></a><b>Covenanters.</b> Those who entered into a Solemn League -or Covenant to resist the religious and political -measures of Charles I. in 1638.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Covent Garden.</b> A corruption of Convent Garden, the -site of which was converted into a market, <em>temp.</em> -Charles II. The convent and garden belonged to -the Abbey at Westminster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coventry.</b> A corruption of Conventry--<em>i.e.</em> Convent town. -Before the Reformation it was far famed for the -number of its conventual establishments. The suffix -<em>try</em> is Celtic for “dwelling.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coventry Street.</b> From the residence of Henry Coventry, -Secretary of State, <em>temp.</em> Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cowcross Street.</b> Where the cattle crossed the brook in -days when this now congested neighbourhood was -pleasant pasture land watered by the “River of Wells.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Coxcomb.</b> A vain, empty-pated individual. So called from -the cock’s comb worn on the cap by the licensed -jesters, because they were allowed to crow over their -betters.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cracker.</b> Although the origin of this term when applied to -a juvenile firework would appear to be self-evident, it -is really a corruption of <em>Cracque</em>, the Norman description -of “Greek Fire.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crackers.</b> The people of Georgia, owing, it is said, to the -unintelligibility of their speech.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cranbourn Street.</b> From the long, narrow stream of this -name, when the whole district hereabouts was open -fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crank.</b> One whose notions of things are angular, eccentric, -or crooked. His ideas do not run in a straight line.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cravat.</b> Introduced into Western Europe by the Cravates -or Croatians in the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span><b>Craven Street.</b> From the residence of Lord Craven prior -to his removal to Drury House in Drury Lane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cream City.</b> Milwaukee, from the cream-coloured bricks -of which its houses are built.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Credit Draper.</b> The modern designation of a “Tallyman.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cree Church.</b> See “<a href='#STKATHERINECREE'>St Katherine Cree</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Creed Lane.</b> Where the monks recited the Credo in procession -to St Paul’s. See “<a href='#AVEMARIALANE'>Ave Maria Lane</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cremorne Gardens.</b> Laid out on the site of the mansion -and grounds of Thomas Dawson, Lord Cremorne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Creole State.</b> Louisiana. In New Orleans particularly -a Creole is a native of French extraction.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crescent City.</b> New Orleans, built in the form of a -crescent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crimea.</b> From the <em>Kimri</em> or <em>Cymri</em> who settled in the -peninsula.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cripplegate.</b> From the city gate around which gathered -cripples begging for alms, the neighbouring church -being dedicated to St Giles, their patron.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crokers.</b> Potatoes, because first raised in Croker’s Field -at Youghal, Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cromwell Road.</b> From the mansion and grounds of -Richard Cromwell, son of the Lord Protector.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crop Clubs.</b> Clubs formed to evade Mr Pitt’s tax on hair -powder. <em>The Times</em> thus noticed one of the earliest -in its issue of 14th April 1795: “A numerous Club -has been formed in Lambeth called the ‘Crop Club,’ -every member of which is obliged to have his hair -docked as close as the Duke of Bridgewater’s old bay -horses. This assemblage is instituted for the purpose -of opposing, or rather evading, the tax on powdered -heads.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cross Keys.</b> A common inn sign throughout Yorkshire, -from the arms of the Archbishop of York.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span><b>Crowd.</b> Theatrical slang for members of a company -collectively.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crow over him.</b> A cock always crows over a vanquished -opponent in a fight.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Crutched Friars.</b> Friars of the Holy Trinity, so called -from the embroidered cross on their habits (Latin, -<em>cruciati</em>, crossed). Their London house was located -in the thoroughfare named after them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cuba.</b> The native name of the island when Columbus -discovered it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cully.</b> A slang term applied to a man, mate, or companion. -Its origin is the Romany <em>cuddy</em>, from the -Persian <em>gudda</em>, an ass.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cumberland.</b> The land of the Cymri.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cupboard.</b> See “<a href='#DRESSER'>Dresser</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Curaçoa.</b> A liqueur first prepared at the West Indian island -of the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Currants.</b> First brought from Corinth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cursitor Street.</b> From the Cursitors’ Office that stood -here. The Cursitors were clerks of Chancery, but -anciently <em>choristers</em>, just as the Lord Chancellor -himself was an ecclesiastic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Curtain Road.</b> From the “Curtain Theatre,” where Ben -Jonson’s “Every Man in his Humour” was put on -the stage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Curzon Street.</b> From George Augustus Curzon, created -Viscount Howe, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cuspidor.</b> The American term for a spittoon, derived from -the Spanish <em>escupidor</em>, a spitter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cut me to the Quick.</b> The quick of one’s fingers when cut -into is most alive or sensitive to pain. See “<a href='#QUICKSILVER'>Quicksilver</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cutpurse.</b> A thief who, in days before pockets came into -vogue, had no difficulty in cutting the strings with -which a purse was suspended from the girdle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span><b>Cut the Line.</b> A printer’s expression for knocking off -work. Formerly compositors finished the line they -were composing; nowadays Trades Unionism has -made them so particular that they leave off in the -middle of a line on the first stroke of the bell.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cypress.</b> A tree introduced to Western Europe from the -island of Cyprus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Cyprus.</b> From <em>kupras</em>, the Greek name for a herb which -grew on the island in profusion.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>D</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Dachshund.</b> German for “badger-dog.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Daffodil.</b> An English corruption of the French <em>d’Asphodel</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dagonet.</b> The pseudonym of Mr George R. Sims in <em>The -Referee</em>, after the jester at the Court of King Arthur.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Daguerreotype.</b> An early process of photography discovered -by L. J. M. Daguerre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dahlgreen Gun.</b> After its inventor, an officer in the United -States Navy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dahlia.</b> Introduced to Europe from Mexico in 1784 by -Andrew Dahl, the Swedish botanist.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Daisy.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>dæges eye</em>, or “day’s eye,” -on account of its sunlike appearance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dakota.</b> From the Dacoits, a tribe of Indians found there.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dale Road.</b> From the residence of Canon Dale, poet, and -Vicar of St Pancras.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dalmatian.</b> A species of dog bred in Dalmatia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dalston.</b> The town in the dale when the north of London -was more or less wooded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damage.</b> See “<a href='#WHATSTHEDAMAGE'>What’s the Damage?</a>”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damascenes.</b> From Damascus, famous for its plums.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damascus.</b> From the Arabic name of the city, <em>Dimiskesh-Shâm</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span><b>Damascus Blade.</b> From Damascus, a city world famous for -the temper of its sword blades.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damask.</b> First made at Damascus in Syria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damask Rose.</b> Introduced to Europe from Damascus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damassin.</b> A Damask cloth interwoven with flowers of -gold or silver.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dame School.</b> The old name for a girls’ school taught by a -spinster or dame.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Damsons.</b> Properly <em>Damascenes</em>, from Damascus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dancing Chancellor.</b> Sir Christopher Hatton so pleased -Queen Elizabeth by his dancing at a Court masque -that she made him a Knight of the Garter; subsequently -he became Lord Chancellor of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dandelion.</b> A corruption of the French <em>dent de lion</em>, from -its fancied resemblance to a lion’s tooth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dandy.</b> From the French <em>dandin</em>, silly fellow, ninny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dantzic.</b> Expresses the town settled by the Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Danvers Street.</b> From Danvers House, in which resided -Sir John Danvers, to whom the introduction of the -Italian style of horticulture in England was due.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Darbies.</b> A pair of handcuffs, in allusion to Darby and -Joan, who were inseparable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dardanelles.</b> After the city on the Asiatic side founded by -Dardanus, the ancestor of Priam, the last king of -Troy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dark and Bloody Ground.</b> Kentucky, the great battle-ground -of the Indians and white settlers, as also that -of the savage tribes amongst themselves.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Darmstadt.</b> The <em>stadt</em>, or town, on the Darm.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dartford.</b> From the Saxon <em>Darentford</em>, the fort on the -Darent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dartmoor.</b> The moor in which the River Dart takes its -rise.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dartmouth.</b> On the estuary of the River Dart.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span><b>Dauphin.</b> The title borne by the eldest son of the King of -France until 1830, from the armorial device of a -<em>delphinus</em>, or dolphin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Davenport.</b> After the original maker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Davies Street.</b> After Mary Davies, heiress of the manor of -Ebury, Pimlico.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Davis Strait.</b> After the navigator who discovered it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Davy Jones’s Locker.</b> Properly “Duffy Jonah’s Locker.” -<em>Duffy</em> is the ghost of the West Indian Negroes; Jonah, -the prophet cast into the sea; and “locker,” the ordinary -seaman’s chest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>D. D. Cellars.</b> See “<a href='#DIRTYDICKS'>Dirty Dick’s</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dead as a Door Nail.</b> The reflection that, if a man were -to be knocked on the head as often as is the “nail” on -which a door knocker rests, he would have very little -life left in him, easily accounts for this saying.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dead Beat.</b> Prostrate from fatigue, incapable of further -exertion. Also the name of an American drink of -whisky and ginger-soda after a hard night’s carousal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Deadheads.</b> In America persons who enjoy the right of -travelling on a railway system at the public expense; -in this country actors and pseudo “professionals,” -who pass into places of amusement without paying. -The origin of the term is as follows:--More than sixty -years ago all the principal avenues of the city of -Delaware converged to a toll gate at the entrance to the -Elmwood Cemetery Road. The cemetery having been -laid out long prior to the construction of the plank -road beyond the toll gate, funerals were allowed to -pass through the latter toll free. One day as Dr Price, -a well-known physician, stopped to pay his toll he -observed to the gatekeeper: “Considering the benevolent -character of the profession to which I have the -honour to belong, I think you ought to let me pass toll -free.” “No, no, doctor,” the man replied; “we can’t -afford that. You send too many deadheads through -here as it is!” The story travelled, and the term -“Deadheads” became fixed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span><b>Dead Reckoning.</b> Calculating a ship’s whereabouts at sea -from the log-book without aid from the celestial bodies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dead Sea.</b> Traditionally on the site of the city of Sodom. -Its waters are highly saline, and no fish are found -in them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dean Street.</b> After Bishop Compton, who, before he became -Dean of the Savoy Chapel, held the living of St Anne’s, -Soho.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dean’s Yard.</b> Affords access to the residence of the Dean -of Westminster, which, with the cloisters, belonged to -the abbots prior to the Reformation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Death or Glory Men.</b> The 17th Lancers, from their badge, -a Death’s head superposed on the words “Or Glory.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>De Beauvoir Town.</b> From the manorial residence of the -De Beauvoirs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Deccan.</b> From the Sanskrit <em>Dakshina</em>, the south, being that -portion of Hindustan south of the Vindhya Mountains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>December.</b> The tenth month of the Roman Calendar -when the year was reckoned from March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Decemvir.</b> One of the ten legislators of Rome appointed -to draw up a code of laws.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Decoration Day.</b> 30th May, observed in the United States -for decorating the graves of the soldiers who fell in the -struggle between the North and South.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Deemster.</b> See “<a href='#DOOMSTER'>Doomster</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dehaley Street.</b> From the residence of the Dehaleys.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Delaware.</b> After the Governor of Virginia, Thomas -West, Lord Delaware, who died on board his vessel -while visiting the bay in 1610.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DELSALVIATI'></a><b>Del Salviati.</b> The assumed name of the famous Italian -painter Francesco Rossi, in compliment to his patron, -Cardinal Salviati, who was born in the same year as -himself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Demijohn.</b> A corruption of <em>Damaghan</em>, in Persia, a town -anciently famous for its glass-ware.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span><b>Democracy.</b> From the Greek <em>demos</em>, people, and <em>kratein</em>, -to rule. Government by the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Denbigh.</b> From <em>Dinbach</em>, the Celtic for “a little fort.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Denmark.</b> Properly <em>Danmark</em>, the mark or boundary of -the land of the Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Depot.</b> The American term for a railway station.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Deptford.</b> The deep ford over the Ravensbourne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Derby.</b> Saxon for “deer village.” The Derby stakes at -Epsom were founded by Edward Smith Stanley, Earl -of Derby, in 1780.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Derrick.</b> The old name for a gibbet and now for a high -crane. So called after a seventeenth-century hangman -at Tyburn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Derry Down.</b> The opening words of the Druidical chorus -as they proceeded to the sacred grove to gather -mistletoe at the winter solstice. <em>Derry</em> is Celtic for -“grove.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dessborough Place.</b> From Dessbrowe House, in which -resided the brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Detroit.</b> French for “strait.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Deuteronomy.</b> A Greek word signifying the second giving -of the Law by Moses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devereaux Court.</b> See “<a href='#ESSEXSTREET'>Essex Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devil’s Sonata.</b> One of Tartini’s most celebrated compositions. -He dreamt that the Evil One appeared to -him playing a sonata on the violin. At its conclusion -his visitor asked: “Tartini, canst thou play this?” -Awaking with his mind still full of the grotesque -music, Tartini played it over, and then recorded it -permanently on paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devil to Pay.</b> When money was lost by unsuccessful -litigation it passed into the hands of lawyers, who were -thought to spend it where they spent much of their -time--viz. at the Devil Tavern in Fleet Street. The -money, therefore, went to the Devil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span><b>Devizes.</b> From the Latin <em>Devisæ</em>, denoting the point where -the old Roman road passed into the district of the -Celts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devon.</b> After a Celtic tribe, the <em>Damnonii</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devonshire House.</b> The town house of the Duke of -Devonshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Devonshire Square.</b> From the mansion of William -Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire, who died here in 1628.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Diamond King.</b> The late Mr Alfred Beit, the South -African financier, whose wealth rivalled that of the -Rothschilds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dickey.</b> A shirt front, which often has to do duty for a -clean shirt. So called from the German <em>decken</em>, to hide.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Diddler.</b> A schemer, an artful dodger. After Jeremy -Diddler, the chief character in the old farce, “Raising -the Wind.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Die Hards.</b> The 57th Foot. When the regiment was -surrounded at Albuera, their Colonel cried: “Die hard, -my lads; die hard!” And fighting, they died.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Digger Indians.</b> Tribes of the lowest class who live -principally upon roots. They have never been known -to hunt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Diggings.</b> A Bohemian term for “lodgings.” Not from -the Californian gold diggings, as generally supposed, -but from the Galena lead miners of Wisconsin, who -called both their mines and their underground winter -habitations “diggings.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DIME'></a><b>Dime.</b> A ten-cent piece, from the French <em>dixme</em>, or <em>dîme</em>, -tenth--<em>i.e.</em> of a dollar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dimity.</b> First brought from Damietta, Egypt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dine with Duke Humphrey.</b> An old saying of those who -were fated to go dinnerless. When the “Good Duke -Humphrey,” son of Henry IV., was buried at St -Albans, a monument to his memory was to be -erected in St Paul’s Cathedral. At that time, as for -long afterwards, the nave of our national fane was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>a fashionable promenade. When the promenaders -left for dinner, others who had no dinners to go to -explained that they would stay behind in order to -look for the Good Duke’s monument.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dining-room Servant.</b> An Americanism for waiter or -male house servant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Diorama.</b> See “<a href='#PANORAMA'>Panorama</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DIRTYDICKS'></a><b>Dirty Dick’s.</b> The noted tavern in Bishopgate, said to have -been associated with Nathaniel Bentley, the miser, -who never washed himself. As a matter of fact, Dirty -Dick was an ironmonger in Leadenhall Street. After -his death his effects were bought and exhibited at the -Bishopgate tavern, together with his portrait as a -sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dirty Shirts.</b> The 101st Foot, who were hotly engaged at -the battle of Delhi in their shirt sleeves.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dissenters.</b> Synonymous with the Nonconformists. Those -who dissented from the doctrines of the Church of -England and those likewise who, at a later period, -separated from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Distaffs’ Day.</b> The old name for 7th January, when, -Christmas being over with Twelfth Night, women -returned to their distaffs or spindles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Divan.</b> A Turkish word signifying a Council of State, -from the fact that the Turkish Council Chamber has -low couches ranged round its walls, plentifully supplied -with cushions. The name has been imported into -Western Europe specifically to imply a low-cushioned -sofa or couch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dixie’s Land.</b> The Negroes’ paradise in slavery days. -Dixie had a tract of land on Manhattan Island. He -treated his slaves well, but as they increased sold many -of them off to masters further afield. They always -looked back to Dixie’s Land as an ideal locality, -associated with heaven, and when one of them died -his kith and kin said he had gone to Dixie’s Land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dizzy.</b> The nickname of Benjamin Disraeli, afterwards -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>Earl of Beaconsfield, the great political opponent of -Mr Gladstone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Doctor.</b> There are three kinds of Doctors--of Law, Physic, -and Divinity. The first and the last are essentially -University degrees, with which the vulgar orders of the -people have little or no acquaintance. They know -only of one “Doctor,” the medical practitioner, and -since he wears a frock coat and a silk hat he is -entitled to all the respect that they can pay him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Doctors’ Commons.</b> Anciently a college for Professors of -Canon and Civil Law, who dined in common on certain -days in each term, similar to students at the Inns of -Court before they are called to the Bar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog and Duck.</b> A tavern sign indicative of the old sport of -duck hunting by spaniels in a pond.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog-cart.</b> Originally one in which sportsmen drove their -pointers and setters to the field.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog his Footsteps.</b> To follow close to his heels like a dog.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog in the Manger.</b> From the old story told of the dog -who did not require the hay for himself, yet refused to -allow the ox to come near it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog Rose.</b> From the old idea that the root of this rose-tree -was an antidote for the bite of a mad dog.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dog Watch.</b> A corruption of “Dodge Watch,” being a -watch of two hours only instead of four, by which -<em>dodging</em> seamen gradually shift their watch on successive -days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dolgelley.</b> Celtic for “dale of hazels.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dollar.</b> From the German Thaler, originally Joachims-Thaler, -the silver out of which this coin was struck -having been found in the Thal or Valley of St Joachim -in Bohemia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dollars and Dimes.</b> An Americanism for money generally. -See “<a href='#DIME'>Dime</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dolly Shop.</b> The old name for a rag shop which had a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>black doll over the door for a sign. At one time old -clothes were shipped to the Negroes in the southern -states of America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dolly Varden.</b> The name of a flowered skirt, answering to -the description of that worn by Dolly Varden in -Dickens’s “Barnaby Rudge.” This dress material -became very popular after the novel was published. -It also gave rise to a song, of which the burden was: -“Dressed in a Dolly Varden.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dolphin.</b> A gold coin introduced by Charles V. of France, -also Dauphin of Vienne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dominica.</b> Expresses the Spanish for Sunday, the day on -which Columbus discovered this island.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dominicans.</b> Friars of the Order of St Dominic; also -called Black Friars, from their habits.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dominoes.</b> A game invented by two French monks, who -amused themselves with square, flat stones marked -with spots. The winner declared his victory by reciting -the first line of the Vesper service: “Dixit Dominus -Domino Meo.” When, later, the game became the recreation -of the whole convent, the Vesper line was -abbreviated into “Domino,” and the stones themselves -received the name of “Dominoes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Don.</b> A corruption of the Celtic <em>tain</em>, river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Donatists.</b> A sect of the fourth century, adherents of -Donatus, Bishop of Numidia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DONCASTER'></a><b>Doncaster St Leger.</b> The stakes at Doncaster races -founded by Colonel Anthony St Leger in 1776.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Donegal.</b> Gaelic for the “fortress of the west”--viz. -Donegal Castle, held by the O’Donnels of Tyrconnel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Donet.</b> The old name for a Grammar, after Donatus, the -grammarian and preceptor of St Jerome.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Donkey.</b> An ass, from its <em>dun</em> colour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DONTCARE'></a><b>Don’t care a Dam.</b> When this expression first obtained -currency a dam was the smallest Hindoo coin, not -worth an English farthing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span><b>Don’t care a Jot.</b> See “<a href='#IOTA'>Iota</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DOOMSTER'></a><b>Doomster.</b> The official in the Scottish High Court who -pronounced the doom to the prisoner, and also acted as -executioner. In Jersey and the Isle of Man a judge is -styled a “Deemster.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dope Habit.</b> An Americanism for the morphia habit. -“Dope” is the Chinese word for opium. This in the -United States is now applied to all kinds of strong -drugs or bromides prepared from opium.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dorcas Society.</b> From the passage in Acts ix. 39: “And -all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the -coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was -with them.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dorchester.</b> The Roman camp in the district of the <em>Dwr-trigs</em> -or water dwellers. See “<a href='#DORSET'>Dorset</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DORSET'></a><b>Dorset.</b> The Anglo-Saxon <em>Dwrset</em>, or water settlement, so -called from the British tribe the <em>Dwr-trigs</em>, “water -dwellers,” who peopled it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dorset Square.</b> After Viscount Portman, the ground landlord, -who, before he was raised to the peerage, was for -many years Member for Dorsetshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dorset Street.</b> From the mansion and grounds of the Earl -of Dorset of the Restoration period. Here stood also -the Dorset Gardens Theatre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DOSS'></a><b>Doss.</b> Slang for a sleep, a shakedown. From the old -word <em>dossel</em>, a bundle of hay or straw, whence was -derived <em>Doss</em>, a straw bed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Doss-house.</b> A common lodging-house. See “<a href='#DOSS'>Doss</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Douay Bible.</b> The Old Testament translation of the Latin -Vulgate printed at the English College at Douay, -France, in 1609.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Doublet.</b> So called because it was double lined or wadded, -originally for purposes of defence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Douglas.</b> From its situation at the juncture of the two -streams, the <em>Dhoo</em>, black, and <em>Glass</em>, grey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Douro.</b> From the Celtic <em>Dwr</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span><b>Dover House.</b> The residence of the Hon. George Agar -Ellis, afterwards Lord Dover.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dover Street.</b> After Henry Jermyn, Lord Dover, who died -at his residence here in 1782.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dowager.</b> The widow of a person of high rank, because -she enjoyed a substantial dower or dowry for her -maintenance during life.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dowgate.</b> From the Celtic <em>Dwr</em>, water. Hence a water -gate on the north bank of the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Downing Street.</b> From the mansion of Sir George -Downing, M.P., of the Restoration period.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Down with the Dust.</b> A gold miner’s expression in the -Far West, where money is scarce and necessary commodities -are in general bartered for with gold dust.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Doyley.</b> From the Brothers Doyley, linen drapers in the -Strand, who introduced this species of table napery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Do your Level Best.</b> This expression means that, while -striving to the utmost you must also act strictly -straightforward.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drachenfels.</b> German for “dragon rocks.” Here Siegfried, -the hero of the Niebelungenlied, slew the dragon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Draft on Aldgate Pump.</b> A punning phrase for a worthless -bill or cheque.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Draggletail.</b> A slovenly woman who allows her skirts to -draggle or trail in the mire of the street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dragoman.</b> From the Turkish <em>drukeman</em>, an interpreter. -A dragoman is in the East what a “Cicerone” is in -Italy and elsewhere in Western Europe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dragoons.</b> From the ancient musket called a dragon, or -“spitfire.” The muzzle was embellished with a -representation of a dragon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Draper.</b> One who dealt in cloth for draping only, as -distinct from a mercer, milliner, or mantle-maker.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drapers’ Gardens.</b> The property of the Drapers’ Company, -whose hall is situated here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span><b>Drat it.</b> A corruption of “Odd rot it,” from the old oath, -“God rot them.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drawer.</b> The old name for an inn or tavern keeper’s -assistant, who drew the beer from the casks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drawing-room.</b> Originally “Withdrawing-room” to which -the ladies withdrew after dinner while the gentlemen -sat over their wine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Draw it mild.</b> Originally a tavern phrase, when anyone -preferred ordinary ale to hot spiced liquor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Draw the Long Bow.</b> In allusion to the exaggerated skill -of the English archers prior to the introduction of -gunpowder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dress Circle.</b> That portion of a theatre which, before the -introduction of stalls, was set apart for the superior -sections of the audience.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dressed up to the Knocker.</b> To the extreme height of his -resources. Before the establishment of the modern -police system door knockers were placed as high as -possible to prevent them from being wrenched off by -sportive wags after nightfall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DRESSER'></a><b>Dresser.</b> The kitchen sideboard, on which the meat was -dressed before serving it up in the dining-chamber. -The collection of cups, plates, and dishes which distinguishes -a dresser originally had a place on a wide -shelf or board over this meat dresser; hence cup-board.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drinks like a Fish.</b> Ready to swallow any quantity of -liquor that may be offered. A great many fish have -their mouths wide open whilst swimming.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drive a Bargain.</b> An expression meaning to knock down -the original price asked, in punning allusion to “driving” -a nail.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drop o’ the Crater.</b> See “<a href='#MOUNTAINDEW'>Mountain Dew</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Druid.</b> In the Celtic <em>Derwydd</em>, derived from <em>dewr</em>, oak, -and <em>gwydd</em>, knowledge. A priest who worshipped and -offered sacrifices under an oak.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span><a id='DRUM'></a><b>Drum.</b> The name for a fashionable evening party of bygone -days, from the noise made by the card players.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drummers.</b> An Americanism for commercial travellers, -who are engaged in beating up trade.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drunkard’s Cloak.</b> A large wooden crinoline that hung -from a drunkard’s neck to the ground, causing every -bone in his body to ache owing to the weight resting on -his shoulders. The instrument resembled an inverted -flower pot, having a hole in the top for his head to be -thrust through. Under this drastic treatment he soon -became sober.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drunk as a Fiddler.</b> The fiddler was generally incapable -of discoursing further music half way through the -night’s jollification, because the dancers freely plied -him with drink.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drunk as a Lord.</b> When George the Third was King, and -long afterwards, the fine old English gentleman acted -up to his character by using strong language and -imbibing strong potations. To be “drunk as a lord” -was the surest mark of gentility, and a “three bottle -man” a pattern of sobriety. After dining it was considered -no disgrace to roll helplessly under the table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Drury Lane.</b> From Drury House, the residence of Sir -William Drury, <em>temp.</em> William III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dublin.</b> From <em>Dubh-linn</em>, “black pool.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dub Up.</b> An expression derived from the very general -custom of dubbing or touching a man on the shoulder -when arresting him for debt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ducat.</b> Duke’s money, anciently struck in the Duchy of -Apulia, Sicily.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Duchess Street.</b> After Lady Cavendish, who became the -wife of the second Duke of Portland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ducking Stool.</b> An instrument for the punishment of -scolding wives. This public ducking in a pond -effectually served to cool their temper for the time -being.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span><b>Duck’s Foot Lane.</b> Properly “Duke’s Foot Lane,” the -footway leading from the town house of the Earls of -Suffolk down to the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DUDE'></a><b>Dude.</b> An American name for a fop, derived from a very -old English word, “dudes,” whence we have the slang -term “Duds,” for clothes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dudley.</b> From the castle built by Dodo, a Saxon prince, -and <em>ley</em>, “meadow.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Duds.</b> See “<a href='#DUDE'>Dude</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dug-out.</b> A Far West Americanism for a boat or canoe -hewn out of a large tree log.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dukeries.</b> That portion of Nottinghamshire distinguished -for the number of ducal residences, of which Welbeck -Abbey is perhaps the most admired.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Duke Street.</b> In Aldgate, after the Dukes of Norfolk. -Near Smithfield, the ancient property of the Dukes -of Brittany. In Grosvenor Square, after the Duke of -Cumberland. Off Langham Place, after the Duke -of Portland. Near Manchester Square, after the Duke -of Manchester. In the Strand, after George Villiers, -Duke of Buckingham.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dulwich.</b> The corruption of <em>Dalewich</em>, the village in the -dale.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Duma.</b> Russian for Parliament or popular representation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dumb Ox.</b> One of the sobriquets of St Thomas Aquinas, -from the silence with which he pursued his studies. -His master, Albertus Magnus, however, predicted that -“this dumb ox will one day fill the world with his -bellowing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dumping.</b> A word which has come into prominence relative -to Mr Chamberlain’s Fiscal Policy. In various forms -the verb <em>dump</em> may be met with in Teutonic and -Scandinavian tongues, meaning to “pitch down,” -“throw down in a lump,” etc. etc. A “Dump Cart” -in America is one that tilts up in front, and so -“dumps” its load behind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span><b>Dun.</b> A persistent creditor. After Joe Dun, a noted bailiff, -who never failed to bring a debtor to book. People -used to say: “Why don’t you Dun him for the debt?” -meaning they would send Joe Dun to make him pay or -arrest him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dunce.</b> From John Duns Scotus, who, it is said, gave -no proof of his remarkable attainments in his early -scholastic days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dundee.</b> A corruption of <em>Duntay</em>, the hill fort on the -Tay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dunedin.</b> See “<a href='#EDINBURGH'>Edinburgh</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dungeness.</b> A corruption of <em>Danger Ness</em>, the Headland -of Danger.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dunkirk.</b> Expresses the “Church in the Dunes,” or sand-hills, -built by St Eloi in the seventh century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Durham.</b> A corruption of <em>Dunholm</em>, from its situation on -a hill surrounded by the river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dusseldorf.</b> The village on the Dussel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dutchman.</b> A contemptuous epithet applied to our phlegmatic -enemies during the wars with Holland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Dyers’ Buildings.</b> The site of an ancient almshouse of the -Dyers’ Company.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>E</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Eagle.</b> An inn sign, the cognisance of Queen Mary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Earl Street.</b> After Charles Marsham, Earl of Romney.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Earl’s Court.</b> From the Earl of Warwick, whose estate it -was until, by the marriage of the Dowager Countess of -Warwick with Lord Holland, it passed into her -husband’s family.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>East Anglia.</b> A name still popular as defining the eastern -counties. This was one of the seven divisions or -petty kingdoms of England under the Angles or -Saxons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span><b>Eastcheap.</b> The eastern <em>chepe</em>, or market, of the city of -London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Easter.</b> From the Teutonic <em>Ostara</em>, goddess of light or -spring; rendered by the Anglo-Saxons <em>Eastre</em>. This -great spring festival lasted eight days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Easter Island.</b> The name given to it by Jacob Roggevin -when he visited the island on Easter Sunday, 1722.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>East Sheen.</b> A name reminiscent of the original designation -of “Richmond.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eat Dirt.</b> An Americanism for a confession of penitence -or absolute defeat in an argument.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eat Humble Pie.</b> In the days of sumptuous banquets of -venison the lords of the feast reserved to themselves -the flesh of the deer. The huntsmen and retainers -had to be content with the heart, liver, and entrails, -collectively called the “umbles,” which were made -into monster pies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eat my own Words.</b> To take them back again, to retract -a statement.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eaton Square.</b> From Eaton Hall, near Chester, the seat -of the Duke of Westminster, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eau de Cologne.</b> A scent prepared at Cologne. The -city itself is not sweet to the nostrils; it has been said -that forty different smells may be distinguished there.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eavesdropper.</b> A corruption of <em>Eavesdripper</em>, one who, -listening under the eaves of a house, caught the drips -from the roof when it chanced to be raining.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ebro.</b> After the <em>Iberi</em>, who spread themselves over the -country from the banks of this river. See “<a href='#IBERIA'>Iberia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ebury Square.</b> From the ancient manor of Eabury Farm, -inherited by Mary Davies, and which, by her marriage, -passed into the possession of the Grosvenor family.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eccleston Square.</b> From Eccleston, Cheshire, the country -seat of the Grosvenors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ecuador.</b> Expresses the Spanish for Equator.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span><b>Edgar Atheling.</b> Signifies “Edgar of noble descent.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='EDINBURGH'></a><b>Edinburgh.</b> The fortress or burgh built by Edwin, King of -Northumbria. The Scots called it <em>Dunedin</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Edinburgh of America.</b> Albany, in the state of New York, -so called on account of its magnificent public buildings -and its commanding situation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Edmonton.</b> In Anglo-Saxon days <em>Edmund’s Town</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Edmund Ironside.</b> So called from the suit of chain mail -that he wore. Notwithstanding this protection he was -treacherously murdered after a reign of nine months -only.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Edward the Confessor.</b> The title bestowed upon the King -of the Anglo-Saxons at his canonisation, on account -of his remarkable asceticism, since, although he made -the daughter of Earl Godwin his queen, he denied -himself what are styled conjugal rights.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Edward the Martyr.</b> Murdered at the instance of his -stepmother at Corfe Castle after having reigned -scarcely three years.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eel Pie Island.</b> From the invariable dinner dish served -up to river excursionists.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Effra Road.</b> At Camberwell, from the little river of the -same name, now converted into a sewer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='EGALITE'></a><b>Egalité.</b> The name assumed by Philippe, Duc d’Orleans, -the father of Louis Philippe, King of France, when, -siding with the Republican Party in 1789, he accepted -their motto: “Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality.” Four -years later he met his death by the guillotine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ehrenbreitstein.</b> Expresses the German for “Honour’s -Broad Stone.” The castle stands on a precipitous -rock, which well merits the description of the “Gibraltar -of the Rhine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eisteddfod.</b> Celtic for a gathering of Welsh bards, from -<em>eistodd</em>, to sit. As of old, the annual “Eisteddfod” is -held for the encouragement of national music.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span><b>Eldorado.</b> California. <em>Eldorado</em> expresses the Spanish for -“golden region.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Electic Philosophers.</b> Those who, agreeably to the Greek -<em>ek-lego</em>, to pick out, selected what was best in the -different schools or systems, and so built up one of -their own.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Elephant and Castle.</b> The famous landmark in South -London derived its sign from the arms of the Cutlers’ -Company. A tavern in St Pancras parish took its sign -from the skeleton of an elephant, beside which was -a flint-headed spear, dug up in the neighbourhood. -The connection between these and the battle fought by -the followers of Queen Boadicea against the Roman -invaders was unmistakable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Elephant stepped on his Purse.</b> An Americanism implying -that a creditor or some unlucky speculation has -squeezed all the money out of a man.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Elgin Marbles.</b> Brought from Greece by the seventh -Earl of Elgin. Acquired by the nation for the British -Museum in 1816.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Elia.</b> The pseudonym of Charles Lamb for his “Essays” -contributed to <em>The London Magazine</em>. This was the -name of a gay, light-hearted foreigner, who fluttered -about the South Sea House at the time when Lamb -was a clerk there. At the moment of penning his -signature to the first essay he bethought himself of -that person, and substituted the name of <em>Elia</em> for his -own.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eltham.</b> Anciently <em>Ealdham</em>, “the old home.” Here -Anthony Bec, the “Battling Bishop of Durham,” built -himself a palace midway in the thirteenth century. -After his death it fell to the Crown, and became a -Royal residence, until the time of James I. The -original Banqueting-Hall, used in modern days as a -barn, may yet be seen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ely Place.</b> Marks the site of the residence of the Bishops -of Ely.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span><b>Ember Days.</b> This term has no connection with embers -or sackcloth and ashes as a penitential observance. -The Saxons called them <em>Ymbrine dagas</em>, or “running -days,” because they came round at regular seasons of -the year.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Emerald Isle.</b> Ireland, from its fresh verdure, due to its -shores being washed by the warm waters of the “Gulf -Stream.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Empire Day.</b> May 24th, formerly the Queen’s Birthday. -In the last days of Victoria the British Empire was -consolidated through the assistance lent by the -Colonies to the Mother Country in the South African -War. When, therefore, King Edward VII. came to -the throne, the former Queen’s Birthday was invested -with a greater significance than of old.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Empire State.</b> New York, which, owing to position and -commercial enterprise, has no rival among the other -states of the Union.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Empire State of the South.</b> Georgia, in consequence of -its rapid industrial development.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ena Road.</b> In honour of Princess Ena, the consort of the -young King of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Encore.</b> From the Latin <em>hauc horam</em>, till this hour, still, -again.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Encyclopædia.</b> A book containing general or all-round -instruction or information, from the Greek <em>enkylios</em>, -circular or general, and <em>paideia</em>, instruction. An -epitome of the whole circle of learning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Endell Street.</b> After the name of the builder. This is -one of the few streets in London that has preserved its -old characteristics, steadfastly refusing to march with -the times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>England.</b> In the time of Alfred the Great our country was -styled <em>Engaland</em>, or the land of the Engles or Angles, -who came over from Jutland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Englishman’s House is his Castle.</b> By the law of the land -a bailiff must effect a peaceable entrance in order to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>distrain upon a debtor’s goods; therefore the latter is, -as it were, sufficiently secure in his own fortress if he -declines to give the enemy admittance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ennis.</b> Expresses in Ireland, like <em>Innis</em>, the Celtic for an -island. Both these words enter largely into Irish place-names.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Enniskillen.</b> The kirk town on an island, the Celtic <em>kil</em>, -originally implying a hermit’s cell, and later a chapel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ennismore Place.</b> After Viscount Ennismore, Earl of -Listowel, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Enough is as good as a Feast.</b> Because at no time can a -person eat more than enough.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Enrol.</b> See “<a href='#ROLLCALL'>Roll Call</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Entente Cordiale.</b> Expresses the French for cordial good -will.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ENTIRE'></a><b>Entire.</b> A word still to be met with on old tavern signs. -It meant different qualities of ale or beer drawn from -one cask.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Entrées.</b> French for entries or commencements. Those -made dishes are served after the soups, as an introduction -to the more substantial portions of the repast, -the joints.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Epicure.</b> After Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, who taught -that pleasure and good living constituted the happiness -of mankind. His followers were styled Epicureans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Epiphany.</b> From the Greek <em>Epiphaneia</em>, an appearance, a -showing; relative to the adoration of the Magi, who -came from the East twelve days after the birth of the -Saviour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Epsom Salts.</b> From the mineral springs at Epsom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Equality State.</b> Wyoming, where, first among the communities -of the world, women were accorded the right -to vote.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ERIE'></a><b>Erie.</b> Indian for “Wild Cat,” the fierce tribe exterminated -by the Iroquois.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span><b>Escurial.</b> Properly <em>Escorial</em>, Spanish for “among the rocks.” -King Philip II. built this superb convent and palace -after the battle of St Quentin, in the course of which -he had been obliged to bombard a monastery of the -Order of St Jerome. He dedicated it to St Lawrence. -He caused the structure to be in the form of a gridiron, -the symbol of the Saint’s martyrdom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Esk.</b> A river name derived from the Celtic <em>uisg</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Esquimaux.</b> An Alonquin Indian term signifying “eaters -of raw flesh.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Essex.</b> The kingdom of the East Saxons under the Heptarchy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ESSEXSTREET'></a><b>Essex Street.</b> From the mansion of Robert Devereaux, -Earl of Essex, the Parliamentary General in Cromwell’s -time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ETHELRED'></a><b>Ethelred the Unready.</b> From his incapacity and unwillingness -to accept <em>rede</em>, or counsel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ethiopia.</b> From the Greek <em>aithein</em>, to burn, and <em>ops</em>, the -face. Hence “the country of the blacks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Etiquette.</b> A French word for “label.” Formerly a ticket -or card of instructions was handed to visitors on ceremonial -occasions. Nowadays such rules as pertain to -deportment or decorum are supposed to enter into the -education of all well-bred persons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Etna.</b> From the Phœnician <em>attuna</em>, a furnace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eton.</b> The Anglo-Saxon <em>Eyton</em>, “island town.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ettrick Shepherd.</b> The literary sobriquet of James Hogg, -the poet, of Ettrick, Selkirkshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Europe.</b> From the Greek <em>euros</em>, broad, and <em>ops</em>, the face; -literally “the broad face of the earth.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Euston Road.</b> From the seat of the Earl of Euston at -Thetford, Norfolk, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Evacuation Day.</b> November 25th, observed in the United -States as commemorating the evacuation of New York -city by the British after the War of Independence, 1783.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span><b>Evangelist.</b> From the Greek <em>euanggelion</em>, “good news.” -One of the four writers of the Gospels of the New -Testament.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Evelyn Street.</b> From the residence of John Evelyn, the -diarist. One of his descendants, the Rev. W. J. Evelyn, -of Wolton, built the church of St Luke, Deptford, -in 1872.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Everglade State.</b> Florida, from its tracts of land, covered -with water and grass, called Everglades.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ex.</b> Another form of the Celtic <em>uisg</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exchequer.</b> The table of this Court was formerly covered -with checkered cloth, so called from the Old French -<em>eschequier</em>, chess board.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Executive City.</b> Washington, which contains the White -House, the official residence of the President of the -Republic, the House of Representatives, and the Senate -Chamber.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='EXELLERS'></a><b>Exellers.</b> The 40th Foot, from the Roman numerals XL.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exeter.</b> Called by the Saxons <em>Exancester</em>, or the Roman -camp town on the Exe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exeter College.</b> Founded at Oxford by Walter Stapleton, -Bishop of Exeter and Lord Treasurer of England, -in 1316.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exeter Street.</b> From the mansion and grounds of the -Earl of Exeter, the eldest son of the great Lord -Burleigh.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exhibition Road.</b> This wide thoroughfare formed the -eastern boundary of the plot of ground purchased by -the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition of 1862.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Exodus.</b> The Scriptural narrative of the departure of the -Israelites from the Land of Bondage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eye.</b> Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for island. The river -Waveney surrounds the town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Eye-opener.</b> An American drink of mixed spirits as a -remedy for drowsiness.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span> - <h3 class='c008'>F</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c009'><b>Face the Music.</b> To bear the jeers and taunts of those -who laugh at us.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Factory King.</b> Richard Oastler of Bradford, the promoter -of the “Ten Hours’ Bill.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fag.</b> Slang for a cigarette, derived from the fag end--<em>i.e.</em> -fatigued or spent end--of a cigar. Also a small boy -who acts as a drudge in the service of another at a -public school, so called from the Anglo-Saxon <em>fæge</em>, -weak, timid.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fair Cop.</b> Thieves’ slang for a smart capture by the -police. Whereas another would say “The game’s -up!” a thief admits that he has been fairly caught by -the expression “It’s a fair cop.” See “<a href='#COP'>Cop</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fair Maid of Kent.</b> Joan, the beautiful and only daughter -of the Earl of Kent, who became the wife of Edward -the Black Prince.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fair Street.</b> A name left us as a reminder of a once -celebrated fair on the Southwark bank of the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='FAITHHEALERS'></a><b>Faith Healers.</b> A sect which upholds the doctrine of healing -the sick by prayer and anointing with oil in the -name of the Lord, as set forth in James v. 13-15.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Faix.</b> An Irishman’s exclamation for “Faith” or “In -Faith.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fake.</b> To make-believe or cheat. An actor is said to -“fake up” an article of costume out of very sorry -materials, which at a distance looks like the real thing. -A photographer can “fake” a spirit photo by means -of two distinct plates. Food also is largely “faked.” -The word is derived from “Fakir.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fakir.</b> From the Arabic <em>fakhar</em>, poor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Falcon Square.</b> From an ancient hostelry, “The Castle -and Falcon,” hard by in Aldersgate Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Falernian.</b> A celebrated wine, extolled by Horace, Virgil, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>and other Latin authors, prepared from grapes grown -in the district of Falernicum.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fall.</b> An Americanism for autumn, in allusion to the fall -of the leaves.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fallopian Tubes.</b> Said to have been discovered by Gabriel -Fallopius, the eminent Italian anatomist of the -sixteenth century. They were, however, known to the -ancients.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Falls City.</b> Louisville, in the state of Kentucky, because it -overlooks the falls of the Ohio River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Falmouth.</b> A seaport at the mouth of the Fale.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Family Circle.</b> This expression had a literal meaning in -the time of the Normans, when the fire occupied the -centre of the floor, and the smoke found its vent -through a hole in the roof. In Germany and Russia -the domestic apartments are economically warmed by -an enclosed stove in the centre. Amongst ourselves -the phrase “sit <em>round</em> the fire” only conveys a half-truth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fancy Drink.</b> An Americanism for a concoction of -various spirits, as distinguished from a Straight Drink -of one kind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fandago.</b> Spanish for a “lively dance.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farmer George.</b> George III., on account of his dress, -manners, and bucolic sporting inclinations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farm Street.</b> From an old farm, on the land of Lord -Berkeley of Stratton in the time of Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Faro.</b> So called from a representation of Pharaoh on one -of the cards originally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farringdon Road.</b> After William <a id='corr94.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Farrindon'>Farringdon</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_94.30'><ins class='correction' title='Farrindon'>Farringdon</ins></a></span>, citizen and -goldsmith, who, for the sum of twenty marks, in 1279 -purchased the Aldermanry of the ward named after -him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farthing.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>feorthling</em>, a little fourth. -In olden times penny pieces were nicked across like a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>Good Friday bun; so they could be broken into halves -and fourths as occasion required.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farthingale.</b> A corruption of Verdingale, from the French -<em>vertugarde</em>, a guard for modesty. Queen Elizabeth is -said to have introduced this hooped petticoat in order -to disguise her figure.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Farthing Poet.</b> The sobriquet of Richard Horne, who published -his chief poem, “Orion,” at one farthing, so that -it should not want for buyers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fastern’s E’en.</b> The Scottish description of Shrove -Tuesday, being the eve of the Lenten Fast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Father of Believers.</b> Mohammed, because he established -and promulgated the faith of the Moslem, or “true -believers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Father of the Music Halls.</b> The late William Morton, -manager of the Palace Theatre of Varieties, and -founder of the earliest London Music Hall, “The -Canterbury,” in the Westminster Bridge Road, which -dates from the year 1848.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fathers of the Church.</b> The great doctors or theological -writers of the period from the first to the seventh -centuries of Christianity. See “<a href='#APOSTOLICFATHERS'>Apostolic Fathers</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Faugh-a-Ballagh Boys.</b> The 87th Foot, from their battle -cry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Feast of Lanterns.</b> A Chinese festival which occurs on -the fifteenth day of the first moon of the year. Walking -by the side of a beautiful lake one night the -daughter of a mandarin fell in, and was drowned. -When her father heard of the accident he, attended -by all his household, carrying lanterns, rushed to the -spot. On the anniversary he caused fires to be lighted -beside the lake, and invited all the people of the -country round about to offer up prayers for the safety -of her soul. In course of time the solemn character -of the gathering was forgotten, and the day has ever -since been observed as a national holiday.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Feast of Tabernacles.</b> Commemorative of the forty years’ -<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>wandering of the Israelites in search of the Promised -Land, during which long period they dwelt in temporary -huts or tabernacles, formed of tree branches covered -with leaves. Even at the present day the Jews at -least take their meals in temporary structures covered -with leaves throughout the nine days of the festival.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Feather in my Cap.</b> An expression derived from a custom -of the North American Indians, who stuck a fresh -feather in their head-dress for every one of their -enemies slain in battle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Feathers.</b> An inn sign originally, when the painted device -appeared in place of the mere name, signifying the -“Plume of Feathers,” or “Prince of Wales’s Feathers,” -the crest of Edward the Black Prince.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>February.</b> From the Latin <em>februare</em>, to purify, this being -the month appointed by the Romans for the festival -of the <em>Februalia</em> of purification and expiation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Federal States.</b> During the American Civil War the -Treaty States of the North, which resisted the Separatist -or Confederate States in the South.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Feel Peckish.</b> See “<a href='#KEEPYOURPECKER'>Keep your Pecker up</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fellah.</b> Arabic for agriculturist or peasant. In the -plural, “El Fellahin,” the term is specifically applied -to the labouring population of Egypt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fenchurch Street.</b> From an ancient church in the fens or -marshy ground through which ran the Lang Bourne -from Beach Lane to the Wall brook behind the Stocks -Market, where the Mansion House now stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fenians.</b> Said to express the Gaelic for “hunters,” but -the greater likelihood is that this secret society took the -name of the <em>Finna Eirinii</em>, ancient organisation of -Irish militia, so called after Fion MacCumhal, the -hero of legendary history.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fetter Lane.</b> A corruption of “Fewters Lane,” from the -Norman-French <em>faitour</em>, an evil-doer, on account of the -idle vagabonds who infested it in days when this lane -led to some pleasure gardens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span><b>Feuilleton.</b> Expresses the French for a small leaf. Like -the serial stories nowadays in many English newspapers, -articles of a non-political character were introduced in -the French <em>Journal des Debatés</em> as long ago as the -commencement of the nineteenth century, these being -separated from the news by a line towards the bottom -of each page.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Fez.</b> From Fez in Morocco, whence this red cap of the -Turks was introduced into the Ottoman Empire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>F. F. V.</b> Initials well understood in America, implying -the “First Families of Virginia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fiddler’s Money.</b> A threepenny piece. Originally it was -a small coin paid by each of the dancers to the fiddler -at a merry-making.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fifth Monarchy Men.</b> Religious fanatics of the time of -Charles I. who proclaimed the second coming of Christ -to establish the fifth monarchy, or millennium. The -four previous great monarchies of the world were the -Assyrian, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fifty Club.</b> A social club founded in 1899 by G. C. -Paterson, incidentally for the entertainment of its -members on the attainment of their fiftieth birthday.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fighting Fifth.</b> The 5th Foot, on account of their prowess -during the Peninsular War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fighting Fitzgerald.</b> George Robert Fitzgerald, a noted -gamester and duellist of the eighteenth century, with -whom no one ever picked a quarrel without falling by -his hand. A sure shot and an expert swordsman, he -was a man to be feared by all.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fight Shy.</b> Originally a prize-fighting expression, when one -of the combatants betrayed a lack of courage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Filberts.</b> After St Philibert, on whose feast day, 22nd -August, the nutting season commenced.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='FILIBUSTER'></a><b>Filibuster.</b> A Spanish and French corruption of the -German <em>freibeter</em>, derived from the Dutch <em>vlie-boot</em>, or -fly-boat, a small clipper vessel. This was introduced -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>into England during the wars with the Low Countries. -The word Freebooter claims the same origin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Finality John.</b> The sobriquet of John Russell, afterwards -Earl Russell, from his conviction that the passing of the -Reform Bill of 1832 would be a <em>finality</em> to the universal -Suffrage Question.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Finch Lane.</b> Properly Finke Lane, after Sir Richard -Finke, who resided in it, and rebuilt the church of St -Bennet on the site of the present Royal Exchange. A -tradesman in Cheapside rejoices in the possession of -the full name of this vanished church, St Bennet-Finke.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fingal’s Cave.</b> That of Fion MacCumhal, abbreviated into -Fingal, a celebrated legendary hero.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Finland.</b> Properly <em>Fenland</em>, the land of lakes and marshes. -The native name of the country is <em>Suomesimaa</em>, the -watered land of the <em>Suomes</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Finsbury.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Fensbury</em>, the town -among the fens or marshes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Finsbury Pavement.</b> The first London thoroughfare where -the paving of the side walk with flagstones was introduced.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fire dogs.</b> These adjuncts to an old-fashioned fireplace -received their name from the small dog that was -anciently imprisoned in a wheel at one end of the spit. -Three hours of this canine exercise were required to -prepare the roast beef of Old England for the table. -If the dog refused to exert himself a live coal was put -inside the wheel to accelerate his movements.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fire Water.</b> The North American Indian designation of -rum, and ardent spirits generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fire Worshippers.</b> The Parsees, who worship the sun as the -symbol of the Deity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>First Gentleman of Europe.</b> The complimentary -sobriquet of George IV., owing to his rank, personal -attractions, and the ability, as became a gentleman of -the period, of telling good stories well.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span><b>Firth of Forth.</b> <em>Firth</em> expresses the Gaelic for an estuary -or arm of the sea. Forth is the name of the river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fish Street Hill.</b> From the fishmongers who first congregated -here in the reign of Edward I. The Hall -of the Fishmongers’ Company stands at the foot of -London Bridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fit-up.</b> In theatrical parlance the entire appurtenances of a -stage, excepting the floor only, carried from town to -town, and fitted up in Town Halls, Assembly-rooms, -and Corn Exchanges.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fitzroy Square.</b> From one of the family names of the -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fives.</b> An old game at ball, usually played by five on each -side. The “court” consists of a roomy space with a -high wall at one end.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fixings.</b> An Americanism for dress ornaments or accessories; -house, hotel, or theatre embellishments and -decorations generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flamingo.</b> From the bright red colour of this tropical -bird.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flanders.</b> From the native name <em>Vländergau</em>, the country -of the Vländer, who from the earliest period of their -history were ruled by counts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flannelled Fools.</b> An opprobrious epithet bestowed upon -the English people on account of their all-pervading -sport of cricket by Rudyard Kipling. It gave rise to -much acrimony at the time, and tended to lessen his -popularity as a writer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flash Jewellery.</b> Spurious, not what it pretends to be. -Like a flash of fire, its brilliance is only fleeting.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flask Walk.</b> In this pleasant lane stands the old hostelry -“The Flash.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fleet Road.</b> All that is left us to remind one of the clear -stream which coursed through the meadows down to -Holborn (the Old Bourne) and Clerkenwell, emptying -itself into the Thames in what is now Bridge Street, -Blackfriars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span><a id='FLEETSTREET'></a><b>Fleet Street.</b> The River Fleet, which in old days was -navigable from the Thames as far as what is now -Ludgate Circus. The old English word <em>Fleot</em> expressed -a tidal stream deep enough for vessels to float in.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fleetwood Road.</b> Here stood Fleetwood House, the -residence of Charles Fleetwood, the Parliamentary -General.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fleshly School of Poetry.</b> That of the sensuous order, -popularised by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Swinburne, and -Morris.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flint.</b> From the flint or quartz which abounds in this -country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Floralia.</b> A Roman festival in honour of Flora, commencing -28th April and terminating 2nd May. It was said -to have been instituted at the command of an oracle -with a view of obtaining from the goddess the protection -of blossoms.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Florence.</b> Expresses “The City of Flowers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Florida.</b> Named by Ponce de Leon from the twofold circumstance -of his landing upon it on <em>Pascua Florida</em>, or -Easter Sunday, and the luxuriance of its vegetation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Florin.</b> A silver coin of the value of two shillings, originally -struck at Florence. It still bears on its reverse side -a representation of a lily, symbolical of “The City of -Flowers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Flower Sermon.</b> An annual observance at the Church of -St Katherine Cree, Leadenhall Street, inaugurated by -the rector, the Rev. Dr Whittemore, in 1853. The -flowers of the earth form the text; the pulpit is richly -adorned with flowers; and every member of the congregation -brings a bouquet. The idea of the flower -service, if not the sermon, has been largely copied in -various parts of the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='FLUNKEY'></a><b>Flunkey.</b> From the French <em>flanquer</em>, the henchman or -groom who ran at the flank or side of his mounted -master.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span><a id='FLY'></a><b>Fly.</b> Provincial for a hansom cab. When one looks at -such a hackney carriage it suggests a sedan-chair -on wheels. Such a vehicle, introduced at Brighton -for invalids, was a great favourite with George IV. -<a id='corr101.5'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='when'>then</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_101.5'><ins class='correction' title='when'>then</ins></a></span> Prince of Wales, who often requisitioned it for a -night frolic. Called by him on account of its lightness -a “fly-by-night,” its name became abbreviated into a -“fly.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fly Posting.</b> A showman’s phrase for small bills posted -hurriedly in all possible conspicuous places under -cover of night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fly-up-the-Creeks.</b> The people of Florida, who were wont -to disappear on the approach of strangers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>F. M. Allen.</b> The pseudonym of Mr Edward Downey at -the time when he was also a publisher. F. M. Allen -was his wife’s maiden name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Foley Street.</b> After the town house of Lord Foley.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fontagne.</b> A wire structure for raising the hair of ladies, -introduced by the Duchesse de Fontagne, one of the -mistresses of Louis XIV. of France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fontinalia.</b> Roman festivals in honour of the nymphs of -wells and fountains. It was from these that the -English and French custom of “Well Dressing” in -the month of May found its origin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Foolscap.</b> A size of paper which from time immemorial -has had for its watermark a fool’s cap and bells.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Footpad.</b> Originally a thief or highway robber who wore -padded shoes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fop.</b> From the German and Dutch <em>foppen</em>, to jeer at, make -a fool of. This word must be very old, since Vanbrugh -gave the name of Lord Foppington to a conceited -coxcomb in this comedy “The Relapse,” 1697.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forecastle.</b> The quarters apportioned to the seamen in the -fore end of a vessel. Anciently the whole forward -portion bore the name of <em>Aforecastle</em> on account of -“The Castle” or State Cabin erected in a castle-like -form in the centre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span><b>Forefathers’ Day.</b> December 21st, commemorated in the -New England States on account of the landing of the -Pilgrim Fathers in 1620.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forest City.</b> Cleveland (Ohio) and Portland (Maine), on -account of the trees which characterise their beautiful -avenues.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forest Gate.</b> The district which in modern times has -sprung up south of the old gate leading into Epping -Forest. A representation of the gate appears on the -curtain of the local public hall, or, as it is now styled, -“The Grand Theatre.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forest Hill.</b> A name reminiscent of days when this portion -of South London as far as Croydon was forest land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fore Street.</b> The street in front of the London Wall, the -Barbican or watch-tower, and Cripple Gate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forget-me-not.</b> A flower emblematical of friendship or a -keepsake. The story goes that a German knight, -walking on the banks of the Danube with his lady, -undertook, at her request, to gather a tuft of <em>Mysotis -palustris</em>, growing in the water. Encumbered by his -armour, he was carried away by the stream, and sank, -after having thrown the flowers to his mistress, exclaiming: -“<em>Vergess mein nicht!</em>”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Forlorn Hope.</b> From the German <em>verloren</em>, lost. A -company of soldiers ordered upon such a perilous -enterprise, that there is small hope of their return.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Formosa.</b> A Portuguese word signifying “beautiful.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fortino.</b> A clipped phrase in several of the states of -North America, from “For aught I know.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Foster Lane.</b> From the Church of St Vedast, the name -of a Bishop of Arras. How Vedast came to be -Anglicised into Foster is not explained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Foul-weather Jack.</b> Commodore John Byron, the circumnavigator -of the eighteenth century. Whenever he -put out to sea he was sure to experience foul weather.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Four Hundred.</b> The Select or “Smart” Society of New -York city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span><b>Fourteen Hundred.</b> The cry raised when a stranger is -discovered in the Stock Exchange, whereupon he is -immediately hustled out. This had its origin in the -circumstance that for a great many years the recognised -full membership on ’Change was 1399.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fourth Estate.</b> The Press. Edward Burke referred to -the Reporters’ Gallery as more powerful than the -three great estates of the realm--viz. the Lords -Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the Commons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fox in the Hole.</b> An inn or tavern sign contiguous to the -hunting field.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Frame House.</b> The American term for a house built of -timber. Chinatown, or the Chinese quarter of the -city of San Francisco, was entirely constructed of -“frame houses.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Franc.</b> A silver coin of Franconia or France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>France.</b> Anciently <em>Franconia</em>, the country of the Franks, -so called from the <em>franca</em>, a kind of javelin with which -they armed themselves when this people effected the -conquest of Gaul.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='FRANCISCANS'></a><b>Franciscans.</b> Friars of the Order of St Francis of Assisi. -Originally the Grey Friars, their habits are now brown. -One of the rules laid down by their pious founder was -that the brethren should always be clad like the poorest -of the poor. He selected the loose sack of grey, undyed -wool, bound round the waist by a cord of the Umbrian -Shepherds. Towards the close of the fifteenth century -the better classes affected gaudy colours, and the -poorer orders, imitating them so far as the use of dyed -materials was concerned, took to wearing garments of -sober brown. Hence the change in the colour of the -Franciscan habit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Frankincense.</b> Incense brought to the East from “Franconia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freak Dinner.</b> A latter-day term, arising out of the -examples set by American millionaires to outdo all -previous attempts in the way of sumptuous banquets. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>There have been dinners costing £100 per head. To -please the eye, champagne has been made to flow -wastefully from a fountain. The name is, however, -more correctly applied to the scenic embellishments, -as when the banqueting-chamber of the Gaiety -Restaurant was converted into a South African mining -tent, and real Kaffirs were the waiters, to remind the -diners of the mode by which they had acquired their -wealth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freebooter.</b> See “<a href='#FILIBUSTER'>Filibuster</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Free Church of Scotland.</b> The adherents of Dr Chalmers, -who separated from the Scottish Presbyterian Church -to establish an independent community, 18th May -1843.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Free House.</b> A public-house, of which the landlord, being -his own master, is at full liberty to change his brewer -if the quality of the liquor supplied to him does not -give complete satisfaction. See “<a href='#TIEDHOUSE'>Tied House</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Free-lance.</b> An unattached journalist who sends out his -literary wares on approval. The term has been derived -from those roving companies of knights who, at the -close of the Wars of the Crusades, were ready to enlist -under any banner for a monetary consideration. Like -the mercenaries of the Carthaginians and Romans, -these were the first paid soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Free List.</b> A list kept by theatrical managers of Men -about Town, barristers, medical men, and others, who -can be relied upon to “dress the house” at short -notice when business is bad, and so give it an air of -prosperity. These are not “Deadheads” in the -ordinary sense, because they render the management a -service; but being well able to pay for seats at all -times they are apt to be obnoxious in their demands -when the entertainment really draws good houses. -Hence the notice “Free list entirely suspended” at -such times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freemasons.</b> A brotherhood of masons who in the -Mediæval Ages built the cathedrals which are even -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>now lasting mementoes of their skill. They travelled -from one city to another, always employed in the -same devoted work, and, to prove that they were -master craftsmen, invented various symbols, by which -they could be recognised. Everywhere these masons -enjoyed immunity from taxation and military service. -Hence they received the name of “free-masons.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freeze on to him.</b> To cling to a man as hoarfrost clings -to wood in winter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freight Train.</b> An Americanism for goods train.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Freshman.</b> An undergraduate in his first year at a -university.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friar.</b> Agreeably to the Latin <em>fratre</em>, brother. This term -signifies a member of a religious community as distinguished -from a monk (Greek, <em>monas</em>, alone), who -was originally a hermit, and, except when at meals or -at prayers in the monastery, spends his time in a cell.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friar Street.</b> Marks the eastern boundary of the monastery -of the Dominicans or Black Friars anciently located -south of Ludgate Hill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friar Tuck.</b> So called because, like that of all friars, his -habit was <em>tucked</em> or drawn up round the cord that -encircled his waist.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friday.</b> In the Scandinavian mythology this day of the -week was set apart for the worship of Frigga, the wife -of Odin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friday Street.</b> The fish market of Old London, so called -from the weekly fast day, when it must have been -particularly thronged.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friendly Islands.</b> So called by Captain Cook on account -of the peaceable disposition of the natives.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Friesland.</b> Anciently <em>Friesia</em>, the country of the <em>Frisii</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Frisco.</b> An American abbreviation of San Francisco.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Frith Street.</b> Originally Fryth Street, after the name of -the builder upon the land in 1680.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Frobisher Strait.</b> Discovered by Sir Martin Frobisher, 1576.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span><b>Frognal.</b> That portion of Hampstead once graced by -Frognal Priory, built by “Memory-Corner Thompson.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>From Pillar to Post.</b> This had reference in olden times to -the hooting crowds who followed a public offender -from the pillory to the whipping-post. The “post,” -however, was more usually a “cart’s tail.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fuchsia.</b> After Leonard Fuchs, the distinguished German -botanist.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fudge.</b> A word derived from the sound produced by -the nasal expression of contempt, <em>futsch!</em> among the -Germans and Dutch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fulham.</b> The <em>Fullenhame</em> of Anglo-Saxon days, expressing -the home or habitation of water-fowl.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Funeral.</b> Specifically a torchlight procession, from the -Latin <em>funis</em>, a torch. In ancient times burials always -took place by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Furnival Street.</b> A name left to remind us of Furnival’s -Inn, on the opposite side of Holborn, and where -Charles Dickens wrote his “Pickwick Papers.” -Anciently this was the “Inn” or town mansion of the -Lords Furnival, a title which became extinct in the -reign of Richard II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fusiliers.</b> Because originally armed with a light musket -styled a <em>fusil</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Fye Foot Lane.</b> A corruption of <em>Five Foot Lane</em>, the -width of this narrow thoroughfare when it led down -to the Thames side.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>G</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Gad-about.</b> The word “Gad” is Gaelic, signifying “to -rove.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gaelic.</b> See “<a href='#CALEDONIA'>Caledonia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gaff.</b> See “<a href='#PENNYGAFF'>Penny Gaff</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gaffer.</b> Provincial for an old man; a corruption of -“grandfather.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span><b>Gag.</b> An actor’s interpolation of catch phrases at his own -sweet will. Originally, however, <em>gagging</em> was a device -to disconcert or stop the mouth of another actor by -the unexpected employment of words not in the text -of the play.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gallivanting.</b> An old English word for “doing the agreeable.” -Its derivation is clearly traceable to “gallant” -and “gallantry.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Galoshes.</b> From the Spanish <em>galocha</em>, a patten or wooden -shoe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Galvanism.</b> After Luigi Galvani, the eminent physician of -Bologna in the eighteenth century, the discoverer of -electrical currents produced by chemical agency.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gamboge.</b> Brought from Cambogia in Siam.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GAMP'></a><b>Gamp.</b> After Mrs Gamp in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” who -never went abroad without her fat, pawky umbrella, -and when at home gave it an honoured position by -the side of the fireplace. Charles Dickens must have -had the town of <em>Guingamp</em> in his mind when he invented -Mrs Gamp. See “<a href='#GINGHAM'>Gingham</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gander Party.</b> An Americanism for a social party composed -of men only.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ganges.</b> The sacred river of the Hindoos, thought by -them to flow through Gang, the earth, to heaven. The -name they gave to it, therefore, was <em>Ganga</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garden of England.</b> The Isle of Wight. The mildness of -the climate and the luxuriance of the vegetation bespeak -a perpetual summer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garden Spot.</b> The fertile centre of Kentucky, whence the -Indians, after many a sanguinary encounter, were -banished by the white settlers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garden State.</b> New Jersey, from the fertility of its soil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garden Town.</b> The name bestowed upon both Cheltenham -and Leamington in virtue of their spas, public gardens, -and promenades tastefully laid out.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span><b>Gargantuan.</b> Anything out of all reasonable limits. We -speak of a “Gargantuan Feast,” a “Gargantuan Thirst,” -to express a capacity for enormous consumption. The -word is derived from Gargantua, the hero of Rabelais’s -famous satire of this title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garlick Hill.</b> Where garlic was anciently brought to land -at Queenhithe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garrick Street.</b> From the Garrick Club, the premier -rendezvous of the leading members of the dramatic -profession.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Garrotters.</b> Street marauders of the latter part of the last -century who gripped their victim tightly round the -neck while accomplices rifled his pockets. Their -designation was derived from the <em>Garrotte</em>, with which -malefactors are strangled in Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gas Bag.</b> An Americanism for one who is always boasting -of his own importance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gasconade.</b> To boast. The people of Gascony had an -unenviable reputation for boasting.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GATE'></a><b>Gate.</b> This old English word does not in all cases express -a city gate, as in London, but a road, street, or passage--<em>e.g.</em> -Canongate, the way past the House of the -Canons of Holyrood Abbey at Edinburgh; Lowgate, -Whitefriargate, etc., at Hull; Harrowgate, the passage -through the hills; and Boulogne Gate, or entrance to -Boulogne Harbour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gatling Gun.</b> Named after R. J. Gatling, its inventor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gaul.</b> The <em>Gallia</em> of the Romans, from the Celtic name -of the country, <em>Gal</em>, “western.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gave him a Baker’s Dozen.</b> As much as he merited, and -one blow over as a finishing stroke. A drubbing that -he little expected.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GAVEHIM'></a><b>Gave him a Roland for an Oliver.</b> Exactly what he gave -me himself; a tit for tat. Roland and Oliver were -two knights in the train of Charlemagne. Both were -equally accomplished; what the one did the other -essayed also with success. In the matter of fighting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>too they were exactly on a par, since, after having -been put to the test in single combat, for a long time -neither of them gained the least advantage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gave him the Cold Shoulder.</b> Received him with scant -ceremony. The allusion is to the fare generally set -before an unexpected visitor who has not dined.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gave him the Grand Shake.</b> An Americanism for finally -breaking off an acquaintance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gavelkind.</b> A custom among the Anglo-Saxons whereby -all the sons of a family inherited alike. Lord Coke -traces it from the Teutonic <em>gif eal cyn</em>, and translates -it literally “give all kinde.” Inheritance by Gavelkind -obtained in Kent long after the Norman Conquest; -indeed, it is said that some Kentish lands are still held -by this ancient tenure.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gavotte.</b> A dance familiar to the Gavots in the French -province of Dauphiny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gay Lothario.</b> A seducer. From the leading character -in Nicholas Rowe’s “The Fair Penitent,” produced -in 1703.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Gazette.</b> From the Italian <em>Gazzetta</em>, the name of a -Venetian coin valued at about ¾d. of English money, -which was charged for the individual reading, from -hand-to-hand, of a written sheet at Venice containing -news of the war with Soliman II., <em>temp.</em> sixteenth -century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Geneva Gown.</b> The habit of Low Churchmen, so called -from its resemblance to the gown worn by the Calvinists -of Geneva.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Genre Painting.</b> One on a pastoral subject, with figures, -that does not properly come under the definition of a -landscape. The word is French for a kind, a sort.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gentleman in Black.</b> A chimney-sweep, who, like a -clergyman, was formerly saluted out of respect for -“the cloth.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gentleman Jack.</b> John Bannister, a favourite actor of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>Drury Lane Theatre, respected by all for his integrity -even more than for his histrionic accomplishments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gentleman Smith.</b> William Smith of Drury Lane, the -<em>beau ideal</em> of a gentleman on the stage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gentleman Turkey.</b> The Far Western description of a -turkey cock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GEORGE'></a><b>George.</b> An inn sign in honour of the patron saint of -England. After the Hanoverian Succession, by which -time pictorial signs had for the most part disappeared, -and the name alone stood for a sign, the omission of -the “St” made the sign complimentary to the reigning -monarch. Reading of the execution of Charles I., we -are told that the ill-fated King handed his “George” -to Juxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who attended -him on the scaffold. This was the badge of the Order -of the Garter, representing St George on horseback -piercing the fallen dragon with his lance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>George and Dragon.</b> See “<a href='#GEORGE'>George</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>George Ranger.</b> H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, who was -appointed Ranger of the Royal Parks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Georges Sand.</b> This literary pseudonym of Mademoiselle -Dupin, afterwards Madame Dudevant, arose out of her -attachment to a young student named Jules Sandeau, -with whom she collaborated in the production of her -first novel, “Rose et Blanche.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Georgia.</b> In compliment to George II., the reigning -monarch when this state was colonised.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>German Silver.</b> See “<a href='#STERLINGSILVER'>Sterling Silver</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Germany.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Germania</em>, from a -Gaulish or Celtic word meaning “neighbours.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gerrard Street.</b> After the family name of the Earl of -Macclesfield, the ground landlord, when it was first -built upon at the close of the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gerrymandering.</b> An American political term for subdividing -a constituency in such a way as to give one -party an unfair advantage over all others. Its adoption -<span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>was due to Elbridge Gerry, Governor of Massachusetts. -When a map of this new electoral distribution was -shown to an artist he remarked that it looked very -much like a salamander. “A salamander, you say? -Why not a Gerrymander!” was the reply. And a -Gerrymander the name of the scheme remained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Get there all the same.</b> An Americanism meaning to -succeed in any enterprise, despite all obstacles or -opposition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ghost.</b> One employed by an author or an artist to do his -work for him, so called because, his name and personality -being withheld from the public, he is kept in -the shade. In other words, he is a mere shadow of his -master. Originally, however, the term had reference -to the friend who had inspired or suggested the work.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GHOSTWALKING'></a><b>Ghost walking.</b> A theatrical phrase. Actors assembling -at the theatre for their weekly salaries generally put -the question among themselves: “Is the ghost walking?” -While those about to accept an engagement -with a manager of whom they know nothing ask: -“Does the ghost walk?” Its origin is as follows:--Many -years ago a manager of the Bogus type had in -his company a self-willed actor whose strong part was -the Ghost in “Hamlet.” If his salary was not forthcoming -on a Saturday morning he exclaimed: “Then -the ghost won’t walk to-night.” Indispensable actor -as he was, the manager invariably acceded to his -demands. Sometimes it happened that he received -only a portion of his salary, with a promise of the -remainder in the course of the performance, in which -case he refused to go on until the money was actually -paid. It is said that the other members of the -company would wait on a Saturday morning about the -time for “Treasury” until they received word by a -messenger that the ghost <em>would</em> walk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Giaour.</b> From the Arabic <em>kiafir</em>, “unbeliever.” The Turks -bestow this name on all European Christians, enemies -of the Mohammedan faith. Readers of Lord Byron’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>poem “The Giaour” may require to be informed of -its meaning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gibberish.</b> After Geber, an Arabian alchemist of the -eleventh century, who employed an unintelligible -jargon to mystify the ecclesiastics, lest by plain speaking -he might be put to death as a sorcerer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gibraltar.</b> From the Arabic designation, <em>Jebel-al-Tarik</em>, the -Mountain of Tarik, in honour of Ben Zeyad Tarik, -a Moorish General, to whose prowess the conquest of -Spain in the eighth century was due.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gibraltar of America.</b> The city of Quebec, from its commanding -and impregnable position on the heights.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gibson Girl.</b> A new type of womanhood popularised in -America by the drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, -and introduced to London by Miss Camille Clifford.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gibus.</b> An opera or crush hat, so called after its inventor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gift of the Gab.</b> “Gab” is a very old word; it was -used by the Anglo-Saxons for speech. The Scots -employed it to describe the mouth; hence to -“gabble.” The French had it too in the forms of -“gaber,” to boast or talk wildly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gig.</b> A term claiming the same origin as “Jig”--<em>i.e.</em> the -French <em>gigue</em>, a lively dance--because this vehicle -moves lightly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gilbertines.</b> An English religious Order of the twelfth -century, founded by St Gilbert of Sempringham, -Lincolnshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gilly flower.</b> A corruption of <em>July flower</em>, from the month -when it blossoms.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Giltspur Street.</b> Said to have received its name from the -gilt spurs of the knights riding to the tournaments -in Smithfield. The greater probability is that the -makers of gilt spurs congregated in this street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gimnal Ring.</b> A love token of bygone days, so called -from the Latin <em>gemellus</em>, joined. This ring was -composed of two separate bands fitted into each -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>other with little teeth. When lovers were betrothed -it was divided, only to be put together again at the -nuptial ceremony.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GIN'></a><b>Gin.</b> Short for Geneva. Not after Geneva in Switzerland, -because this is the national spirituous drink of the -Dutch, called at first by them <em>giniva</em>, from the French -<em>genievre</em>, juniper. Juniper berries were originally -employed to flavour the spirit distilled from unmalted -rye. The native name for Dutch gin is now Schiedam, -after the town where it is made. Dutch gin brought -to England is called Hollands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ginger.</b> Red-haired people are said to be <em>ginger</em> because -Guinevre, the Queen at the Court of King Arthur, -had red hair.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GINGHAM'></a><b>Gingham.</b> A corruption of Guingamp in Brittany, where -the cotton stuff brought from Java, there called -<em>gingang</em>, was dyed and made into umbrella covers -before silk and alpaca came into use for this purpose. -Hence the slang term for an umbrella. See “<a href='#GAMP'>Gamp</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gin Sling.</b> An American drink composed of equal parts -of gin and water. See “<a href='#SLING'>Sling</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gipsies.</b> A corruption of <em>Egyptians</em>, because, when first -heard of in Europe, they spread themselves over -Bohemia, and were thought to have arrived there by -way of Egypt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Giraldus Cambrensis.</b> The Latinised pen name of Gerald -de Barri, Archbishop of St David’s, and historian of -Cambria or Wales.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Girasole.</b> The Italian name of the sunflower, from the -Latin <em>gyara</em>, to turn, and <em>sol</em>, the sun.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Girondists.</b> Deputies from the Department of the Gironde -who formed the Moderate Republican Party in the -French Revolution.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Girton Girl.</b> A student of Girton College, Cambridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Give him Beans.</b> An expression derived from a French -proverb: “If he gives me peas I will give him beans”--<em>i.e.</em> -I will be quits with him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span><b>Give him plenty of Rope.</b> Let him do just what he thinks -is best, and everything will come out right in the end. -Following in your train, and, metaphorically, attached -to your rope, the longer the rope the wider will be the -sweep he can command; he can always be pulled in -when it becomes necessary to check his movements.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Given Name.</b> An Americanism for a Christian or forename.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gives himself Airs.</b> One who assumes a manner out of -keeping with his social position. “Air” was formerly -synonymous with deportment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Give up the Ghost.</b> Literally to yield up the Spirit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gladiator.</b> From the Latin <em>gladius</em>, a sword. A slave -trained to defend himself with a short sword in the -mortal combats of the Roman arena for the amusement -of the Emperors and the populace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Glad Rags.</b> An Americanism for holiday clothes or festive -garments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gladstone Bag.</b> So called in compliment to Mr W. E. -Gladstone when, as leader of the Liberal Government, -his name was “familiar in men’s mouths as household -words.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Glamorgan.</b> From <em>Gwlad-Margam</em>, “the territory of Margam,” -a Welsh chieftain of the tenth century. His -name is correctly preserved in Margam Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Glenlivet.</b> Whisky distilled in the Vale of Glenlivet in -Banffshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Globe.</b> An inn sign, the name of which was derived from -the arms of the King of Portugal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Globe Trotter.</b> A tourist, a traveller in foreign lands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Glorious Fourth of July.</b> Another name for “Independence -Day.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gloucester.</b> The <em>Gloicastra</em> of the Romans, in honour of -Gloi, son of the Emperor Claudius, who was born here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span><b>Gloucester Road.</b> From Oxford Lodge, the one-time residence -of the Duchess of Gloucester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go ahead.</b> From the nautical phrase “The wind’s ahead”--<em>i.e.</em> -blowing from the stern towards the vessel’s head.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goat and Compasses.</b> A corruption of the Puritan motto -“God encompass us.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goatee.</b> An Americanism for the typical Yankee chin -tuft, in allusion to the beard of a goat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gobelin Tapestry.</b> Made under royal patronage in the -house originally occupied by Jean Gobelin, a wool -dyer in Paris, <em>temp.</em> seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>God help you.</b> Anciently an invocation on behalf of a -person subjected to the Ordeal of Fire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Godstone.</b> A corruption of “Good Stone,” relative to the -excellence of the stone quarried here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goggles.</b> Shaded spectacles, so called in allusion to gig -lamps.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go in for Banting.</b> See “<a href='#BANTING'>Banting</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gold Coast.</b> The coast of Guinea, West Africa, where -gold was found.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Golden Cross.</b> The device of the Crusaders, extensively -adopted as an inn sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Golden Gate.</b> The entrance to San Francisco Harbour. -This name had been bestowed upon it by the Spaniards -centuries before the outbreak of the gold fever in 1847, -from their own knowledge that this was the gate to -the Land of Gold.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Golden Lane.</b> A corruption of “Golding Lane,” after the -builder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Golden Square.</b> Properly “Gelding Square,” from an old -inn of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go Marooning.</b> A southern state American expression -for a picnicking party on the shore or up country which -is to last for several days. See “<a href='#MAROONS'>Maroons</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span><a id='GONEOVER'></a><b>Gone over to the Majority.</b> A Parliamentary phrase -equally, if more generally, applied to one who has -passed from the scene of his life’s labours to the spirit -world. Ancient and modern authors contain passages -in the latter connection. The Rev. Robert Blair in -“The Grave” says: “’Tis long since Death had the -majority.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone to Pot.</b> Vanished possessions. The reference is -to the metalliferous melting pot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone to Rack and Ruin.</b> A corruption of “wreck and -ruin.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone to Texas.</b> An American expression for one who has -decamped leaving debts behind him. It was (and is) -no unusual thing for a man to display this notice, -perhaps only the initials “G.T.T.” on his door for -the information of callers after he has absconded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone to the Devil.</b> From the twofold circumstance that -money lost through lawyers would surely be spent by -them at their regular resort, the celebrated “Devil -Tavern,” hard by Temple Bar, and the not unusual -answer tendered by a subordinate to a caller at a -place of business in Fleet Street that his master had -“gone to the ‘Devil.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone to the Dogs.</b> Money that has been squandered -uselessly, as the remains of a feast in Eastern -countries are thrown to the dogs instead of being -given to the poor. A vicious man is said to have -gone to the dogs because in the East social outcasts -are often worried by ravenous dogs that prowl about -the streets by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone under.</b> One who has sunk in the social scale; never -recovered from financial embarrassments; who found it -impossible to “keep his head above water.” The -allusion is, of course, to drowning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gone up the Country.</b> An expression implying that a -person is insolvent; originally introduced into -England from the Colonies. When a man could not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>make ends meet in the coast cities he went prospecting -up the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gong Punch.</b> The American term for the bell ticket punch -used by conductors on tramcars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gonville College.</b> The original name of Caius College, -Cambridge, founded by Edmund Gonville in 1348.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Good enough Morgan.</b> An American phrase for an imposition, -or any person or thing likely to pass muster -for the reality. This originated during the Anti-Masonic -riots in the state of New York, when it was -alleged that the Freemasons had drowned a man called -Morgan for having betrayed their secrets. A body -was actually found in the river <a id='corr117.13'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='near near'>near</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_117.13'><ins class='correction' title='near near'>near</ins></a></span> Fort Niagara, -and identified by Morgan’s wife chiefly on account -of a missing tooth. It was, however, proved that -the whole story had been trumped up for political -ends. A prominent politician who had a hand in the -affair indeed confessed that, when reminded that the -body would never pass for Morgan’s, he declared: “It’s -a good enough Morgan.” Hence the phrase.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goodge Street.</b> After the name of the builder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goodman’s Fields.</b> After the owner of the lands upon -a portion of whose farm the Prioresses or Nuns of St -Clare built their priory. This name recurs in the “Life -of David Garrick,” who established his fame at the old -Goodman’s Fields Theatre before he migrated to -Drury Lane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Good Old Town of Hull.</b> A name originally bestowed upon -the “Third Port” by tramps and beggars, who, in -common with the deserving poor, fared exceeding -well out of the bounty of the Dominican and Carmelite -Friars. The streets Blackfriargate and Whitefriargate -fix the locality of these conventual establishments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Good Time.</b> An Americanism for a very pleasurable or -festive time. See “<a href='#HIGHTIME'>High Time</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Good Wine needs no Bush.</b> An ivy bush was in former -times displayed at the end of a stake wherever wine -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>was sold, the ivy being sacred to Bacchus. Travellers -who had once tasted good wine took careful stock -of the place before leaving it; consequently they -needed no bush to direct them when next they visited -the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goodwin Sands.</b> At the time of the Norman Conquest -this comprised the estate of Earl Godwin, from whom -it was filched and bestowed upon the Abbey of St -Augustine at Canterbury. Neglect of the repair of the -sea-wall caused the waves to rush in and overwhelm the -land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go off the Handle.</b> To lose one’s head or go insane. The -allusion is to the head of an axe flying off the handle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go one better.</b> Originally a sporting expression, meaning -that by jumping farther a contestant would make a -scratch on the ground beyond the one just scored.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goose.</b> The tailor’s smoothing iron, from the resemblance -of its handle to the neck of a goose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gooseberry.</b> A corruption of <em>Gorseberry</em>, rough or coarse, -on account of the hairs or diminutive prickles which -distinguish this berry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gordon Hotels.</b> Established by the late Frederick Gordon, -a solicitor of Bloomsbury. These middle-class hotels -have supplied a long-felt want in London and elsewhere.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gordon Square.</b> In compliment to Lady Georgina Gordon, -wife of the sixth Duke of Bedford, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gospel.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>God-spell</em>, “good news.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gospel Oak.</b> From the oak-tree marking the juncture of -St Pancras and Hampstead parishes, beneath which -the Gospel was annually read.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Goswell Road.</b> From an ancient spring, styled “God’s -Well,” discovered in this neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gotham.</b> The city of New York. Washington Irving first -gave it this name in his “Salmagundi.” Its people in -his time were anything but fools, yet he may not have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>appreciated the singular wisdom attributed to them. -By referring to the city as Gotham he made a playful -allusion to Gotham in Nottinghamshire, England, -which for centuries had merited a reputation for being -a town whose inhabitants did and said the most foolish -things.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go the whole Hog.</b> An expression derived from Cowper’s -poem entitled “Of the Love of the World reproved,” -in which he discusses the eating of pork by the -Turks:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“But for one piece they thought it hard</div> - <div class='line'>From the whole hog to be debarred.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><b>Got my Back up.</b> In allusion to cats, which set up their -backs on being confronted by their own species or by -a ferocious dog.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Got my Dander up.</b> The word <em>dander</em> here is a corruption -of dandruff, which, though it means only the scurf -on the head, has come to be curiously applied to the -hair itself; as when the fur of enraged animals is -raised.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Got the Bullet.</b> Suddenly discharged from one’s occupation; -“fired out,” as it were.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Got the Push.</b> Ousted from one’s place of employment. -Metaphorically to have been pushed off the premises.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Got the Sack.</b> An expression derived from the sack in -which mechanics and artisans generally carried their -own tools. When engaged to work the tools were -assigned to a proper place in the workshop, while the -master took possession of the sack. On discharging -his men he returned them the sack.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go to.</b> An Old English expression which leaves something -to the imagination. Originally it must have implied a -place where there is much caloric. In its popular -acceptation it meant simply “Get along with you!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go to Bath.</b> An expression signifying that a person -is talking nonsense. When the west of England -was the fashionable health resort silly and slightly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>demented folk were recommended to “Go to Bath, -and get your head shaved.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go to Bungay.</b> The curt answer received by persons who -asked where they could get the once fashionable leather -breeches. Bungay, in Suffolk, was the only place -where they were made. This expression travelled -over to New England with the first emigrants, and is -still common in that portion of the United States.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go to Jericho.</b> Jericho was the name given by Henry VIII. -to the Manor of Blackmore, near Chelmsford, whither -he often retired quite suddenly from affairs of State. -At such times his courtiers suspected some fresh freak -of gallantry, and said he had “gone to Jericho.” Moreover, -when in a testy mood, his Queen would tell him -to “go to Jericho!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Go to Putney.</b> A very old expression, tantamount to consigning -a person beyond the pale of London society or -civilisation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Got out of Bed the wrong Way.</b> From the old superstition -that planting the left foot on the ground first -on rising in the morning was a harbinger of ill luck -for the day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GOVERNMENTSTOCK'></a><b>Government Stock.</b> The origin of the word Stock is interesting. -Down to the year 1782, when the practice -was abolished, public money invested in Government -securities was acknowledged on the two opposite ends -of a piece of wood called a stock, from the Anglo-Saxon -<em>stocc</em>, a trunk. The stock was then cut in two, -one portion being handed to the investor and the -other consigned to the Tally Office.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gower Street.</b> After the name of the builder on this portion -of the Bedford estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gowk.</b> The Scottish equivalent for an “April Fool,” -signifying a foolish person.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gracechurch Street.</b> From the herb market anciently held -around the Church of St Benet, called the Grass -Church. This edifice has in modern times been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>pulled down, and the money realised for the site devoted -to the erection of a new St Benet’s in the Mile -End Road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gramercy.</b> From <em>grand merci</em>, “great thanks,” a phrase -introduced when French was the language of the -Court.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Granby Street.</b> In honour of John Manners, Marquis of -Granby, whose name is also perpetuated by many a -tavern sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grand Hotel.</b> Not in the sense of magnificence, but true -to the French meaning of the word “great”; hence -Grand Theatre, the Grand Tour, and the Grand Canal -at Venice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grand Old Man.</b> The name applied by Mr Labouchere to -Mr W. E. Gladstone on the occasion of Mr Bradlaugh’s -expulsion from the House after his election for Northampton -because he refused to take the oath in the -prescribed manner. Referring to a conversation in -the tea-room Mr Labouchere said: “I told some -friends that before I left Mr Gladstone came to me, -and that grand old man, with tears in his eyes, took -me by the hands, and said: ‘Mr Labouchere, bring me -Mr Bradlaugh back again.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grand Tour.</b> More than a hundred years ago each of the -sons of gentlemen in their turn made the Grand or -Extended Tour through France, Germany, and Italy, -just as nowadays daughters are presented at Court as -a preliminary to moving in fashionable society.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grange Road.</b> Marks the situation of an old mansion called -“The Grange.” The word Grange expresses the French -for a barn or granary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Granite State.</b> New Hampshire, from its staple product.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grapes.</b> An inn or public sign, denoting that the house -contained a vinery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grass Widow.</b> A married woman separated from her -husband, but not divorced. In the eyes of the world -she passes for a widow by grace of courtesy. The -<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>correct description is, therefore, a “Grace Widow.” -The corruption came about quite easily.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grays.</b> Anciently the estate of the noble family who gave -their name to Gray’s Inn, their town mansion. Lady -Jane Grey came of this stock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gray’s Inn.</b> The Inn or mansion of the Earls Gray, made -over to the law students, <em>temp.</em> Edward III. See -“Inn.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gray’s Inn Road.</b> From Gray’s Inn, the eastern wall of -which it skirts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Bear Lake.</b> On account of its situation under the -northern constellation of the Great Bear.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Belt.</b> The great strait leading to the Baltic Sea. -Both these names are derived from the Norse <em>bält</em>, -strait.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great College Street.</b> At the southern extremity of this -thoroughfare in Camden Town stands the Royal -Veterinary College.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Coram Street.</b> From the Foundling Hospital built -and endowed by Captain Thomas Coram in 1739.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Dover Street.</b> The London portion of the old -Roman highway to Dover.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great George Street.</b> Stands on the site of the stable-yard -of a famous old coaching inn, “The George and -Dragon.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Marlborough Street.</b> In honour of the Duke of -Marlborough, the people’s idol after the victory of -Blenheim.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Ormond Street.</b> After the British General, James -Butler, second Duke of Ormond.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Peter Street.</b> Contiguous to Westminster Abbey, -dedicated to St Peter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Portland Street.</b> The business thoroughfare on the -Duke of Portland’s estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Queen Street.</b> First laid out across the fields in the -time of Queen Elizabeth, and named after her.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span><b>Great Russell Street.</b> In honour of the ill-fated Lord -William Russell, whose wife, Rachel, was the daughter -of the Duke of Bedford, the great ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great St Helen’s.</b> Occupies the site of the ancient priory -of St Helen’s, of which the church remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great St Thomas Apostle.</b> Marks the site of a vanished -church of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Stanhope Street.</b> From the mansion of Philip Stanhope, -Earl of Chesterfield.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Suffolk Street.</b> After Suffolk House, in which resided -George Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Sutton Street.</b> Perpetuates the memory of Thomas -Sutton, the founder of the Charter House.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Titchfield Street.</b> After the Duke of Grafton and -Marquis of Titchfield, father of the Earl of Euston, the -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Winchester Street.</b> From Winchester House, the -residence of the first Earl of Winchester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Great Windmill Street.</b> A couple of centuries ago, when -this district was open fields, a large windmill stood -hereabouts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greece.</b> Called <em>Græcia</em> by the Romans, after the <em>Graikoi</em>, -a tribe of settlers in Epiros.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greek Street.</b> At one time a colony of Greek merchants -who contributed to the erection of a Greek church -here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greenaway Gardens.</b> After the late Miss Kate Greenaway, -the lady artist, who resided in its vicinity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greenbacks.</b> The paper currency of the United States, -printed in green and with a device of the same colour -on the back. Mr Chase, Secretary of the Treasury in -1862, claimed the honour of having added this word -to the American vocabulary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Dragon.</b> <a id='corr123.34'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='In'>An</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_123.34'><ins class='correction' title='In'>An</ins></a></span> inn sign anciently depicting the combat -of St George with the dragon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span><b>Greengage.</b> The greenish plum introduced to England by -Lord Gage from the monastery of La Chartreuse in -France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greengrocer.</b> See “<a href='#GROCER'>Grocer</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greenhorn.</b> A raw, inexperienced youth. The allusion -here is to the undeveloped horns of a young ox.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Horse.</b> The nickname of the 5th Dragoon Guards, -from their green facings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greenland.</b> From the moss which grows abundantly in -this otherwise sterile region. Iceland or Greenland -moss is said to be very efficacious in the treatment of -consumption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Man.</b> An inn sign denoting that the house was -kept by a retired gamekeeper of the lord of the -manor. Mediæval gamekeepers always dressed in -green. See “<a href='#INN'>Inn</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Man and Still.</b> A tavern sign pointing to the existence -on the premises of a still where cordials were -distilled from green herbs. In this case the house -was not kept by a gamekeeper, but by a herbalist. It -may, however, have belonged to an innkeeper or a -“Green Man” further afield on the same estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Mountain State.</b> Vermont, as its name implies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Park.</b> On account of its delightful grassy surface.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green-room.</b> From the green-coloured walls of the room -set apart by David Garrick behind the scenes of Drury -Lane Theatre for members of the company in the -intervals of playing their parts. This colour was -chosen as a relief to the eye after the glare of the -stage lights.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Green Sea.</b> From the aspect of its waters looking towards -the shores of Arabia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greenwich.</b> Expresses the Saxon for “green village.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grenadiers.</b> Anciently a company of soldiers who marched -in front of every regiment of foot, it being their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>function to throw hand-grenades into the ranks of the -enemy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gresham Street.</b> After Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of -the Royal Exchange. His residence in Old Broad -Street, on the site of the present Gresham House, was -converted by him into a college, which in 1843 was -removed into Gresham Street. The word Gresham -comes from the German <em>Grassheim</em>, “grass home”; -hence the grasshopper on the summit of the Royal -Exchange.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greville Street.</b> Marks the site of the mansion of Fulke -Greville, Lord Brooke, one of the ministers of -James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grey Friars.</b> See “<a href='#FRANCISCANS'>Franciscans</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Greyhound.</b> An inn sign derived from the badge of Henry -VII. The dog of this name originally came from -Greece, and was accordingly styled a <em>graihund</em>, after -the <em>Graikoi</em>, the people of that country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gripsack.</b> An Americanism for a travellers’ hand-bag, -corresponding to an English carpet bag.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grisette.</b> A generic name for a Parisian shop or work -girl, from the <em>gris</em>, or grey cloth, which was at one -time generally worn by the inferior classes in France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GROCER'></a><b>Grocer.</b> A term derived from the same root as <em>Gross</em>, “the -great hundred,” and applied to a provision dealer who -in former times was the only trader rejoicing in the -monopoly of dealing in large quantities.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grocery.</b> An Americanism for a grocer’s store or shop. -Also used in the plural sense for commodities dealt in -by a grocer; corresponding to our “groceries.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grog.</b> The name originally given by the sailors under -Admiral Edward Vernon to the rum diluted with water -he served out to them on board ship. They called -him “Old Grog” because he always appeared on deck -in a long grogram cloak when the weather was “dirty.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Groggery.</b> An Americanism for a “grog shop” where -<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>spirituous liquors only are purveyed; answering to our -“Gin Palace.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Grosvenor Square.</b> The centre of the London estate of -the Grosvenor family. Sir Richard Grosvenor was -Grand Cup-bearer to George II. The word Grosvenor -is Norman-French--<em>i.e.</em> <em>Le Gros Veneur</em>, “the chief -hunter.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Groundlings.</b> The common spectators at the plays referred -to by Hamlet in his “Advice to the Players.” The -earliest London playhouses were the inn-yards, whose -galleries corresponded to our box tiers, while the yard -itself was given up to the audience generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Growler.</b> A four-wheeled cab, so called from the surly -manners of the driver. Since the advent of the -“Hansom” his vehicle is rarely in request, save when -the “fare” has much luggage to convey to a railway -station or when a patient is being driven to the -hospital.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guadalquiver.</b> From the Arabic <em>Wad-al-Kebir</em>, “great -river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guildford Street.</b> After Francis North, Lord Keeper, who -resided in it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guildhall.</b> The Hall of the City Guilds. The old word -Guild expressed the fee paid for membership in an -association of artisans; from the Anglo-Saxon <em>gild</em>, -money, <em>gildan</em>, to pay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guinea.</b> A West African term for “abounding in gold.” -The English coin of this name was first struck in -1663 out of gold brought from the coast of Guinea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guinea Fowl.</b> Originally brought from Guinea, West -Africa.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guinea Pig.</b> A South American rodent, somewhat resembling -a pig. Its name is a corruption of <em>Guiana -pig</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gulf of Carpentaria.</b> Discovered by Captain Carpenter, a -Dutch navigator, in 1606.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span><b>Gulf States.</b> Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, -and Texas--all bordering on the Gulf of Mexico.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gulf Stream.</b> The warm equatorial waters of the Amazon -River, which, after coursing round the coasts of South -America and the Gulf of Mexico, make their way -across the Atlantic, direct for the British Isles and -Norway. This ocean stream, never less than forty -miles in breadth, is distinguished by a deep indigo -colour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gunnersbury.</b> The name of a Saxon village, after the Lady -Gunylda, a niece of King Canute, who took up her -residence here while England was under the sway of -the Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gutta-percha.</b> A Malay term, <em>gutta</em>, gum, and <em>percha</em>, the -tree which provides it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gutter Lane.</b> A corruption of “Gutheron Lane,” from a -Danish burgher who resided in it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Guy’s Hospital.</b> The generous benefaction of Thomas -Guy, a wealthy Lombard Street bookseller, in 1722. -His large fortune was chiefly due to the buying up, at -a large discount, of seamen’s prize-money tickets, and -investing the proceeds in South-Sea Stock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Gyp.</b> The college servitor at Cambridge, so called because -he subsists on the perquisites of those whom he -waits upon. <em>Gyp</em> expresses the Greek for a vulture.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>H</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Haberdasher.</b> Anciently one who sold Hapertas cloth, -a mixture of silk and wool. In modern times a -haberdasher is a vendor of smallwares, such as -handkerchiefs, neckties, tapes, etc. The origin of -the word Hapertas has been traced to the Anglo-Saxon -<em>Habihr das</em>: “Will you buy this?” a trader’s -exclamation similar to that of the London ’prentice of -a later period: “What do you lack?” However this -may be, the German <em>tauschen</em> stands for sale, exchange, -barter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span><b>Hack Author.</b> See “<a href='#HACKNEYCOACH'>Hackney Coach</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hackney.</b> The whole of this district originally belonged -to a Danish Chief named Hacon. The suffix <em>ey</em> -expresses an island--<em>i.e.</em> land intersected by rivulets -(in this case of the Lea)--or low, marshy ground. -The suggestion that coaches were first let out for hire -in this neighbourhood is not correct. See “<a href='#HACKNEYCOACH'>Hackney Coach</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HACKNEYCOACH'></a><b>Hackney Coach.</b> One let out for hire. In France a -<em>coche-a-haquenée</em> expresses a coach drawn by a hired -horse. Originally the word <em>haquenée</em> meant any kind -of horse but a thoroughbred. The Dutch <em>hakkenei</em> -means hack horse, an ambling nag. From the French -<em>haquenée</em> we have derived the term hack author, or -literary hack, one whose services are hired for poor -pay by a bookseller.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Haggerston.</b> A Saxon village called “<em>Hergotstein</em>,” “Our -God’s Stone.” The stone is believed to have had -relation to a miraculous well, beside which an altar -was set up.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hague.</b> Properly, according to the Dutch name of the -place, <em>Gravenhaag</em>, the ancient seat of the <em>Gravs</em> or -Counts of Holland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HAIL'></a><b>Hail.</b> An exclamation of greeting derived from the -Anglo-Saxon <em>hæl</em>, “health.” The Scandinavian <em>heill</em> -expressed the same sentiment. See “<a href='#WASSAIL'>Wassail</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Halberd.</b> From two Teutonic words, <em>hild</em>, battle, and <em>bard</em>, -axe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Halcyon Days.</b> Days of peace and tranquillity. This was -the name anciently given to the seven days before and -after the shortest day, because, according to fable, -there were always calms at sea during this period -while the halcyon or kingfisher birds were breeding.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Half-and-half.</b> Originally a mixture in equal proportions -of strong ale and small beer. In modern days it -consists of half ale and half porter. See “<a href='#ENTIRE'>Entire</a>” and -“<a href='#PORTER'>Porter</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span><b>Half Moon Street.</b> After an ancient tavern, “The Half -Moon,” which stood in this neighbourhood. This -sign was derived from the crescent or ensign of the -Turks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Halfpenny.</b> The original penny pieces were deeply indented -crosswise, so that halfpennies and farthings -(or fourthlings) could easily be broken off, as occasion -demanded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Half Seas Over.</b> A nautical phrase applied to a drunken -man staggering along, who is in danger of falling to -the ground at any moment. When a ship has all her -sails spread a sudden change in the direction of the -wind often threatens to lay her on her side.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Halifax.</b> A corruption of the Saxon “Haligfock,” from -<em>halig</em>, holy, and <em>fock</em>, people. For what reason the -inhabitants of this place were considered more saintly -than people elsewhere local tradition does not say. -Halifax in Nova Scotia was named, on the foundation -of the city in 1749, by the Hon. Edward Cornwallis, -after the Earl of Halifax.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='GIBBETLAW'></a><b>Halifax Gibbet Law.</b> An ancient enactment for the protection -of the local woollen manufacture. Owing to the -systematic theft by the employées in the trade of -material supplied to them, it was found that the fabric -lacked body and weight. To put a stop to this pilfering -a law was passed, making the theft of anything -whatsoever, to the value to thirteen pence halfpenny, -subject to the death penalty. On conviction before a -magistrate the thief was publicly executed on the -next market day. The mode of execution was not by -hanging, but by beheading, the instrument used being -a kind of guillotine. Taylor, the Water Poet, speaks -of this</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Jyn that wondrous quick and well,</div> - <div class='line'>Sends thieves all headless into heaven or hell.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><b>Hallelujah.</b> From the Hebrew <em>halelu</em>, “praise ye,” and -<em>Iah</em>, “Jehovah.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hallelujah Victory.</b> That gained by the newly baptised -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>Bretons under Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, in 429. -As they marched to the attack they cried “Hallelujah!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hall Mark.</b> The test mark of Goldsmiths’ Hall stamped -upon gold and silver plate as a guarantee of its purity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hamiltonian System.</b> A novel method of teaching languages, -invented by James Hamilton, a merchant, -whose death took place at Dublin, 1831. The -peculiarity of this system was that it dispensed with -the initiatory grammatical stages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hamilton Place.</b> After Colonel James Hamilton, Ranger -of Hyde Park, <em>temp.</em> Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hammer and Scourge of England.</b> The sobriquet of Sir -William Wallace, the Scottish warrior patriot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hammer and Tongs.</b> A corruption of “Hammer and -Tongues.” A wordy warfare is well described as a -hammering of tongues; hence the saying: “They -went at it hammer and tongs” (tongues).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hammer-cloth.</b> It has been suggested that this is the -covering for the box-seat of a coach that contained -the hammer, bolts, nails, etc., useful to remedy a -breakdown on a journey. The true meaning of the -term is, however, that it is properly “Hammock-cloth,” -the driver’s seat being formed of stout straps or -webbing stretched upon crutches, after the fashion -of a sailor’s hammock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hammered.</b> A stockbroker is said to be “hammered” -when he is driven out of the Stock Exchange on -account of his failure to meet his liabilities.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hammersmith.</b> Originally <em>Hammerschmiede</em>, literally Saxon -for blacksmith’s shop. In the early periods of its -history this village had a great number of smithies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HAMPSHIRE'></a><b>Hampshire</b> (or <b>Hants</b>). The shire of the Hamptune, -Hantone, or Anton, which river gives its name to the -county town and “Southampton Water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hampstead.</b> From “Homestead,” signifying the enclosed -property--<em>i.e.</em> farm buildings--of a rural mansion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span><b>Hampton.</b> From the Saxon <em>heim</em>, home, to which <em>ton</em> or -town was added. “Hampton Wick” expresses the -village home on a creek.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hampton Court.</b> In the thirteenth century the manor of -Hampton belonged to the Knights of St John -of Jerusalem. Cardinal Wolsey built himself a -sumptuous palace here, and lived in luxurious style. -Eventually he presented it to Henry VIII., since -whose time Hampton Court has remained Crown -property. The last monarch who resided here was -George II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hand in your Checks.</b> An Americanism for dying, giving -up the ghost; meaning properly to make your will and -settle your earthly affairs. All over the United States -it is the custom at German restaurants to give a certain -amount of credit to known regular patrons, who now -and again are asked to hand in their checks or -vouchers for settlement.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HANDKEYCHIEF'></a><b>Handkerchief.</b> Anciently a kerchief, which term was a -corruption of “Coverchef,” from the French <em>couvrir</em>, to -cover, and <em>chef</em>, the head, reserved for hand use in -wiping the face, and carried in the left sleeve of the -garment. At a later period, until the reign of Elizabeth, -when pockets came into vogue, the handkerchief -found a place in the pouch worn on the left side of -the girdle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Handsel Monday.</b> The first Monday in the New Year, -when <em>handsels</em> or gifts were bestowed upon servants. -The word “Handsel” is Anglo-Saxon, meaning the -delivery of something into another’s hands; also the -first instalment of a series of payments as an earnest -of good faith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Handyman.</b> The modern designation of a bluejacket or -man-of-war’s-man. Since 1882, when, after the bombardment -of Alexandria, he was sent ashore to cooperate -with our troops in Egypt, he has proved -himself not only an expert fighting man with the -cutlass and musket, but an agile auxiliary to the -artillery--in short, a handy man in all respects.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span><b>Hangbird.</b> The Baltimore oriole, which suspends its nest -from a tree branch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered.</b> The former capital -sentence for treason. The criminal was drawn to the -place of execution upon a hurdle, hanged, and his body -was hewn into four quarters, each being spiked in a -public place as an example to the multitude. This -quartering was substituted, in the fifty-fourth year of -the reign of George III., for the disembowelling of the -hanged criminal while he was yet alive.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hang of the Thing.</b> An Americanism for the mechanism -or the understanding of a thing--<em>e.g.</em> “I can’t get the -hang of the thing nohow.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hanover Square.</b> In honour of the Hanoverian Succession, -because laid out and built upon in the reign of -George I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hansards.</b> Parliamentary debates and papers, so called -because they were printed by Luke Hansard and his -successors from the year 1752 until comparatively -recent days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hanse Towns.</b> Those towns of Northern Germany embraced -by the Hansa or Hanseatic League, as long ago -as the thirteenth century, for the protection of commerce -against pirates at sea and marauders on land. -The word <em>Hansa</em> is Gothic for a league, society, -federation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hans Place.</b> After Sir Hans Sloane, the original ground -landlord. See “<a href='#SLOANESQUARE'>Sloane Square</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hansom Cab.</b> The “Safety Cab” patented in 1883 by -Joseph Aloysius Hansom. This was not so much an -improvement upon the Four-Wheeler as a horse-drawn -adaptation of the invalids’ chair introduced at Brighton -at the commencement of the century. See “<a href='#FLY'>Fly</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hants.</b> See “<a href='#HAMPSHIRE'>Hampshire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HANWAYSTREET'></a><b>Hanway Street.</b> Here resided Jonas Hanway, the founder -of Magdalen Hospital, who, newly arrived in England -from Persia, and in delicate health, excited much -<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>ridicule because he was the first male pedestrian to -carry an umbrella through the London streets as a -protection against the rain. Hackney coachmen were -especially wrath at this innovation, foreseeing that -their business would be ruined if it caught on with the -public.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Happify.</b> An Americanism for to make happy--<em>e.g.</em> “One -ought to try to happify mankind.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hapsburg.</b> The name of the Imperial family of Austria, -derived from <em>Habichtsburg</em>, or “Hawk’s Castle,” built -by Werner, Bishop of Strasburg, on the right bank of -the Aar, in the Swiss canton of the Aargau--<em>i.e.</em> country -of the Aar River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hard pushed.</b> See “<a href='#HARDUP'>Hard up</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hard-shell Baptists.</b> The American term for the hard and -strait-laced sect of Baptists; corresponding to that -which in England is designated the “Particular -Baptists.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HARDUP'></a><b>Hard up.</b> The allusion is to being pushed hard by circumstances -into a tight corner.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harem.</b> Expresses the Arabic for “Sacred Spot.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harewood Square.</b> From the town house of the Earls of -Harewood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harlequin.</b> From the Italian <em>arlechino</em>, a satirist, a jester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harlequinade.</b> The comic scenes of a pantomime. In the -original form of this entertainment the Harlequinade -was by far the longer portion, and the principal -character was Harlequin, the lover of Columbine. -To his ingenuity in evading the clown and pantaloon, -and confusing them by wondrous changeful tricks -brought about by his magic wand, the success of the -good old English pantomime was due. Speaking -clowns did not come into existence before the days of -Grimaldi.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harley Street.</b> After Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and -Mortimer, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span><b>Harmonium.</b> From the sustained harmonies produced on -this wind instrument by means of the keys and -finger-board.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harold Harefoot.</b> Harold I., the Saxon King of England, -surnamed “Harefoot” because he was fleet of foot as -a hare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harpsichord.</b> An old form of pianoforte, so called because -it was a harp encased longitudinally, and its chords -were produced by the player on a key or finger board.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harpur Street.</b> After Sir William Harpur, Lord Mayor in -1562, the owner of a considerable estate in this -neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harrier.</b> A dog specially suited for hunting the hare owing -to his keen scent; also one who engages in a foot -race according to the rule that each individual contestant -makes for the goal by a different route.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harringay.</b> Expresses a neighbourhood or district abounding -in hares.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harrington Square.</b> The property of one of the Earls of -Harrington, whose daughter married the seventh Duke -of Bedford.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hart Street.</b> Both these thoroughfares, in Bloomsbury -and off Drury Lane, received their names from an -adjacent inn sign, “The White Hart.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harum-scarum.</b> One who is such a fright that he scares -all beholders, causing them to fly from him with the -swiftness of a hare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harvard <a id='corr134.28'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Uuiversity'>University</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_134.28'><ins class='correction' title='Uuiversity'>University</ins></a></span>.</b> The foundation and endowment -of the Rev. John Harvard at Cambridge, Massachusetts, -in 1638.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Harvest Festival.</b> This distinctly religious observance by -way of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth really -originated in or grew out of the Harvest Supper which -landlords were accustomed to give their tenants after -the harvest had been gathered in, because what was -the ancient “Lammas Day” fell into abeyance at the -Reformation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span><b>Harz Mountains.</b> Both these mountain ranges are for the -most part forest clad. <em>Harz</em> is Old Saxon for wood, -forest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hasn’t a Leg to stand on.</b> A figurative expression applied -to one whose argument has no support or firm basis.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Has the true Ring.</b> A phrase generally applied to poetry, -in allusion to the common test of genuine or debased -coin by “ringing” it on a board or table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hatton Garden.</b> Laid out across the extensive grounds -attached to Hatton House, in which resided Sir -Christopher Hatton, the Chancellor of Queen -Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hauled over the Coals.</b> An expression dating back to the -Ordeal by Fire, where persons accused of a crime were -made to walk barefooted over red-hot iron shares or -glowing embers. If they did so unharmed that was -considered a proof of their innocence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hautboy.</b> From the French <em>hautbois</em>, literally “high wood,” -being a high-toned reed instrument.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Havelock.</b> The white cloth forming part of the military -cap as a protection against the scorching rays of the -sun, introduced by General Havelock during the -Indian Mutiny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HAVERSACK'></a><b>Haversack.</b> Provincial English for Oatsack, derived from -the German <em>habersack</em>. The word <em>hafre</em>, oats, is -Scandinavian.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Haverstock Hill.</b> From a stockaded dwelling among the -oats. See “<a href='#HAVERSACK'>Haversack</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Havre.</b> Originally “Le Havre de Notre Dame de Grace,” -the Harbour of Our Lady of Mercy, afterwards -shortened into “Havre de Grace.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hawker.</b> From the German <em>hoken</em>, to carry on the back. -A pedlar who carried his wares in a sack over his -shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hawkeye State.</b> Iowa, owing to the sanguinary conflicts -with the savage tribe led by the chief “Hawkeye.” -Its people are called “Hawkeyes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span><b>Hawthorn.</b> Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “hedge thorn.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Haydon Square.</b> After the ground landlord, John Heydon, -Alderman of the city of London towards the close of -the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HAYHILL'></a><b>Hay Hill.</b> Marks the situation, together with Hill Street -and Farm Street, of an old farm on the lands of John, -Lord Berkeley of Stratton, <em>temp.</em> Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Haymarket.</b> Where hay was sold in open market prior to -January 1831.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hayti.</b> West Indian for “mountainous country.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hazing.</b> An Americanism for a mad sport or frolic. -Specifically it expresses the tricks played upon, and -the ignominious treatment meted out to, an unpopular -comrade in the army and the Military Schools; what -in our own country is called “Ragging.” Like most -other Americanisms, the word cannot be explained on -etymological grounds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hear, Hear.</b> A modern form of the ancient parliamentary -exclamation “Hear him!” to enjoin silence while a -Member was addressing the House.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hearse.</b> From the French <em>herse</em> and German <em>hirsch</em>. Both -these terms expressed a harrow or triangular candlestick -set at the head of a coffin at a funeral service in -church. At a later period they implied a sepulchral -mound temporarily distinguished by a triangular stake -setting forth a number or other identification mark. -The modern application of the term to a vehicle specially -designed for the conveyance of a body to the grave -was an easy transition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heart-breakers.</b> Artificial ringlets formerly worn by ladies -to enhance their beauty. It is said that the most inveterate -woman-hater was not proof against the attraction -of these Heart-breakers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heathen.</b> Literally a dweller on a heath in the open -country. The Romans applied the term to those who, -having no communion with the dwellers in cities, were -cut off from all knowledge of their complicated system -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>of mythology. When Rome became converted to -Christianity the untutored inhabitants of the country -at large were the last to receive the Gospel. A heathen -nation therefore, in a religious sense, is one far removed -from civilisation, which offers a fruitful field for -missionary work.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heaven-sent Minister.</b> William Pitt, first Earl of Chatham, -one of the most eminent statesmen that England has -ever possessed. His intense love of his own country -prompted him to measures which made the success of -British arms pre-eminent. Had his colleagues during -the later portion of his career been actuated by the -same patriotism as himself, and heeded his warnings, -our American colonies might never have separated -from the Mother Country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heavy Hill.</b> Holborn Hill, because the hearts of those -riding in the fatal cart to the place of execution at -Tyburn were heavily laden.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>“He” Bible.</b> The first edition of the Authorised Version, -containing a typographical error in Ruth iii. 15: “And -<em>he</em> went into the city.” The subsequent edition, published -in the same year, in which the passage was rectified, -became known as “The ‘She’ Bible.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hebrews.</b> Said to be descendants of Eber, the great-grandson -of Shem, one of the ancestors of Abraham. -The greater probability, however, is that the term has -been derived from the native <em>ebher</em>, the region on the -other side--<em>i.e.</em> of the Euphrates.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hebrides.</b> Expresses the “Western Isles” of the Norwegians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hector.</b> To swagger, bully, treat with insolence, after -Hector, the celebrated Trojan warrior. From the -known character of this hero of antiquity it is not easy -to conceive that he could ever have been a braggart. -The inference is rather that this word in its accepted -sense was derived from the brutal manner in which -Achilles treated the body of Hector after he had -slain him in single combat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span><b>Hedge Priest.</b> Specifically in Ireland an itinerant cleric -unattached to any mission; one admitted to Holy -Orders without having studied theology.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hedge School.</b> An open-air school in the poor rural districts -of Ireland beside a hedge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HEEL'></a><b>Heel of Achilles.</b> When Thetis, the mother of Achilles, -dipped her son in the River Styx to make him invulnerable -the water laved every portion of his body -save that by which she held him. It was <a id='corr138.9'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='accordingingly'>accordingly</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_138.9'><ins class='correction' title='accordingingly'>accordingly</ins></a></span> -in the heel that he received his mortal wound.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heir Apparent.</b> The rightful heir to the crown, whose -succession is beyond a doubt provided he survives -the reigning monarch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heir-Presumptive.</b> The presumed heir to the crown provided -no child in the direct line of succession is born -to supersede his claim.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heligoland.</b> Danish for “Holy Land,” which name was -bestowed upon it after the conversion of its people -by St Willibrod in the seventh century. A great many -conventual establishments sprang up on the soil, but -the encroachments of the sea had swept them away by -the seventeenth century. Prior to their conversion -the <em>Anglii</em> were wont to repair to this isle from the -opposite mainland for the worship of the goddess -Hertha, also known as Foseta, of whose temple it is -said some ruins yet remain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HELIOTROPE'></a><b>Heliotrope.</b> From the Greek <em>helios</em>, sun, and <em>tropos</em>, to turn. -The flowers of this plant are said always to turn -towards the sun.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hello Girls.</b> A nickname popularly bestowed upon the -telephone girls in the Post Office Department at -St Martin’s-le-Grand.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hellespont.</b> The older name of the “Dardanelles,” where -Helle in fleeing from her stepmother was drowned. -This occurred at the point where Xerxes with his -army had crossed the strait on a temporary bridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span><b>Hell Kettles.</b> Three very deep pits full of water at Oxenhall, -Durham. The people of the neighbourhood -declare them to be bottomless. They are really disused -coal pits, the water in which cannot be drained -off.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Helmuth the Taciturn.</b> The sobriquet of Count Von -Moltke, Field Marshal of the German Empire, on -account of his habitual reserve.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Helot.</b> The name given by the Spartans to a slave from -the Greek town of <em>Helos</em>, whose inhabitants they -reduced to slavery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Henbane.</b> A plant which is poisonous to poultry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Henchman.</b> A corruption of “Haunchman,” the groom or -servant who out of doors was in constant attendance -upon his master at the flank or haunches of his horse. -See “<a href='#FLUNKEY'>Flunkey</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heneage Lane.</b> After the residence of Sir Thomas Heneage, -Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the -sixteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Henrietta Street.</b> In Covent Garden, after Henrietta -Maria, Queen of Charles I. On the north side of -Oxford Street, after Henrietta Cavendish, who, by her -marriage, carried not only a goodly portion of the -Cavendish estate, but also that of her father, Lord -Holles, into the Harley family.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Henry Irving.</b> See “<a href='#IRVING'>Irving</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heptarchy.</b> The Saxon division of England comprising -Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Essex, East Anglia, Mercia, -and Northumbria, each having originally its own -ruler.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Herculaneum.</b> The foundation of this buried city was -by the Romans traditionally ascribed to Hercules.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hereford.</b> Expresses the Saxon for “army ford” over the -River Wye. During the Heptarchy this was the military -headquarters of Mercia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Heroic Verse.</b> That usually selected for epic poetry, since -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>the exploits of Achilles at the siege of Troy were set -forth by Homer in hexameters.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hertford.</b> Originally “Hartford,” being the ford of the -River Lea crossed by harts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HESABRICK'></a><b>He’s a Brick.</b> This expression, if not quite as old as the -hills, carries us back to the time of Plutarch, who in -his “Lives” gives the following account of its origin:--“On -a certain occasion, an ambassador from Epirus -paid a visit to Argesilaus, King of Sparta, on a mission -of diplomatic importance. By that monarch he was -shown over the capital. But the ambassador failed to -see any massive walls reared to defend the city, and -openly expressed his astonishment to the King. ‘Sire!’ -he said, ‘I have visited most of your principal towns, -and find no walls reared for defence. Why is this?’ -‘Indeed, Sir Ambassador,’ Argesilaus replied, ‘thou -canst not have looked carefully. Come with me to-morrow, -and I will show thee the walls of Sparta.’ On -the following morning the King conducted his guest -out upon the plains, where his army was drawn up -in full battle array, and, proudly pointing to the serried -host, he exclaimed: ‘There, Sir Ambassador, thou -beholdest the walls of Sparta--ten thousand men, and -every man a brick!’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>He’s joined the Majority.</b> See “<a href='#GONEOVER'>Gone over to the Majority</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hessel Street.</b> The recent change from Morgan Street to -Hessel Street in Stepney is accounted for by the -discovery that here a celebrated character, in the -person of Phœbe Hessel, was born. For many years -she served as a private soldier in the Fifth Regiment of -Foot, and fought at the Battle of Fontenoy, in which -engagement she was wounded. A long inscription on -her tombstone in Brighton churchyard would have us -believe that she was at the time of her death, 21st -December 1821, no less than one hundred and eight -years of age.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hessian.</b> An Americanism for a hireling, a fighter for pay, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>a mercenary politician. The Hessian soldiers have -always been ready to enlist in a foreign service for -pay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hessian Fly.</b> An insect which has caused the utmost -destruction among young wheat in North America, so -called because it was said to have been introduced by -the Hessian troops in their horse straw during the -Revolution.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hetman.</b> The Russian title of the general or headman of -the Cossacks, derived from the Tartar <em>Ataman</em>. This -too supplies the origin of the German <em>Hauptmann</em>, -captain, chief, or headman of a village.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hibernia.</b> See “<a href='#IRELAND'>Ireland</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hickory.</b> See “<a href='#OLDHICKORY'>Old Hickory</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hicksite Friends.</b> An American offshoot of the Society of -Friends or Quakers under Elias Hicks in 1827.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Highbury.</b> From the <em>bury</em> or enclosed land belonging to -the Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Clerkenwell. -In 1271 they built a priory here, of which the barn -remained standing until modern days. Compared with -the low-lying district round about, this was elevated -ground.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Highbury Barn.</b> Originally a cake and ale house contiguous -to the ancient barn of the Clerkenwell Priory. -This place of public resort developed into a theatre in -1865; subsequently it degenerated into a dancing -saloon, and was finally abolished in 1875.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Highfalutin.</b> A corruption of “high-flighting.” This -word originated in the western states of North -America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Highgate.</b> The village that sprang up around the ancient -toll gate on the road from London to Barnet. The -tolls levied here were for the benefit of the Bishop -of London. Even in our time this elevated situation -commands a good view of London. The absurd ceremony -of “swearing on the horns” was formerly imposed -on all travellers passing through the gate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span><b>High Seas.</b> The great ocean highways out of sight of -land and common to mariners of all nations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HIGHTEA'></a><b>High Tea.</b> A substantial meat tea towards the close of -the day in place of the fashionable set dinner. This -is the invariable custom in Germany. In English it is -usual to designate such a meal as a “Knife and Fork -Tea.” See “<a href='#HIGHTIME'>High Time</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HIGHTIME'></a><b>High Time.</b> A phrase employed in the same sense as High -Street, High Seas, Highway, etc.--<em>i.e.</em> great. The -German word for wedding is <em>Hochzeit</em>, literally a “high -time.” In America the expression for a festive occasion -or a pleasurable trip is “a good time.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hilary Term.</b> In law the sittings of the Courts from -11th to 13th January, so called from the festival of -St Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, on the latter date.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hill Street.</b> See “<a href='#HAYHILL'>Hay Hill</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Himalaya Mountains.</b> From the Sanskrit <em>hima</em>, snow, and -<em>alaya</em>, abode.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hinde Street.</b> After James Hinde, a speculative builder, -who more than a century ago laid out many of the -streets now covering what was the estate of Marylebone -Park.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hindustan.</b> Agreeably to the Persian <em>stan</em>, the country -traversed by the Hindu or Indus; both terms are derived -from the Sanskrit <em>Sindhu</em>, “great river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hippodrome.</b> Expresses the Greek for a race-course, from -<em>hippos</em>, a horse, and <em>dromos</em>, a course.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hippocras.</b> A cordial of spiced wine, so called by the -apothecaries because it was supposed to have been -made from the prescription of Hippocrates, the -Father of Medicine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>His Nibs.</b> A corruption of “His Nobs”; used ironically -for “His Highness” in reference to a parvenu or a -conceited upstart.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hispania.</b> See “<a href='#SPAIN'>Spain</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hoboken.</b> Indian for the “smoke pipe,” or pipe of peace. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>This was the place where the chiefs first met the white -settlers, and while passing round the calumet entered -into a friendly treaty.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hobson’s Choice.</b> In the seventeenth century Tobias -Hobson kept a livery stable at Cambridge. When the -students at the University wished to hire a horse for the -day he led out the occupant of the first stall. If they -demurred, he said abruptly: “It’s this one or none.” -So Hobson’s choice settled the question.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hock.</b> The general name for Rhenish wines, but properly -that made at Hockheim on the Maine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hockey.</b> Expresses the diminutive of <em>hook</em>, the club used -in this game being only slightly hooked at the end.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hocking.</b> See “<a href='#HOCKTUESDAY'>Hock Tuesday</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hockley.</b> Anglo-Saxon for a miry field. Clerkenwell was -at one time called “Hockley-in-the-Hole,” after a bear -garden dating from the Restoration period.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HOCKTUESDAY'></a><b>Hock Tuesday.</b> Anciently a high festival throughout -England, in commemoration for the final expulsion -of the Danes, who had ravaged the eastern portions -of our country for more than two centuries. This -occurred on Easter Tuesday 1074. Most of the -Danes were slaughtered off-hand by first hamstringing, -or cutting their hams or houghs, which prevented -them from making for their boats; hence the term -<em>Hock</em> for the festival. The English landlords levied -what was called “Hock Money” on this day from -their tenants, in return for which they treated them to -a good supper. In modern times people stopped -pedestrians in the streets with ropes, and declined to -release them until they had parted with hock money.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hocus-pocus.</b> The gibberish of a conjurer when performing -his tricks; said to have been derived from one Ochus -Bochus, a celebrated wizard of Northern Europe, three -centuries ago. The early conjurers were thought to use -these words as an invocation to this magician. Nowadays -our sleight-of-hand professors dispense with words, -and fire off a pistol, doubtless to prove that they can -do the trick in a crack.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span><b>Hodge.</b> The generic name for a farm labourer; a corruption -of <em>Hedger</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hoist with his own Petard.</b> Caught in his own trap, -blown up with his own engine of destruction. The -petard was an ancient infernal engine filled with gunpowder; -he who fired it stood in great danger of -sacrificing his own life.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holborn.</b> Anciently spelt “Holeburne,” the bourn or -stream in a hollow. This was the River Fleet, which -had an outlet into the Thames. Further north, in -Clerkenwell, it was called “the River of Wells.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holborn Bars.</b> The western limits of the city of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HOLDHARD'></a><b>Hold hard.</b> This exclamation, when the advice really -means to stop or “leave go,” sounds ridiculous. It -originally meant, as it still does in the Emerald Isle, -to keep a firm hold with both hands on the back rail -of an Irish jaunting car lest the rider might be thrown -out of it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hole in the Wall.</b> A tavern sign, derived from the fact -that this house was originally approached either -through an opening made in the ancient city wall -or else through another house that stood in front -of it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holiday.</b> The modern form of “Holy Day,” expressive of -a great feast in the Church calendar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holland.</b> From the Danish <em>ollant</em>, “marshy ground.” The -linen cloth of the same name was first made in -Holland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holland Road.</b> From Holland House, the residence of -Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, <em>temp.</em> Charles I. By -his marriage with the Dowager Countess of Warwick, -widow of Lord Holland, in 1710, Joseph Addison -became nominally master of this noble mansion, and -here he died.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hollands.</b> See “<a href='#GIN'>Gin</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holles Street.</b> In the West End, after John Holles, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>last Duke of Newcastle, whose only daughter by her -marriage carried the entire estate hereabouts into the -possession of the Harleys. In Drury Lane, the name -given by Gilbert, Earl of Clare, whose house stood -in what became Clare Market, in honour of his uncle, -Denzil, Lord Holles, <em>temp.</em> Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holloway.</b> At one time a miry highway in a hollow -between Highbury and Highgate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holloway College.</b> Founded in 1883 for the higher -education of women at Egham, Surrey, by Thomas -Holloway, the pioneer of modern advertising on a -lavish scale.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hollyhock.</b> A species of mallow, called by the Anglo-Saxon -<em>hoc</em>, and first brought to Europe from the Holy -Land. Hence <em>holy-hoc</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holly Village.</b> A modern settlement at Highgate founded -by the Baroness Burdett Coutts-Bartlett but a short -distance removed from her rural retreat known as -Holly Lodge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holy Boys.</b> The regimental nickname of the 9th Foot, -because they sacked monasteries and sold Bibles in -the street during the Peninsular War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holy Cross Day.</b> Otherwise the “Feast of the Exaltation -of the Cross,” 14th September, commemorates, -the restoration of the Cross of Christ to Jerusalem, -<span class='fss'>A.D.</span> 628.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holy Land.</b> Palestine, the scene of the birth, life -labours, and death of the Redeemer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holy Maid of Kent.</b> The name given to Elizabeth -Barton, a poor Kentish servant girl, who, subject to -trances, foretold events, and afterwards entered a -convent at Canterbury. Her fame as a religious -enthusiast increased, until, for pronouncing sentence -against the divorce of Queen Catherine of Aragon, -she, in company with five monks, was hanged at -Tyburn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holyrood Palace.</b> This residence of the ancient kings of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>Scotland grew out of the Abbey of the Holy Rood -built by David I. as the permanent abode of the -Black Rood, brought to Scotland by St Margaret in -1070. This precious relic was a piece of the true -cross set in gold and ebony. It fell into the hands -of the English at the battle of Neville’s Cross in 1344, -after which all trace of it was lost. James II. was -born at Holyrood; here too he was buried. The -foundations of the new palace were laid by James IV. -in 1500.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holywell.</b> From the miraculous well of St Winifred in -Flintshire, the scene of her martyrdom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holywell Lane.</b> Here, in Shoreditch, stood an ancient -Priory of Nuns of St John the Baptist, in the grounds -of which a “sweet, holy well” was discovered.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Holywell Street.</b> This now vanished thoroughfare, east of -the Strand, received its name from a Holy Well close -to the Church of St Clement Danes. That in -Westminster marks the site of the town house of the -Grosvenors, whose rural estates lay around “Holywell” -in Flintshire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Homely.</b> An Americanism for “plain,” “ugly;” applied -to persons only.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Home Office.</b> The official department of the Secretary for -Home--<em>i.e.</em>, internal, Affairs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Homerton.</b> A corruption of “Heimathton,” which expressed -the town that grew out of the Saxon village -styled <em>Heimath</em>, “home” or “native country.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Honduras.</b> Spanish for “deep water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Honey Lane.</b> In this lane stood an ancient market-house -or hall for the sale of honey. Owing to the dearness -of sugar prior to the discovery of America and the -colonisation of the West Indies, honey was in general -request.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Honeymoon.</b> From the custom of the Scandinavians, who -drank Hydromel, or diluted honey, for thirty days -after a marriage feast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span><b>Honiton Lace.</b> A superior kind of “Pillow Lace” made at -Honiton in Devonshire. This industry was introduced -into England by the Lollards, <em>temp.</em> Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Honor Oak.</b> From the famous boundary oak beneath -which Queen Elizabeth once dined. Prior to that -event it bore the name of Gospel Oak, under whose -shade, in common with all other parish boundary oaks, -the Gospel was read there once a year.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hoodlum.</b> A street rough, originally a product of San -Francisco, but now common in New York and most -cities of the American Union. The origin of the term -was thus accounted for by <em>The Congregationalist</em>, -26th September 1877: “A newspaper man in San -Francisco, in attempting to coin a word to designate a -gang of young street Arabs under the beck of one -named ‘Muldoon,’ hit upon the idea of dubbing them -<em>Noodlums</em>--that is, simply reversing the leader’s name. -In writing the word the strokes of the <em>N</em> did not -correspond in height, and the compositor, taking the -<em>N</em> for an <em>H</em>, printed it <em>Hoodlum</em>. ‘Hoodlum’ it is, -and probably ever will be.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hoodman Blind.</b> The ancient form of the game of “Blind -Man’s Buff.” Instead of being bandaged the Blind -Man had the hood, which everyone wore, drawn over -his eyes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hook it.</b> A variant of “Sling your Hook.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hook of Holland.</b> From the Dutch <em>hoek</em>, a cape, a corner. -The same perverted designation obtained in all the -early Dutch settlements of New York State, notably -“Sandy Hook.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hooligan.</b> A London rough. This term is of quite modern -date, and clearly an adaptation of that which has -become common all over the United States. See -“Hoodlum.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hooter.</b> A United States corruption of <em>iota</em>. The people -of New York State in particular are addicted to the -saying: “I don’t care a hooter whether I do or not.” -“This note isn’t worth a hooter,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span><b>Hoosier State.</b> Indiana, from the nickname given to its -people. “Hoosier” is really a corruption of <em>Husher</em>, -touching the power of a bully to silence a stranger. -The Hoosiers are noted for their brusque manners. -The state is also called “Hoosierdom.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hopkinsians.</b> An American Calvinistic sect named after -their founder, Samuel Hopkins of Connecticut.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hornbill.</b> A bird distinguished for a horny excrescence on -its bill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horn Book.</b> A primitive text-book for children. It was -really no book at all, but a piece of paper containing -the alphabet, the nine digits, and at times the Lord’s -Prayer, mounted on a small flat board, over which was -stretched a transparent sheet of horn; below was a -handle to hold it by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hornpipe.</b> A lively sailor’s dance, which had its origin in -the west of England to the accompaniment of a Welsh -musical instrument of the same name composed of a -wooden pipe with a horn at each end.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hornsey.</b> A corruption of “Harringsey,” a watered -meadow of hares.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horse Chestnut.</b> Some say this term is a corruption of -“Coarse Chestnut,” in contradistinction to the edible -chestnut; others that these chestnuts were formerly -ground up and given to horses for food.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horseferry Road.</b> Where horses were conveyed across the -Thames on a ferry boat in bygone times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horse Latitudes.</b> A portion of the Atlantic distinguished -for its tedious calms, where old navigators were wont -to throw overboard the horses they had to transport -to the West Indies in order to lighten the ship.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horsleydown.</b> A corruption of “Horsadown”; formerly a -down or hilly ground used for grazing horses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horse Marines.</b> There can be no Horse Marines; but -the 17th Lancers were at one time made to bear this -opprobrious nickname from the circumstance that two -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>men of this regiment had originally served as Marines -on board the <em>Hermione</em> in the West Indies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Horse Shoe.</b> A large public-house at the Oxford Street end -of Tottenham Court Road, this sign being derived from -the trade mark of Messrs Meux’s brewery adjoining.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hose.</b> From the Icelandic <em>hosa</em>, stocking.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hosier Lane.</b> From the hosiers who congregated in it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HOSPICE'></a><b>Hospice.</b> From the Latin <em>hospes</em>, a stranger, guest. This -term is now confined to an Alpine retreat for the reception -of travellers. Elsewhere the French word -Hospital obtains for any establishment set apart for -the temporary accommodation of the poor. Formerly, -however, it implied a lazar-house or a refuge for fallen -women; in its modern sense a hospital is exclusively -an institution for the sick poor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hospice of St Bernard.</b> See “<a href='#BERNADINEHOSPICE'>Bernardine Hospice</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hospital.</b> See “<a href='#HOSPICE'>Hospice</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HOSTELRY'></a><b>Hostelry.</b> From the old French <em>hostellerie</em>, an inn, through -the Latin <em>hospes</em>, a stranger, a guest. The modern -French form is “Hotel,” which implies not only an -establishment for the entertainment of travellers, but -also a superior house or palace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hotel.</b> See “<a href='#HOSTELRY'>Hostelry</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hotel des Invalides.</b> A magnificent establishment in Paris, -originally designed as an asylum for invalided and -disabled soldiers by Henry IV. in 1596. Prior to -that time no provision existed for warriors who had -spent their best energies in their country’s service save -the charity of the monastic institutions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hotspur.</b> The surname of Harry Percy, on account of his -mad courage when mounted on his charger. A man -of fiery, ungovernable temper is said to be “a regular -Hotspur.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Houndsditch.</b> The dry ditch outside the city wall which -was made the receptacle for all kinds of refuse, and -dead dogs in particular.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span><b>Houp la.</b> This exclamation on the part of a circus ringmaster -as the signal for an equestrienne to leap over -horizontal barriers or through paper hoops has been -derived from the Californian stage drivers’ ejaculation -to their horses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Housemaids’ Knee.</b> Housemaids are specially liable to -this affection of the sac under the knee-pan through -kneeling on hard or damp floors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>House of Keys.</b> The Representative Council of the Isle -of Man, so called from the Manx <em>Kiare-as-feed</em>, four -and twenty, this being the number appointed by -statute to form the “Court of Tynwald.” Tynwald is -an artificial mound in the centre of the island whence -a new law has from time immemorial been promulgated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Housewarming.</b> The name given to a party or reception -of guests on taking possession of a newly built mansion. -This was of old a winter function, when the lighting of -large fires in all the rooms for the occasion proved -serviceable in drying the plastered walls and ceilings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Howard Street.</b> From the town house and grounds of the -Howards, Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and -Surrey, that stood on the large plot of ground now -covered by the four streets bearing these names.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Howitzer.</b> A German cannon, properly called a <em>haubitze</em>, -from the Bohemian term <em>haufnice</em>, a sling.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hoxton.</b> Little more than a hundred years ago this district -bore the name of <em>Hogsdon</em> on account of the great -number of pigs bred here. Hog Lane still exists off -the High Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hub.</b> The proud pet name of the city of Boston, the social -centre of the United States, in the same sense as the -hub is a centre for a wheel. The origin of the term is -ascribed to Dr Oliver Wendell Holmes who, in one of -his books spoke of the State House at Boston as “the -hub of the solar system.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hudibrastic Verse.</b> That which is in imitation of the -measure and doggerel style of Samuel Butler’s -“Hudibras.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span><b>Hudson River.</b> After Captain Henry Hudson, who discovered -it in 1609. A year later, when searching for a -north-west passage, he navigated the bay and the -strait named in his honour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Huggin Lane.</b> After Hugan, a wealthy citizen who resided -here, <em>temp.</em> Edward I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Huguenots.</b> The name borne by the adherents of the -Reformation in France, after Hugh, a Genevese -Calvinist, their leader, and the German <em>eidgenossen</em>, -confederates.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hull.</b> From the river upon which it stands. Its ancient -name was Kingston-upon-Hull, a town founded by -Edward I. in 1299.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hull Cheese.</b> A strong ale for which the “Good Old -Town of Hull” was at one time famous. To “eat -Hull cheese” was to get incontinently drunk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hull, Hell, and Halifax.</b> In olden times, before Kingston-upon-Hull -could be approached direct from the -Humber, the River Hull was navigable, as now, only -at high water, and even then it required very skilful -pilotage on account of the many sandbanks at its -mouth; it was therefore dreaded by seafaring men. -Taylor, the Water Poet, wrote: “From Hull, Hell, and -Halifax, good Lord, deliver us!” The reference to -Halifax arose out of the knowledge that in his day a -man could be executed there for stealing property to -the value of thirteen pence halfpenny. See “<a href='#GIBBETLAW'>Halifax Gibbet Law</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Humanitarians.</b> Those who believe in the complete -humanity of Christ, namely--that He was capable of -committing sin like any other mortal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Humble Bee.</b> A corruption of “Humming Bee.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Humbug.</b> The old mode of expressing approbation of a -speech or at the play was by humming, but since the -sincerity of this form of applause could not always be -relied upon, intermingled as it may have been with -suppressed murmurs of disapproval, the word <em>Hum</em> -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>came to be applied to mock admiration or flattery, intended -only to deceive. Hence the saying: “That’s -all hum.” The added word <em>Bug</em> is very old, signifying -a frightful object, a thing to be shunned. To humbug -is to deceive; to prefer candour to humbug is to be -proof against flattery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Humming Bird.</b> So called from the sound caused by the -rapid motion of its wings in flight.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hummums.</b> A hotel in Covent Garden built on the -site of a Persian or Turkish sweating bath so called in -the seventeenth century. The name is Arabic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hundred.</b> A Saxon subdivision of the English shires said -to have been introduced by Alfred the Great. Each -hundred comprised a colony of “ten times ten” families--that -is to say, ten divisions of ten freeholders and -their dependents in each. In all then there were one -hundred champions to defend the common cause. In -legal and ecclesiastical documents relative to lands -such property is still said to be situate in a particular -“hundred” as well as parish.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='HUNGARY'></a><b>Hungary.</b> The country of the Huns, who swarmed over -from Asia and expelled the Goths from this portion of -Europe in the fourth century. When first heard of in -China, about a hundred years previous, the natives -designated them <em>Hiong-nu</em>, signifying “Giants.” These -Huns were really the Mongolian race still known as -the <em>Kalmucks</em>. The suffix <em>gary</em> is a Western modification -of the Teutonic <em>gau</em>, district or country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hungary Water.</b> A perfume, properly called “The Queen -of Hungary’s Water” from the circumstance that the -recipe had been given by a hermit to one of the queens -of Hungary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hung on Wires.</b> An American expression for one suffering -from “nerves,” a nervous or fidgety person.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Huns.</b> See “<a href='#HUNGARY'>Hungary</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Huntingdon.</b> Expresses the shire most favoured for hunting, -this being anciently a vast deer forest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span><b>Hurly-burly.</b> An expression derived from the tumult of -ancient warfare, with especial reference to the hurling -of spears and battle-axes. The witches in <em>Macbeth</em> say:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“When the hurly-burly’s done,</div> - <div class='line'>When the battle’s lost and won.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><a id='HURON'></a><b>Huron.</b> This lake was so called by the French settlers on -account of the profusion of hair of the Indian tribe, -the Wyandots, whom they encountered on its shores. -<em>Hure</em> is French for “head of hair.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hurrah.</b> This exclamation is from the Scandinavian -<em>Hurra</em>, said to have been originally <em>Thor-aie</em>, an -invocation to the god Thor for aid in battle, just as -the battle cry of the Normans was <em>Ha-Rou</em>, in honour -of Rollo.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hurricane.</b> From the West Indian <em>urican</em>, “a violent -wind.” The word was introduced to Europe by seamen, -and so became incorporated in various languages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hurry up.</b> An exclamation derived, both in England and -America, from the custom of eating-house keepers -anxious to expedite the service from the kitchens -below stairs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Husbands’ Boat.</b> The steamboat by which city men and -others go down to Margate for the week-end holiday -in order to join their families who are staying there -for the season.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hussar.</b> Expresses the Hungarian for a “twenty-paid -soldier”--<em>husz</em> meaning twenty, and <em>ar</em> the price of. -When Matthias Corvinus ascended the throne of the -Magyars he decreed that, in order to provide a regular -cavalry, each twenty families must enrol and equip one -mounted soldier free of all cost to the State. An -interesting point in connection with the uniform of -the Hussar regiments everywhere was that they -always allowed the right sleeve of the upper jacket to -hang loose on their backs. This was only in keeping -with the general custom of the Magyar peasantry, who -had the right arm free on all occasions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hussites.</b> The Protestants of Bohemia, after John Huss, -the Reformer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span><b>Hussy.</b> A corruption of “housewife.” The epithet now -implies a slatternly sort of woman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hustings.</b> The ancient name for the Court of Aldermen -in the city of London. In modern days it came to -imply the platform from which candidates for election -delivered their addresses to the populace. The word -<em>Husting</em> expressed the Anglo-Saxon for a council-house: -from the Scandinavian <em>hus</em>, house, and <em>thing</em>, an assembly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hustler.</b> An Americanism for a smart, energetic tradesman, -more especially a caterer or restaurateur, who -hustles about and never keeps his customers waiting. -The word “Hustle” comes from the Dutch <em>hutselen</em>, -to shake together or to and fro.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hyacinth.</b> According to the Greek fable this flower -sprang from the blood of the beautiful youth Hyacinthus, -who, having aroused the jealousy of Zephyr, -received his death-blow at her hands by casting -Apollo’s quoit at his head.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hyde Park.</b> Anciently described as the Hyde Manor -belonging to the Abbots of St Peter’s, Westminster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hyde Park Corner.</b> Of old the western extremity of -London, defined by a toll gate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hydro.</b> Short for a hydropathic establishment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Hythe.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>hithe</em>, a haven.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>I</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Iambic Verse.</b> Poetical satires written in <em>Iambics</em>, or two-syllable -foot measure, were originally so called after -Iambe, an attendant upon one of the queens of Sparta, -who kept a commonplace book of lively, free, and -satirical pieces.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='IBERIA'></a><b>Iberia.</b> The ancient name of Spain, from the <em>Iberi</em>, its -original inhabitants. These were maritime adventurers -from Phœnicia who penetrated the country by -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>way of the River Ebro. When in course of time the -Celts descended upon them from the Pyrenees, they -spread themselves to the south and west. On reaching -the sea at the farthest limit of their wanderings -they imagined themselves at the end of the world, and -so gave the name of <em>Iber</em>, a Phœnician word of that -import, to the country. Its principal eastern river, the -Ebro, retains the original name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iceland.</b> So called because its north and west coasts are -generally blocked with ice that has drifted down from -Greenland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iceland Moss.</b> A lichen indigenous to Iceland and Greenland -which is said to be very efficacious in the -treatment of consumption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ice Plant.</b> Found in South Africa, and so called on -account of its glittering, watery vesicles which give it -the appearance of being covered with ice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ICHDIEN'></a><b>Ich Dien.</b> German for “I serve.” The motto assumed by -Edward the Black Prince after he found it under the -plume of John, King of Bohemia, slain by him at the -battle of Cressy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iconoclast.</b> An image breaker, from the Greek <em>eikon</em>, image, -and <em>klazo</em>, I break.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Idolater.</b> From the Greek <em>eidolon</em>, a figure, and <em>latres</em>, -worshipper. The root of this word, <em>eidein</em>, to see, -furnishes the key to its true meaning. An idolater -is one who worships that which he sees, not on -account of its intrinsic worth, but because it is a -visible representation, or it may be merely a symbol, -of the deity that he is taught to venerate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Idol Lane.</b> Said to be a corruption of Idle Lane, because -this was perhaps the only thoroughfare in the neighbourhood -not given up to business--<em>i.e.</em> either as a -market or a hive of industrious artisans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Il Bassano.</b> See “<a href='#BASSANO'>Bassano</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Il Furioso.</b> The sobriquet of Jacopo Robusti, better known -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>as “Tintoretto,” owing to the rapidity with which he -turned out his wonderful paintings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iliad.</b> The title of Homer’s epic treating of the destruction -of Troy; originally called <em>Illium</em>, after <em>Ilos</em>, the -founder of the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>I’ll be through directly.</b> An Americanism for “I’ll be -ready very soon,” or “I’ll have it finished directly.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Illinois.</b> The Indian <em>illini</em>, men, with the French suffix -<em>oix</em>, a tribe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>I’ll take my Davy on it.</b> The word “Davy” is a corruption -of “affidavit.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ILPERUGINO'></a><b>Il Perugino.</b> The better-known name of the celebrated -Italian artist Pietro Vanucci, who, born at Citta della -Pieve in Umbria, established himself and remained -all his life in the neighbouring city of Perugia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Il Tintoretto.</b> See “<a href='#TINTORETTO'>Tintoretto</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Imperial.</b> The name given to the once fashionable chin -tuft, after Napoleon III., who was the first to wear his -beard in this diminutive fashion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In a Crack.</b> Done instantly, in no more time than it takes -for a gun to go off.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In a Jiffy.</b> The word “jiffy” is a corruption of the now -obsolete <em>gliff</em>--<em>i.e.</em> a mere glance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Inch of Candle.</b> In some parts of the country land is still -disposed of at auction by inch of candle. This was -the ancient form of auctioneering. Candles of inch -length were provided, and when the candle went out -the bidding was closed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Inchcolm.</b> Expresses the <em>inch</em> or isle of St Columba, who -dwelt here while labouring to convert the Picts to -Christianity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In Clover.</b> In a contented frame of mind because provided -with everything necessary for the time being. -Cattle always make for the clover when turned out to -graze.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span><b>Incog.</b> Short for <em>Incognito</em>, an Italian word signifying “not -known.” Royal personages desirous of avoiding -ceremony often travel <em>incog.</em>, or under an assumed -title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Independence Day.</b> The fourth of July, in commemoration -of the American Declaration of Independence, -1776.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Independents.</b> The same as “Congregationalists.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INDIA'></a><b>India.</b> From the Indus or Hindus, a Persian corruption -of the Sanskrit <em>Sindhu</em>, “great river.” By the Greeks -this river was known as the <em>Hindus</em>, which with the -Persian suffix <em>stan</em> gave the name “Hindustan” to the -whole country. In the time of Columbus, and long -afterwards, the Asiatic continent east of the Ganges -was generally styled India. This accounts for such -names as “Indian Ink,” etc., products really of the -Far East.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indiana.</b> From the great number of Indians that overran -this state in the early days of its history.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indianapolis.</b> The capital of the state of Indiana. <em>Polis</em> -is Greek for city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Corn.</b> Maize, brought <a id='corr157.22'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='fom'>from</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_157.22'><ins class='correction' title='fom'>from</ins></a></span> the West Indies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian File.</b> A march in single file, as is the custom of -the North American Indians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Gift.</b> A reclaimed present. When a North -American Indian gives anything he expects a gift -equivalent in value, or else his own back again.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Ink.</b> Originally brought from China, but now -made from lamp-black and animal glue in England. -See “<a href='#INDIA'>India</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Liquor.</b> See “<a href='#INDIANWHISKY'>Indian Whisky</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Reservation.</b> A considerable tract of land on the -plains reserved for the Indian tribes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INDIANS'></a><b>Indians of North America.</b> When Columbus discovered -the “New World” he was under the impression that -he had happened on that vast tract of country east of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>the Ganges vaguely known as India. This shows -that, sailing westward as he did, he must have regarded -the earth as a globe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indian Summer.</b> The equivalent of what is called St -Martin’s Summer in England. The North American -Indians always avail themselves of the pleasant weather -during the early part of November for harvesting their -corn; they say there is an unfailing nine days’ second -summer just before the winter sets in.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INDIANWHISKY'></a><b>Indian Whisky.</b> The name given to specially adulterated -whisky for sale to the Indians of North America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INDIAPAPER'></a><b>India Paper.</b> A special kind of paper, made of vegetable -fibre in China and Japan, on which the first impressions, -called India proof, of engravings are taken. -See “<a href='#INDIA'>India</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>India Proof.</b> See “<a href='#INDIAPAPER'>India Paper</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>India-rubber.</b> Caoutchouc, first imported from China, -but now found elsewhere. See “<a href='#INDIA'>India</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>India-rubber Railway Sandwich.</b> The typical refreshment-room -sandwich, the bread slices of which are as a rule -so stale that they defy hasty mastication.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Indigo.</b> A blue dye prepared from the <em>Indicus</em>, or Indian -plant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Industrial Schools.</b> Also known as Ragged Schools, of -which the scholars are waifs and strays brought together -for the acquirement of some useful industry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infra.</b> Latin for below, beneath. A word very generally -met with in library catalogues: “See <em>Infra</em>.” It is -the antithesis of <em>Supra</em>, above.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infra Dig.</b> Short for <em>Infra Dignitatem</em>, which expresses -the Latin for “beneath one’s dignity.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infant.</b> In law, any person under the age of twenty-one.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infanta.</b> The title of princesses of the royal blood in -Spain and Portugal, except the heiress-apparent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infante.</b> The corresponding title of the sons of the kings -of Spain and Portugal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span><b>Infant Roscius.</b> William Henry Betty, the celebrated boy -actor, named after the greatest historian of antiquity. -His public career was brief--viz. five years only, 1803-1808--but -during that period he became the rage; so -much so, that while at Covent Garden, where he received -a salary of fifty guineas a night, the military -had to be called out to maintain order.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infantry.</b> Foot soldiers, so called, not because, like -children, they have to be trained to walk, but for the -reason that one of the <em>Infantes</em> of Spain collected a -body of armed men, unmounted, to rescue his father, -the King, from captivity at the hands of the Moors. -Afterwards foot soldiers in Spain and Italy received -the name of <em>Enfanteria</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Infirmary.</b> The older and more correct description of an -institution for the sick and infirm. See “<a href='#HOSPICE'>Hospice</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INN'></a><b>Inn.</b> The Anglo-Saxon word <em>Inne</em> expressed a mansion. -The Inns of Court were originally the town houses of -noble families, whose name they still bear--<em>e.g.</em> Gray’s -Inn. Our first inns set apart for the entertainment -of travellers were in all cases the mansions of the -nobility left in charge of the trusted servant, the -gamekeeper, during the prolonged absence, either in -the wars at home or in the Crusades abroad, of their -owners. The family arms served as a sign. After -the return of his master the servant, now an innkeeper, -set up an inn of his own contiguous to the -original, and adopted the same sign. Here we have -an explanation of such grotesque inn signs--now that -their names have taken the place of the painted device--as -the Blue Boar, the Red Lion, etc. At times -the innkeeper preferred the sign of the “Green Man.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Innocents’ Day.</b> December 28th, commemorating the -massacre of the Holy Innocents by Herod. Anciently -children were soundly whipped in their beds before -rising on this day. Being undeserving of such -punishment, they were taught to suffer pain for -Christ’s sake.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span><b>Inns of Court.</b> See “<a href='#INN'>Inn</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INQUAD'></a><b>In Quad.</b> This is not altogether thieves’ slang, though -the gipsy word for prison is <em>quaid</em>. Boys at our public -schools say they are “in quad” when they are confined -to their own quadrangle. The phrase became -popular in connection with a prison when debtors -were confined in the Fleet, the Marshalsea, and Whitecross -Street, because they were free to receive visitors -in the exercise court or quadrangle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Insect.</b> From the root <em>seco</em>, to cut, because this tiny species -of the animal world is, as it were, cut deeply into three -distinct parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Interlaken.</b> The Swiss village situated “between the -lakes” Brienz and Thun.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INTHEJUG'></a><b>In the Jug.</b> Slang for “in prison.” The term is derived -from the Scottish <em>joug</em>, a kind of iron yoke or pillory -for the head designed for the punishment of rogues -and vagabonds. When at a later period a round -house of stone was set up in the market-place for such -offenders, this earliest prison was popularly called -“The Stone Jug.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Nick of Time.</b> This expression originated in the -nicks or notches made in a piece of wood called a -Tally, both as an acknowledgment of money paid -and by way of registering a person’s arrival at a place -of assembly. If, in the latter case, he arrived late, his -tally would not be nicked, as evidence of having put -in an appearance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Odour of Sanctity.</b> The ancient idea was that the -bodies of saints after death emitted a peculiar fragrant -odour. This originated in the profuse employment of -incense at the administration of the last solemn rites -of the Viaticum.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Soup.</b> An Americanism for “out of the running.” -This had reference originally to the hunting field when -a rider was pitched into a ditch of foul water after -leaping a hedge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span><b>In the Stone Jug.</b> See “<a href='#INTHEJUG'>In the Jug</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Straw.</b> An expression denoting that a woman has -been brought to bed with a child. Straw was the -usual stuffing of a bed formerly among the poorer -orders of the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Suds.</b> An Americanism for being unprepared to -receive visitors. The allusion is to a washerwoman -with her hands in the soapsuds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the Swim.</b> To be admitted to a certain professional or -financial clique. River fish generally keep together, -and an angler’s object is to get what he calls “in the -swim.” By so doing he may hook fish after fish -without difficulty.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>In the wrong Box.</b> The origin of this expression is simply -this: When Vauxhall, Cremorne, Ranelagh, Highbury -Barn, and similar alfresco resorts were in existence, -they had rows of cosy hutches or boxes all around for -the benefit of those who wished to do their courting -in private, while they could at the same time listen to -the music and see the illuminations. It was no easy -matter for anyone to find his own box again among -the many if he left it; consequently on returning to -his partner after sallying forth, he rendered his presence -obnoxious to strangers by suddenly finding himself in -the wrong box.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Intrepid Fox.</b> A historic tavern in Soho named after -Charles James Fox, the great Whig Minister. At the -time of the famous election of 1784 the redoubtable -Sammy House, the landlord, served all customers free, -and also entertained several notable Whigs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Invention of the Cross.</b> The name of this Church festival, -3rd May, commemorative of the finding of the True -Cross by those sent in quest of it by St Helena, sounds -peculiar, but the word “invent” is really from the -Latin <em>invenire</em>, to find, discover, come upon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Inverary.</b> The county town of Argyleshire, “at the -mouth of” the River Aray.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span><b>Inverness.</b> Situate at the mouth of the River Ness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Invincibles.</b> See “<a href='#INVINCIBLES'>Irish Invincibles</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ionia.</b> The ancient name of Asia Minor, settled by -the <em>Ionians</em>, so called after Ion, the son of Apollo -according to Greek fable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ionic.</b> The style of architecture so called was peculiar to -Ionia in Greece. The earliest of the Greek philosophers -so called too were all natives of Ionia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='IOTA'></a><b>Iota.</b> From the name of the smallest letter of the Greek -alphabet. “Jot” is a softened form of this word.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iowa.</b> Indian for “the sleepy-ones”; applied by the Sioux -to the Pahoja or Graysnow tribe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='IRELAND'></a><b>Ireland.</b> From <em>Ierne</em>, Gaelic for “western isle.” The -Greeks, who heard of it through the Milesians, called -this remote land of the west <em>Iernis</em>, and the Romans -<em>Hibernia</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ireland Yard.</b> This property in Blackfriars was made over -by its owner, William Ireland, to Shakespeare, as -appears in the deed of conveyance now preserved in -the Guildhall Library.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='INVINCIBLES'></a><b>Irish Invincibles.</b> A secret society whose members made -it their boast that they defied extermination. Carey, -the informer, openly declared that their mission was -“the making of history by killing tyrants.” The -Phœnix Park murders were the work of the “Invincibles.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Irishman’s Crossing.</b> An Americanism for the mode of -many people anxious to cut off corners by crossing -and recrossing the street, by which process one’s way -is actually made longer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Irish Stew.</b> So called because among the Irish peasantry -the beef is generally absent, the stew consisting wholly -of onions and potatoes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iron Chancellor.</b> The sobriquet of Prince Bismarck, Chancellor -of the German Empire, on account of his iron -will.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span><b>Iron City.</b> Pittsburg, world renowned for its ironworks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iron Devil.</b> An inn sign corrupted from “The Hirondelle,” -or swallow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Iron Duke.</b> The Duke of Wellington, distinguished for his -unbending will.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ironmonger Lane.</b> Where the artificers in iron congregated -during the reign of Edward I. Later they removed -into Thames Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ironside.</b> The surname of the Anglo-Saxon king, Edmund -II., on account of the iron armour that he wore as -a preservative against assassination.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ironsides.</b> The name given to the Cromwellian soldiers on -account of their heavy armour and iron resolution.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Irrawaddy.</b> Hindoo for “the father of waters.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='IRVING'></a><b>Irving.</b> The patronymic of the late Sir Henry Irving was -Brodribb. When he went on the stage he took the -name of Irving, out of his admiration of the writings -of the American author, Washington Irving. Half-a-century -ago no one ever thought of entering the -dramatic profession under his own name. Now that -the stage has become fashionable actors need no -longer be actuated to select a <em>nom de theatre</em> out of -regard to family pride.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Irvingites.</b> The followers of the Rev. Edward Irving, who -maintained the sinfulness of Christ’s nature in common -with that of ordinary mankind. Deposed from his -living by the Presbytery of the Church of Scotland in -1830, he founded the “Apostolic Catholic Church.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isabel.</b> The name given to a yellowish brown colour from -the circumstance that at the memorable <a id='corr163.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='seige'>siege</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_163.30'><ins class='correction' title='seige'>siege</ins></a></span> of -Ostend in 1601 Isabella, the wife of the Duke of -Austria, vowed she would not change her linen until -the town was taken. Unhappily for her, it held out -nearly three years. Rash vows are always followed -by leisurely repentance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isis.</b> From the Celtic <em>uisg</em>, water. The word enters into -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>many English river names, notably the “Thames.” -The University of Oxford is called <em>Isis</em> from the river -upon which it stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Islam.</b> From the Arabic <em>islama</em>, to bend. This term -expressed an entire submission or resignation to the -will of God. By the Mohammedans “Islam” is -described as the true faith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isle of Bourbon.</b> A French settlement named in compliment -to the House of Bourbon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isle of Desolation.</b> When discovered by Captain Cook -this island was utterly devoid of animal life.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isle of Dogs.</b> A corruption of “Isle of Ducks,” owing to -the great numbers of water-fowl settled on the marshes. -In our time it might well be described as the “Isle -of Docks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isle of Man.</b> Properly “Mona Isle,” from the Celtic <em>mæn</em>, -a stone; hence “Isle of Rocks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Isle of St Helena.</b> Discovered on the Feast of St Helena, -1502.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Isleworth.</b> Expresses a manorial dwelling beside the river. -Sion House, in which Lady Jane Grey resided for a -time, was built upon the ruins of an ancient nunnery. -It is now the property of the Duke of Northumberland, -who removed thither the famous lion on the top of the -demolished Northumberland House at Charing Cross. -The popular belief that when this lion heard the clock -of St Martin’s Church strike it would wag its tail and -turn round was on a par with that of the washing of -the Tower lions on the first of April.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Islington.</b> The family settlement of the Islings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Is the Ghost walking?</b> See “<a href='#GHOSTWALKING'>Ghost walking</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Italics.</b> Thin sloping types, altogether different from the -older Roman, first used in an edition of Virgil by -Aldo Manuzio, the celebrated printer of Venice, in -1207.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ITALY'></a><b>Italy.</b> The modern form of the Roman description of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>country, <em>Latium</em>, or “broad plain.” This resulted -in the designation of all the tribes of the conquered -districts as <em>Latini</em>, or the <em>Latins</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ivan the Terrible.</b> Ivan IV., son of the founder of the -Russian Empire, who rose to power from the position -of Grand Duke of Moscow. This second Ivan, at the -age of fourteen, during the regency of his mother, had -the triumvirate put to death; whereupon he assumed -the title of Czar. His reputation for cruelty soon -began to assert itself. In the space of six weeks he -caused to be put to death no less than 25,000 (some -authorities say 60,000) persons at Novogorod, from -the idea that they were plotting to deliver up that city -to the King of Poland. To crown all, in a fit of -passion he killed his own son.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ivory Black.</b> A pigment originally obtained from calcined -ivory, but now from bone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ivy Lane.</b> From the ivy-covered houses of the prebendaries -attached to St Paul’s Cathedral.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>J</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Jackanapes.</b> Properly “Jack-of-apes,” an impudent fellow -who apes the manners of his social superiors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jackass.</b> The male ass.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='JACKBOOTS'></a><b>Jack-boots.</b> When first worn by cavalry these high leather -boots were covered with metal plates as a protection -for the leg. The term Jack is derived from the Norman-French -<em>jacque</em>, a leathern jerkin worn over a coat of -mail. At a later period the <em>jacque</em> itself was made -sword-proof by metal plates on its under side.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacket.</b> Expressed originally the diminutive of the <em>jacque</em>--viz. -a short or sleeveless coat of leather. See “<a href='#JACKBOOTS'>Jack-boots</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jack Ketch.</b> The name formerly given to the common -hangman, after Richard Jacquett, who owned the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>manor of Tyburn, where malefactors were executed -previous to 1783.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jack-knife.</b> The name formerly given to a large folding -pocket-knife, and now used by sailors, in contradistinction -to a “Penknife.” See “<a href='#JACKTAR'>Jack Tar</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jackson.</b> The name of a river and several towns of the -United States, after General Andrew Jackson, the -seventh President.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jack Straw’s Castle.</b> A noted hostelry at Hampstead, said -to have been built on the spot where Jack Straw, one -of the leaders in Wat Tyler’s insurrection, made his -habitation on the hillside.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='JACKTAR'></a><b>Jack Tar.</b> A sailor, because he wears tarpaulins in “dirty -weather.” Jack is a generic name for a man or servant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacobins.</b> The French designation of the Black Friars or -Dominicans, from the situation of their earliest convent -in the Rue St Jacques, Paris, 1219.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacobites.</b> The Catholic adherents of James II. and his -lineal descendants after the accession to the English -throne of William III. <em>Jacobus</em> was the Latinised form -of the King’s name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacobus.</b> The Scottish sovereign, valued at 25s., which -became current in England also at the union of -the two crowns in the person of King James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacquard Loom.</b> After its inventor, Marie J. Jacquard -of Lyons, who died in 1834.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jacquerie.</b> The name given to an insurrection of French -peasants in 1358. <em>Jacques</em> is the generic name for a -member of the artisan class in France, owing to the -<em>jacque</em>, or sleeveless white cotton jacket, worn by -them. The leader of this insurrection called himself -Jacques Bonhomme, being of the artisan class himself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jag.</b> An Americanism for drunkenness. The word is -employed in a variety of ways: “He’s got a jag on”--“He’s -on a drinking bout”; “He’s on his jags”--“He -knows how it is to have the jags”; “He has the jags -just now,” etc. etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span><b>Jail Bird.</b> So called because the earliest kind of prison in -this country was an alfresco iron cage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jailed.</b> An Americanism for being put in jail, sent to -prison.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jalap.</b> From <em>Jalapa</em> in Mexico, whence the root of this -plant was first brought to Europe for medicinal -purposes in 1610.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jamaica.</b> From the West Indian <em>Caymaca</em>, signifying “a -country abounding in springs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jamaica Road.</b> See “<a href='#CHERRYGARDENPIER'>Cherry Gardens Pier</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>James Bay.</b> After James I., in whose reign this arm of -Hudson’s Bay was completely explored.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='JAMESRIVER'></a><b>James River.</b> After James I., in the fourth year of whose -reign it was navigated, and the English settlement -called Jamestown, thirty-two miles inland, formed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>James Street.</b> In Covent Garden, in compliment to the -Duke of York, afterwards James II. That on the south -side of the Strand received the Christian name of one -of the Brothers Adam, builders of the Adelphi.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jamestown.</b> See “<a href='#JAMESRIVER'>James River</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jamie Duff.</b> The Scottish designation for a mourner or -weeper at a funeral. So called after an Edinburgh -eccentric of this name; nothing pleased him better -than to attend a funeral, perhaps because he enjoyed -the ride in the coach.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jane Hading.</b> This famous French actress was christened -Jeanne, but, appearing on the stage while she was quite -a child, her parents habitually called her Jane, because, -as she has herself explained, being shorter, it would -admit of the family name appearing in larger letters on -the playbill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Janissaries.</b> A militia of Turkish footguards originally -composed of the sons of Christian subjects, this being -the tribute levied upon the parents for allowing them -to live in peace and safety. The native term is <em>Jeniaskari</em>, -new soldier.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span><b>Janitor.</b> The American description of a caretaker or doorkeeper. -This term has long been obsolete in England; -it was derived from the Latin <em>janua</em>, door.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jansenists.</b> A religious sect headed by Cornelius Jansen, -Bishop of Ypres, France, early in the seventeenth -century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>January.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Januarius</em>, after Janus, -the sun god, who presided over the beginnings of -things. In the temple of Janus the figure of this god -had two faces: one supposed to look on the past, the -other on the future.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Japan.</b> A Western corruption, through the Portuguese -<em>Gepuen</em>, of the native name <em>Niphon</em>, or “land of the -rising sun.” The brilliant black varnish called -“Japan” was first made by the people of the Far -East.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jarvey.</b> A cabman or car driver, so called after the name -of a hackney coach driver who was hanged.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jaunting Car.</b> The characteristic light vehicle in Ireland -in which the people enjoy a jaunt or excursion. -English folk newly arrived in the Emerald Isle do not -always appreciate it. See “<a href='#HOLDHARD'>Hold hard</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Java.</b> A Malay word meaning “the land of nutmegs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jayhawker State.</b> Kansas, from the nickname borne by the -soldiers of Colonel Jennison of New York, who, being a -jovial fellow, was called a “Gay Yorker,” afterwards -corrupted into “Jayhawker.” The people of this state -in process of time came to be styled “Jayhawkers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jedburgh.</b> A royal burgh situate at the confluence of the -Rivers Tefy and Jed. The ancient form of justice -meted out here of hanging a man first and trying him -afterwards is frequently alluded to as “Jedwood” or -“Jeddart” justice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jefferson.</b> The name of a river, a city, and a mount in the -United States, after Thomas Jefferson, the third -President.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span><b>Jeffreys Street.</b> After one of the family names of the -Earl of Brecknock, Marquis of Camden, the ground -landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jehu.</b> A cabman, in allusion to Jehu, the son of Nimshi, -who, we are told in 2 Kings ix. 20, drove furiously.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jeremiad.</b> A tale of woe, a doleful story. So called after -the Prophet Jeremiah, who wrote the “Book of -Lamentations.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerked Meat.</b> Dried meat, more particularly beef dried -in the open air. The term is derived from the Chilian -<em>charqui</em>, <a id='corr169.11'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='appled'>applied</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_169.11'><ins class='correction' title='appled'>applied</ins></a></span> to dried beef throughout Spanish -America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerkin.</b> Expresses the diminutive of the Dutch <em>jurk</em>, coat, -frock; hence a short coat or jacket.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jermyn Street.</b> From the town house of Henry Jermyn, -Earl of St Albans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerry Builder.</b> A speculative builder who runs up whole -streets of houses as cheaply as possible in order to sell -them. The word “Jerry,” derived from the French -<em>jour</em>, day, is a corruption of <em>joury</em>, meaning temporary, -unsubstantial.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jersey.</b> From Czar’s-ey, or “Cæsar’s Isle,” so called by the -Romans in honour of Julius Cæsar. The close-fitting -rowing shirt and female bodice received the name of -a Jersey because it was first worn by the inhabitants -of this isle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jersey Lily.</b> The punning pet name of Mrs Langtry, -when, as a society star, she first adopted the stage as -a profession. Her Christian name is Lillie, and she -was born in Jersey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerusalem.</b> Expresses the Hebrew for “habitation of -peace.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerusalem Artichoke.</b> A corruption of “Girasole Artichoke,” -from the resemblance of the leaf and stem of -this flower to the “Girasole,” or sunflower.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jerusalem Chamber.</b> This apartment of Westminster -Abbey, in which Henry IV. died, received its name -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>from the pictures of the Holy Land, in connection -with the Crusades, that adorned its walls.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='JESUITS'></a><b>Jesuits.</b> The members of a powerful missionary order -styled “The Society of Jesus” which was founded in -1534 by Ignatius Loyola, on a military basis, having -himself been a soldier.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jesuits’ Bark.</b> Another name for the Peruvian or Cinchona -Bark, because discovered by the Jesuit missionaries in -Peru.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='JEWINSTREET'></a><b>Jewin Street.</b> The ancient burying ground of the Jews -while they were permitted to reside within the city -walls--viz. in the Old Jewry. The suffix <em>in</em> is a corrupt -form of the Anglo-Saxon <em>en</em>, expressing the plural, as in -Clerken or clerks’ well.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jewry Street.</b> All that remains of the old name given -collectively to the Jewish quarter of London after this -oppressed race had been driven eastward of the city -proper. This street was the Jews’ later burial ground. -The suffix <em>ry</em> denotes a place or district.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jews’ Harp.</b> A corruption of “Jaws’ Harp,” because it is -held between the teeth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jezebel.</b> A daring, vicious woman, so called after the wife -of Ahab, King of Israel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jig.</b> From the French <em>gigue</em>, a lively dance, and the Italian -<em>giga</em>, a romp.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jilt.</b> From the Scottish <em>gillet</em>, a giddy young woman. -This word expressed the diminutive of Jill or Julia, a -name used in a contemptuous sense after Julia, the -daughter of Augustus Cæsar, who disgraced herself by -her dissolute conduct.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jimmy.</b> A crowbar used by house burglars. The word is -not so much thieves’ slang as a corruption of <em>Jenny</em>, -expressing the diminutive of gin or engine, the -general term formerly for a machine or mechanical -appliance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jimpson Weed.</b> Properly “Jamestown Weed,” from the -place in Virginia where it was introduced.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span><b>Jingo.</b> See “<a href='#BYJINGO'>By Jingo</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jingoes.</b> The British war party during the Russo-Turkish -struggle of 1877-8, when there was grave likelihood of -this country interfering. The term became popular -through the refrain in G. H. Macdermott’s famous -song:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“We don’t want to fight, but, by Jingo, if we do,</div> - <div class='line'>We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the money too.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c013'>For a time the Jingo Party was in the ascendant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joachims-Thaler.</b> See “<a href='#THALER'>Thaler</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jockey.</b> The diminutive of Jock, which is the Scottish -form of Jack or John, expressive of a servant. The -first jockeys engaged in horse racing were boys, on -account of their light weight; hence the term.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joe Miller.</b> A stale joke, corresponding to the modern -“Chestnut.” Joe Miller was a witty comedian whose -sayings were compiled by John Mottley in the reign -of James II. Until about a hundred years ago this -was the only book of jests extant, and everyone who -wished to “set the table in a roar” freely drew -upon it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joey.</b> The popular nickname of Mr Joseph Chamberlain, -of Fiscal Policy fame.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Johannis.</b> From Johannisberg, near Wiesbaden. This -name is literally “John’s Rock,” on which stands the -famous castle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Audley.</b> An old showman’s phrase, which still obtains -in what is called a portable theatre. As soon as a -sufficient crowd for another “house” has collected -outside, the money-taker, or the showman himself, -calls out at the door “John Audley!” (originally it -was the question “Is John Audley here?”) as a hint -to the performers to finish quickly and dismiss the -audience. This, it is said, was the invention of -Shorter, the comedian, while he was playing in booths -at country fairs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Bull.</b> The Representative Englishman, bluff, long-suffering, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>and open-hearted. This national nickname -was derived from a satire of the same title published -by Dr John Arbuthnot in 1721.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Carpenter Street.</b> After the founder of the City of -London School, which occupies one side of this modern -thoroughfare, having been removed hither from Bow -Lane in 1882. John Carpenter was town clerk of the -city of London in the reigns of Henry V. and VI.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Chinaman.</b> Ever since the outbreak of the gold fever -in California a Chinaman in that part of the United -States has been addressed as “John,” the Transatlantic -generic name for a man-servant, corresponding to the -old English Jack.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Doe and Richard Roe.</b> Fictitious names, which prior -to 1852, when they were abolished, appeared in every -legal process of ejectment in place of the names of the -real parties.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Dory.</b> The name of this fish is a corruption of the -French <em>Jaune-dorée</em>, yellow, golden, relative to the -colour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Johnnies.</b> Overdressed, empty-pated scions of good -families who spent their surplus cash upon burlesque -actresses, and hung about for them at the stage door -when the “sacred lamp of burlesque” burned brightly -at the Gaiety Theatre. Since “Jack” was the generic -name for a man or servant, so one distinguished for -the possession of more money than brains was, and is -still, dubbed a “Johnnie.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John of Gaunt.</b> Properly of Ghent, his birthplace, in -Flanders.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John o’ Groat’s House.</b> Formerly the most northern habitation -on the mainland of Scotland, said to have been -that of Johnny Groat, for the accommodation of -travellers who wished to cross the ferry to the Orkney -Isles. Its site may now be recognised by a green -knoll.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Johnson’s Court.</b> Although the great <a id='corr172.37'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='sic'>lexocographer</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_172.37'><ins class='correction' title='sic'>lexocographer</ins></a></span>, Dr -Johnson, spent ten years of his life in this Fleet -<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>Street court, it was not named after him, but after -another Johnson, whose property it was, and who also -resided in it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>John Street.</b> In the Adelphi, after the Christian name of -one of the brothers Adam. In Piccadilly, after one -of the family names of the Berkeleys, the ground -landlords.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joiner.</b> The provincial term for one who in London is -called a “Carpenter.” Literally a joiner of wooden -building materials.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joint Ring.</b> Another name for a “Gimnal Ring.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Joint-Stock Company.</b> So called because the stock is -vested jointly in many persons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jonathan’s.</b> The original name of the Stock Exchange, -after a coffee-house keeper whose house was the -rendezvous of the earliest dealers in stock.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jollies.</b> The sailors’ nickname for the Marines, because -they are about as useful to a ship as the “Jolly Boat” -which floats behind it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jolly Boat.</b> A corruption of “Jawl boat,” from the Danish -<em>jolle</em>, a small boat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jordan.</b> Expresses the Hebrew for “the flowing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Journeyman.</b> An artisan who hires himself out to labour, -conformly to the French <em>jour</em>, day, a day labourer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Juan Fernandez.</b> After the navigator, who discovered it in -1567. On this isle Alexander Selkirk was the sole -inhabitant from September 1704 until February 1707. -Daniel Defoe made this adventurer the hero of his -celebrated story “Robinson Crusoe.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jubilee Plunger.</b> The sobriquet of Ernest Benzon, who -lost £250,000 on the turf in two years after embarking -upon his betting career in 1887, the Jubilee year -of Queen Victoria’s reign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Judd Street.</b> The property of Sir Andrew Judd, Lord -Mayor of London in 1551. By his will he bequeathed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>it to the endowment of a school at Tonbridge, his -native place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Judges’ Walk.</b> So called because a number of judges and -barristers of the King’s Bench made themselves temporary -habitations in tents on this breezy height of -Hampstead during the Great Plague.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jug.</b> Thieves’ slang for prison. See “<a href='#INTHEJUG'>In the Jug</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Juggins.</b> A fool, a reckless fellow, so called after a noted -character of this name, who about twenty years ago -squandered his whole fortune by reckless betting on -the turf.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Juggler.</b> From the French <em>jougleur</em>, a jester or miscellaneous -entertainer who was the invariable companion -of a troubadour during the Middle Ages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Julep.</b> An American spirituous beverage, also a preparation -to make medicines less nauseous. The word -is derived from the Arabic <em>julab</em>, rose-water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>July.</b> In honour of Julius Cæsar, who was born in this -month.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jump a Claim.</b> A Far West expression meaning to deprive -another of his lawful claim; literally to jump into his -diggings and take possession.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jump on it with both Feet.</b> The Transatlantic mode of -saying “I’ll denounce it to the utmost of my power.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jump the Game.</b> An Americanism for running away from -one’s creditors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>June.</b> The sixth month of the year; that of growth, agreeably -to the Latin <em>juvenis</em>, young. The Romans dedicated -it to the “Juniores,” or young soldiers of the -State.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jungfrau.</b> Two reasons are assigned for the name (German, -“The Maiden”) given to this, one of the highest peaks -of the Bernese Alps. Firstly, because of the unsullied -purity and dazzling whiteness of the snow with which -it is eternally clad; secondly, owing to the fact that, its -summit being inaccessible, no man has ever conquered -or ravished this mountain maiden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span><b>Junk.</b> A seaman’s term for rope ends and also the salt -beef served out on board ship. The word is derived -from the Latin <em>Juncus</em>, a bulrush, out of which ropes -were anciently made. In the second sense of the term -the toughness of the meat is sarcastically implied.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jury.</b> From the Latin <em>jurare</em>, to swear.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jury Mast.</b> Properly “Joury Mast,” from the French <em>jour</em>, -day, because it is only a temporary mast put up to -replace one carried away by stress of weather.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Justice is Blind.</b> An expression derived from the allegorical -representation of Justice, who, holding the -scales, is blindfolded. See “<a href='#SCALES'>Scales of Justice</a>.” This -really had its origin in the custom of the ancient -Egyptians, who conducted their trials in a darkened -chamber, in order that the prisoner, the pleader, and -the witnesses being alike unseen, the judges could not -be moved to undue sympathy, and their judgment -might be the more impartial.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Justice Walk.</b> In this portion of Chelsea resided a London -magistrate whose name has not been handed down to -posterity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Juteopolis.</b> The name given to Dundee on account of its -staple industry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Jutland.</b> The land of the Jutes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Juveniles.</b> In theatrical parlance the lovers’ parts. The -principal stage lover’s part, such as <em>Romeo</em>, is called the -“juvenile lead.” Other young men’s parts, that do -not call for love making on the stage, are styled -“walking gentlemen.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>K</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Kaaba.</b> The stone building inside the great Mosque at -Mecca; said to have been erected over the spot where -Adam first worshipped after his expulsion from the -Garden of Eden. The name is Arabic for “square -house.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span><b>Kaffraria.</b> The country of the Kaffirs or “unbelievers,” -from the Mohammedan standpoint. This term was -applied not only to the natives south of Abyssinia and -the desert regions of Africa, but also to the people -of a country in Central Asia east of the Hindu Cush -known accordingly as Kafiristan. <em>Kaifer</em> is Arabic for -“infidel,” and the suffix <em>stan</em> expresses the Persian -for “country.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kailyard.</b> Scottish for cabbage garden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kaisar.</b> The German form of the title of the Roman -Emperors, “Cæsar.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kalmucks.</b> A Western corruption of the native <em>Khalmick</em>, -or “Apostates,” the name given to this large family of -the Mongolian race because they rejected the doctrines -of Buddha. It was these Kalmucks who, under -the name of “Huns,” descended upon Europe in the -fourth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kamptulicon.</b> From the Greek <em>Kampto</em>, to bend.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kansas.</b> The Indian name for the river, signifying “smoky -water”; afterwards applied also to the state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keble College.</b> A memorial college at Oxford of the Rev. -John Keble, author of “The Christian Year,” whose -death took place in 1866.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keelhaul.</b> To haul under the keel of a vessel from stem -to stern by means of ropes on either side. This was -the most dreaded, because the most dangerous, punishment -meted out to seamen or apprentices by tyrannical -captains in former times. Readers of Captain Marryat’s -“Snarleyyow, or the Dog Fiend” will recollect what -that meant to the hapless victim.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keeping Crispin.</b> An old phrase for the shoemakers’ annual -holiday on the Feast of St Crispin, their patron saint, -25th October. In some parts of the country we hear -of it in connection with what passes elsewhere under -the name of “Cobblers’ Monday.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep it Dark.</b> The reference was originally to treasure -kept in a place of concealment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span><b>Keep on Pegging at it.</b> See “<a href='#PEGAWAY'>Peg Away</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep the Ball Rolling.</b> An expression derived from the -game of Bandy, in which the two sets of players, -armed with hooked sticks, continually sent the ball -rolling to opposite goals.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep the Pot Boiling.</b> The antithesis of a hand-to-mouth -existence; meaning the command not only of something -for the stock pot but also needful fuel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep the Wolf from the Door.</b> By paying one’s way -others will prosper likewise, and ravenous creditors -clamouring at the door for their just demands will be -non-existent. The wolf is represented by a greedy -landlord hungering for his rent, or, failing that, the -household goods.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep your Nose to the Grindstone.</b> To continue hard -at work without cessation. If a tool is not held close -to the grindstone the stone will go round all the same, -but the tool does not get sharpened. So a man may -loiter over his work, but the actual accomplishment is -nil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KEEPYOURPECKER'></a><b>Keep your Pecker up.</b> Have courage, and hold your -head erect. <em>Pecker</em> is slang for the mouth, in allusion -to fowls which peck their food--in other words, they -strike at it with the <em>beak</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keep your Weather Eye open.</b> Be on a sharp look-out -in the right direction. A sailor looks towards the -wind in order to forecast the weather.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kendal.</b> Expresses the dale of the River Ken.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kendal Green.</b> Green cloth made at Kendal in Westmoreland, -for which this town was long famous. The -cloths produced here still bear the name of “Kendals.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kennington.</b> The town which grew up in the king’s -meadow. Henry VIII. had a rural retreat erected -here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kensington.</b> Described in Anglo-Saxon records as <em>Kynsington</em>, -or king’s meadow town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span><b>Kensington Gore.</b> After Gore House, the residence of -the Countess of Blessington, that occupied part of the -site of the Royal Albert Hall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kent.</b> Called by the Romans Cæsar Cantium after the -<em>Cantii</em>, who peopled this <em>Kenn</em>, headland or corner, of -Albion’s Isle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kentish Fire.</b> The name given to rapturous volleys of -cheers, such as that which distinguished the Kentish -men when they applauded the “No Popery” orators -in 1828-9.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kentish Man.</b> A native of the county of Kent, west of -the Medway.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KENTISHTOWN'></a><b>Kentish Town.</b> A corruption of “Kantelowes Town,” -built upon the manor of the same name. The modern -spelling of this family name is “Cantlowes,” which is -that given to a street on the south side of Camden -Road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kent Street.</b> Leads out of London to the great Kentish -highway to Dover. At one time the landlords in this -street took away the front doors of tenants who were -more than a fortnight in arrears of paying their rent. -This, styled a “Kent Street Ejectment,” was found -effectual in getting rid of unprofitable tenants.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kentucky.</b> Indian for “long river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keppel Street.</b> From the “Admiral Keppel” at the corner -of this street and Fulham Road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kerchief.</b> See “<a href='#HANDKEYCHIEF'>Handkerchief</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kersey.</b> From Kersey, in Suffolk, once famed for its -woollen manufacture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kettledrum.</b> A rounded drum, so called from its shape; -also the name given to a tea party, both on account -of the noise made by the guests, and because the -hostess metaphorically beats them up at the time of -sending out her invitations. See “<a href='#DRUM'>Drum</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kettle of Fish.</b> See “<a href='#PRETTYKETTLE'>Pretty Kettle of Fish</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kew.</b> Styled in ancient documents Kay-hoo, meaning a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>quay on a <em>hoo</em> or <em>oe</em>, which expressed the Danish for an -island; also a spit of land at the mouth of a river or -creek.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Keystone State.</b> Pennsylvania, geographically considered -as seventh among the thirteen original states of the -Union.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Khaki.</b> Expresses the Hindoo for “colour of cow dung.” -This term came into prominence during the South -African War, when all British uniforms were made of -materials of this hue, so as to make our troops less -conspicuous to the enemy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b><a id='corr179.12'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Kahn'>Khan</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_179.12'><ins class='correction' title='Kahn'>Khan</ins></a></span>.</b> Expresses the Persian, from a Tartar word, for a -lord or prince.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Khedive.</b> From the Persian <em>khidiw</em>, a king. In the -Turkish <em>khadiv</em> the title expresses a ruler one grade -removed from a Sultan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kicker.</b> An Americanism for one who at a public meeting -objects to a proposal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kick the Bucket.</b> An expression derived from the -primitive mode of a man hanging himself by standing -on a bucket, and then kicking it aside. The “drop” -in this case could not have been a long one.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kidnap.</b> Not only is this word accepted English in the -absence of a more refined equivalent, but it is also -made to do service in the case of an adult taken away -against his will. Kid, of course, expresses a young -goat, and is slang for a child. The second portion of -the term is likewise slang, from <em>nab</em>, to steal.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kidney Bean.</b> The coarse bean shaped like a kidney.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kiel.</b> From the Danish <em>keol</em>, a ship.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kilbride.</b> The church of St Bride or Bridget.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kilburn.</b> Expresses the <em>kil</em>, or cell, of “one Godwynne, a -holy hermit,” beside the <em>bourn</em>, or brook.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kildare.</b> From the Celtic <em>kildara</em>, the cell or hermitage -among the oaks. A monastery was founded here by -St Bridget towards the close of the fifth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span><b>Kilkenny.</b> The <em>kil</em>, or church, of St Kenny or Canice in -connection with the ancient abbey dedicated to St -John.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Killarney.</b> A corruption of “Killeaney,” from the church -of the Dominican monastery on the banks of the -River Leane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kindergarten.</b> Expresses the German for a children’s -garden or playground. The system of juvenile -education so called aims at self-tuition by means of -toys and games.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kinetoscope.</b> The name originally given to our modern -“living pictures,” from the Greek <em>kinetikos</em>, “putting -in motion.” See “<a href='#MUTOSCOPE'>Mutoscope</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King Charles Spaniel.</b> The small species of “Spaniel” -which was such a favourite with Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King Edward’s Grammar School.</b> A superior academical -institution founded and endowed for the tuition of -Latin and Greek grammar by Edward VI.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King Edward Street.</b> After Edward VI., the “Boy -King,” founder of Christ’s Hospital, or Blue Coat -Grammar School, hard by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingfisher.</b> The king of fisher birds that dive into water -for their prey, so called on account of its gay plumage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King James’s Bible.</b> The Authorised Version ordered to -be prepared and given to the people by James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King-maker.</b> Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, so -called because he was instrumental in placing both -Edward IV. on the Yorkist and Henry VI. on the -Lancastrian side on the throne after espousing their -individual cause.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King of Bath.</b> The sobriquet of Richard Nash, also -known as Beau Nash, who for more than half-a-century -was Master of Ceremonies at the fashionable Assembly -Rooms of Bath.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KINGSARMS'></a><b>King’s Arms.</b> An inn sign, originally representing the -counterfeit presentment or royal arms of an individual -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>sovereign, but now a mere name, which must have -done duty alike in honouring a long line of monarchs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s Bench.</b> Anciently the superior Court of Law -presided over by the King in person, when he sat on -an oaken bench. Wherever he went in state this -Court followed him. Judges and magistrates are -still said to occupy the Bench.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s College.</b> At Cambridge, founded in 1441 by -Henry VI. In London, the foundation by a royal -charter of George IV. in 1828.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s County.</b> In honour of Philip of Spain, the husband -of Queen Mary. The original name was Ossaly.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>King’s Cross.</b> So called from a statue of George IV. -set up here at the accession of that monarch, and -taken down in 1842 to make way for the Great -Northern Railway terminus. It is highly probable -that an ancient cross stood on the same spot, since, -quite apart from the fact that Queen Boadicea was -defeated by the Romans at Battle Bridge hereabouts, -it was in this neighbourhood too that King Alfred -waged a sanguinary conflict with the Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s Evil.</b> The name given to scrofula, from the old -superstitious idea that it could be cured by the touch -of a king or queen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KINGSGATESTREET'></a><b>Kingsgate Street.</b> So called from the gate through which -James I. passed across the meadows to Theobalds -in Hertfordshire, his favourite hunting seat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s Head.</b> See “<a href='#KINGSARMS'>King’s Arms</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingsland.</b> This district marked the southern limits of the -ancient royal domain of Enfield Chase.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KINGSLYNN'></a><b>King’s Lynn.</b> Anciently called “Lynn Episcopi,” being -the property of the Bishop of Norwich. At the -dissolution of the monasteries Henry VIII. sequestered -this estate, and gave the town the name of Lynn Regis, -or King’s Lynn. The word <em>Lynn</em> is Celtic for “pool.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King’s Own Men.</b> The 78th Foot, so called from their -Gaelic motto: “Cuidichr Rhi” (Help the King).</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span><b>King’s Road.</b> In compliment to Charles II., who caused -this highway between Chelsea and Fulham Palace to -be made passable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingston.</b> The capital of Jamaica, after William III., in -whose reign (1693) it was founded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingston-on-Thames.</b> From the ancient stone on which -seven of the Anglo-Saxon kings were crowned. This -interesting relic is now enclosed with iron railings near -the Town Hall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingstown.</b> Originally “Dunleary,” the name was changed -in honour of the visit of George IV. in September -1821.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King Street.</b> That in Covent Garden, after Charles I., -in whose reign it was laid out. In St James’s, after -James I. In Cheapside, in honour of Henry IV., -who passed down it to open the new Guildhall. At -Westminster, because this was the direct road between -the Court and the Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kingsway.</b> The name given by the London County -Council to the new thoroughfare from Holborn to the -Strand opened by King Edward VII. in 1905.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>King William Street.</b> In the city, after William IV., who -performed the inaugural ceremony of declaring the -London Bridge open for traffic, 1st August 1831. -The street of the same name west of the Strand was -newly laid out in his reign as a direct thoroughfare to -Leicester Square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kirkcudbright.</b> Expresses the Celtic for “the Church of -St Cuthbert.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kirkdale.</b> The church in the dale or vale of Pickering.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kirke’s Lambs.</b> The nickname bestowed upon the 2nd -Foot, under the command of Captain Kirke, during -the “Bloody Assizes,” and having for their badge the -Paschal Lamb.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Kirschwasser.</b> German for “Cherry Water,” this beverage -being distilled from the juice of the black cherry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span><a id='KISSMEQUICK'></a><b>Kiss-me-Quick.</b> The name of a small bonnet popular in -England midway during the last century. Though -of the “coal scuttle” pattern it did not extend beyond -the face, and was chiefly worn by ladies going to parties -or the play.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kiss the Place and make it better.</b> The expression, -commonly employed by mothers and nurses to pacify -children when they have hurt themselves, is a survival -of the days of the sorcerers, who pretended to cure a -disease by sucking the affected part.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kiss the Scavenger’s Daughter.</b> See “<a href='#SCAVENGERSDAUGHTER'>Scavenger’s Daughter</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kit.</b> A soldier’s outfit, which he carries on his person -when on the march. The name is derived from -the Dutch <em>kitte</em>, a wooden beer-can strapped on the -soldier’s belt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kit-Cat.</b> The name given by artists to a three-quarter -length portrait, and also to a canvas measuring 28 by -36 inches, in allusion to the portraits of uniform size, -and all painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller, to suit the -dimensions of the apartments occupied by the famous -Kit-Cat Club. This club was long held at the house -of a pastrycook called Christopher Cat in Shire Lane, -Fleet Street (now Serle’s Place), after whom, familiarly -styled “Kit-Cat,” it took its name. His own mutton -pies were the staple refreshment, from which circumstance -such pies were until quite modern times also -called “Kit-Cats.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kleptomania.</b> The name given to an impulsive desire -to steal or appropriate that which is ready to hand; so -called from the Greek <em>kleptes</em>, thief, and <em>mania</em>, -madness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knacker.</b> From the Icelandic <em>knakkr</em>, a saddle; hence -a dealer in and slaughterer of old horses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knapsack.</b> From the Dutch and German <em>knappen</em>, to -bite or chew, and <em>zak</em>, a sack. Like the original -German and Dutch forms of this receptacle for a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>soldier’s necessaries on the march, the Swiss still -carry a bag made of goatskin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knave.</b> From the German <em>knabe</em>, a boy. The tricks -peculiar to a boy no doubt caused this term to be -applied to a deceitful or otherwise reprehensible -fellow. The knave in a pack of cards represents, of -course, the knight or servant to the king and queen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knife-board.</b> The advertisement-board on either side of -an omnibus roof, so called on account of its fancied -resemblance to the domestic knife-sharpener. On the -old-fashioned omnibuses the roof passengers sat back -to back, with their feet touching the “knife-board,” -and it was facetiously said they thereon sharpened -their wits.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knife and Fork Tea.</b> See “<a href='#HIGHTEA'>High Tea</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knight.</b> From the Saxon <em>knicht</em>, a servant, which is the -origin also of the modern German <em>knecht</em>, a man-servant.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knight Bachelor.</b> One who in the days of chivalry -forswore marriage until he had performed some feat -of valour, and so merited renown.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knight Banneret.</b> A knight hastily created on the field -of battle in recognition of signal bravery. This was -done by tearing off a streamer from a banner and -handing it to him as a token of investiture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knight Errant.</b> One who went forth in quest of adventures, -more particularly to win the admiration of fair -ladies, by rescuing them, in common with the weak -and oppressed, from the feudal lords whose rapacity in -those barbarous ages knew no bounds. The word -<em>errant</em>, like its modern equivalent <em>errand</em>, was derived -from the Latin <em>errare</em>, to wander. It was in ridicule -of this system of knight-errantry that Cervantes wrote -his immortal romance “Don Quixote.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knight of the Yard Stick.</b> An Americanism for a -draper’s assistant or a retail dry-goods salesman; -what in England people often style a “Counter -Jumper.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knightrider Street.</b> The place of assembling of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>knights of old on their way in procession to the -Smithfield tournaments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knightsbridge.</b> Tradition has it that two knights who -went to receive a blessing from the Bishop of London -at Fulham Palace suddenly quarrelled, and fought a -deadly combat on the bridge which anciently spanned -the Westbourne where now stands Albert Gate. A -public-house close by, demolished within the last three -years, bore the sign of “The Fulham Bridge.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KNIGHTS'></a><b>Knights Hospitallers.</b> The Second Order of Knights of -the Crusades, who founded and protected the hospital -at Jerusalem for the accommodation of pilgrims to the -Holy Places. When at a later period they erected -a larger hospital in connection with the church -dedicated to St John the Baptist, they assumed the -title of “Knights of St John of Jerusalem.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knights of Malta.</b> The Knights Hospitallers who, having -taken Rhode Island, were at length expelled therefrom -by the Turks, and took up their establishment -permanently at Malta.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knights of St John of Jerusalem.</b> See “<a href='#KNIGHTS'>Knights Hospitallers</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knights of the Road.</b> Highwaymen, who were always -good horsemen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knights Templars.</b> The military Order of Knights of the -Crusades, styled “Soldiers of the Temple.” Their -aim was to wrest the Holy Sepulchre from the hands -of the Saracens, and maintain it through futurity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knights Teutonic.</b> An independent Order of Knights of -the Crusades composed of nobles from the cities of -Bremen and Lubeck for the protection of German -pilgrims to the Holy Land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knickerbockers.</b> The people of the city of New York. -When Washington Irving wrote his “History of New -York” he assumed the name of Diedrich Knickerbocker, -in allusion to the wide breeches worn by the -early settlers of the colony, then called by them New -Amsterdam; hence the application of the term -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>“Knickerbockers” to knee-breeches generally. New -York is known as “The Knickerbocker City.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KNOCKED'></a><b>Knocked into a Cocked Hat.</b> Prostrated or completely -flattened out like a cocked hat, which, as its name -implies, could be cocked or carried under the arm.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Know-nothings.</b> A secret society in the United States -pledged to the checking of foreign immigration and -political influence by foreigners which came into -existence about the year 1848, and finally split upon -the slavery question in 1860. When asked what its -party or political aims were, all the members merely -replied: “I don’t know; I know nothing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Knows the Ropes.</b> Said of one who thoroughly understands -his calling. A naval phrase, since a sailor must -know all the ropes belonging to his ship.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KNUCKS'></a><b>K’nucks.</b> In Canada the name given to French Canadians; -elsewhere to Canadians generally. It has been stated -on the authority of an intelligent French Canadian, -by way of accounting for the origin of this term, -that “the word ‘Cannuck’ is a corruption of ‘Connaught,’ -the name we usually apply to the Irish, who -are mostly emigrants from that province of Ireland.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kohinoor.</b> A famous diamond which came into the -possession of Queen Victoria on the annexation of the -Punjaub in 1849. Its name expresses the Hindoo for -“Mountain of Light.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kolis.</b> The nickname of the 51st King’s Own Light -Infantry, from the initials of their regimental name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KOORDISTAN'></a><b>Koordistan.</b> Pursuant to the Persian <em>stan</em>, the country of -the Koords, “fierce, strong.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kopeck.</b> A Russian copper coin of the value of three-eights -of an English penny. So called from <em>kopye</em>, the -native term for a lance, because this coin originally had -upon it the representation of a lancer on horseback.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kops Ale.</b> A non-alcoholic ale brewed from the best -Kentish hops, and not to be distinguished by appearances -from the intoxicant. The name was chosen as -a near approach to Hops Ale.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span><b>Koran.</b> Properly <em>Al Koran</em>, Arabic for “the book,” “the -reading,” or “the thing to be read.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Koumiss.</b> A Mongolian term for an intoxicating beverage -made by the Kalmucks from camels’ or mares’ milk -by fermentation and distillation. “Koumiss” is -the popular Russian beverage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kraal.</b> The Kaffir term for a collection of huts shaped -like a beehive and arranged in circular form, a native -South African village.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kremlin.</b> The citadel of Moscow, so called from the -Russian <em>krem</em>, a fortress.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Krems White.</b> A pigment extensively produced at Krems -in Austria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kreuzer.</b> A copper coin of Germany conspicuous for a -<em>kreuz</em>, or cross, on its reverse side. Its value was the -sixtieth part of a gulden or florin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Krupp Gun.</b> After its inventor, and made at the famous -Krupp Steel works at Essen in Germany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kümmel.</b> The German name for a beverage, expressive -of “Carraway,” from the seeds of which it is made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kummerbund.</b> A Hindoo term for waistband. It became -current in England two or three years ago during the -excessively hot weather, when waistcoats were discarded, -and the trouser tops concealed by a brilliant -blue or scarlet sash.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kurdistan.</b> See “<a href='#KOORDISTAN'>Koordistan</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Kursaal.</b> A place of entertainment at Southend-on-Sea. -The name is German, literally “Cure-hall,” expressive -of the public assembly-room at a “Kurhaus,” or -hydropathic establishment, corresponding to the -pump-room at a west of England health resort.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='KYRLESOCIETY'></a><b>Kyrle Society.</b> A modern society having for its aims the -improvement of the homes of the poorer orders. It -originated with the Misses M. and O. Hill in 1875, -and was formally inaugurated by Prince Leopold a -couple of years later. The title of the society was -derived from John Kyrle of Ross, Herefordshire, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>whose artistic tastes and benevolent disposition contributed -to the happiness and well-being of the people -on his estate and all the country round about.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>L</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Labadists.</b> A sect of Protestant mystics founded in the -seventeenth century by Jean Labadic of Bourg, -Germany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>La Belle Sauvage Yard.</b> The yard of the famous coaching -inn of the same name. The history of this sign -was curious. Kept by Isabelle Savage, it bore the -name of “The Bel Savage”; but its sign was a bell -suspended within an iron hoop at the top of the usual -“Ale Stake.” Hence its proper name was “The Bell -in the Hoop.” When in the year 1616 John Rolfe -brought his Virginian bride Pocohontas to London, the -story of his remarkable adventures had anticipated his -arrival, and people spoke of this Indian heroine as -“La Belle Sauvage.” It was odd that these strangers -within our gates should put up at the “Bell Savage,” -and the association resulted in the change of title -on their account.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Labrador.</b> Called by the Portuguese navigators <em>Tierra -Labrador</em>, “cultivatable land.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lackland.</b> The surname of King John, who, owing to his -thriftlessness, was left entirely without provision at the -death of his father, Henry II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laconics.</b> Terse and pithy replies, so called from the -Lacons, which was the name applied to the Spartans, -from the country whence they came. When Philip of -Macedon sent this message to the Spartan magistrates: -“If I enter Laconia I will level Lacedæmon to the -ground,” the reply was briefly: “If.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lacrosse.</b> This name was given to the game by Charlevoix, -who, seeing it played by some Alonquin Indians with a -stick between Quebec and Three Rivers, called it <em>le -jeu de la Crosse</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span><b>Ladbroke Grove.</b> This, with the square of the same name, -was built upon by the Ladbroke family, who acquired -the lease of the land for the purpose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lad Lane.</b> A name frequently met with in connection -with the old coaching inn, “The Swan with Two -Necks.” It was a corruption of “Our Lady Lane,” -so called from a statue of the Virgin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ladrones.</b> Expresses the Spanish for “thieves,” the name -given to those islands by Magellan because the natives -made off with the stores he had landed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ladybird.</b> A pretty species of beetle resembling a bug, -and anciently called “Our Lady’s Bug.” <em>Bug</em> is the -accepted American term for a beetle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lady Day.</b> The Feast of Our Lady, otherwise of the -Annunciation to the Virgin (25th March). Prior to -1752 this was also the first day of the New Year; now -it figures as Quarter Day, when rents and taxes have -to be paid.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lady Freemason.</b> The Hon. Elizabeth St Leger, niece of -Sir Anthony St Leger, who founded the stakes named -after him at Doncaster Races, and daughter of Lord -Doneraile of Dublin. Chancing to overhear the proceedings -at a Lodge held at her father’s mansion she -was discovered, and, as the only way out of an unprecedented -dilemma, initiated to the craft. No other -female has ever been made a “Freemason.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lager Beer.</b> The German “lager bier” is simply stock -beer, the liquor being kept in a <em>lager</em>, or cellar, until it -is sufficiently ripened for consumption. All over the -United States the demand for “Lager” is enormous.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laid on the Shelf.</b> A phrase implying that one’s period -of usefulness has been passed. The allusion is to -books read and clothes laid aside as of no further -use.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laid up in Lavender.</b> Something put away very carefully, -as a good housewife preserves linen strewn with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>lavender in a press against moths. At times we hear -the expression allusive to an article put in pawn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake Erie.</b> See “<a href='#ERIE'>Erie</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake Huron.</b> See “<a href='#HURON'>Huron</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake Ontario.</b> See “<a href='#ONTARIO'>Ontario</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake School of Poets.</b> A term applied by <em>The Edinburgh -Review</em> to the imitators of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and -Southey, who communed with Nature in the Lake -District of Cumberland and Westmoreland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake Superior.</b> The uppermost and principal of the five -great lakes of North America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lake Winnipeg.</b> See “<a href='#WINNIPEG'>Winnipeg</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>La Marseillaise.</b> See “<a href='#MARSEILLAISE'>Marseillaise</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lambeth.</b> A corruption of “Lamhithe,” the Anglo-Saxon -for mud haven, or a muddy landing-place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lambeth Palace.</b> The historic residence of the Archbishops -of Canterbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lamb’s Conduit Street.</b> After William Lambe, a wealthy -clothworker, who at his own cost built “a faire -conduit and standard” in the fields here off Holborn -in 1577.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lamb’s Wool.</b> A rural beverage of roasted apple juice -and spiced ale. It received its name from the Saxon -<em>La Mæs Ubhal</em>, or “Feast of the Apple Gathering.” -From <em>lammas ool</em> its further corruption was easy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lame Duck.</b> The name given to a member of the Stock -Exchange who cannot meet his liabilities on settling -day. Instead of walking erect, like a man of strict -integrity, he ducks his head, and waddles off, well -knowing that he has been black-boarded and struck -off the list of members.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lammas Day.</b> The ancient name for the first of August, -when every parishioner brought to church a loaf made -of new wheat. The name expresses the Anglo-Saxon -for “loaf mass,” and the bread was a gift of first-fruits -to the clergy. Its modern equivalent is the “Harvest -Festival.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span><b>Lamp-black.</b> So called because this pigment was at first -obtained by burning resinous matter over the flame -of a lamp.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lancaster.</b> The Roman <em>Lunecastra</em>, or fortified camp on -the Lune.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lancaster Gun.</b> After the name of its inventor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lancastrians.</b> During the Wars of the Roses the partisans -of the House of Lancaster in the contest for the crown -of England as opposed to the House of York.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lancers.</b> This dance received its name from a company -of Lancers who went through the evolutions of a -quadrille on horseback about the year 1836.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Landau.</b> After Landau in Germany, where it was first -made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Landes.</b> Expresses the French for heaths. The people -of this marshy and, in parts sandy, district walk on -long stilts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Landgrave.</b> The Anglicised form of the German <em>landgraf</em>, -count, a ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land o’ Cakes.</b> Scotland, which has always been celebrated -for its oatmeal cakes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land of Green Ginger.</b> A square at Hull where, as -popularly thought, green ginger was anciently landed -from the river and sold in open market. The name -is, however, a corruption of “Greenhinger,” being the -land owned by Moses Greenhinger, a boat builder, who -lived in Whitefriargate in the seventeenth century. -This is proved by a letter of Sir Willoughby Hickman, -a candidate for the borough in 1685. Therein he -states that a coach took him from the waterside to -the George Inn, “at the corner of the land of Moses -Greenhinger.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land of Promise.</b> The name of a short street in Hoxton, -so called, sarcastically no doubt, because it leads to -the workhouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land of Steady Habits.</b> Connecticut, so called on account -of the excellent moral character of the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span><b>Land of Sundown Seas.</b> Alaska. “Sundown” is an -Americanism for sunset, just as “Sun-up” is for -sunrise.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land o’ the Leal.</b> The Scottish heaven, or “Dixie’s -Land”; according to the Baroness Nairne’s ballad -the word <em>Leal</em> means faithful.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land of the Midnight Sun.</b> Norway.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Landscaper.</b> Local slang in the eastern counties for a -tramp, vagrant, or “Loafer.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Land Shark.</b> The name given by sailors to a boarding-house -keeper in a seaport town who preys upon them -by systematic overcharges.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Landwehr.</b> The German equivalent for our volunteers, -or soldiers for land defence. The term <em>wehr</em> means -bulwark, defence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lane.</b> Actors refer to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as -“The Lane,” the playhouse of London <em>par excellence</em> -since the palmy days of the Drama.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Langbourn Ward.</b> From the long bourn or stream, of -which now no trace remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Langholm Place.</b> After the mansion and grounds of Sir -James Langham, which occupied what is now the -street of the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laodicea.</b> This ancient city was so called after Laodice, -the queen of Antiochus Theos, who founded it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lap Dog.</b> One literally nursed in the lap of luxury. -Mothers of families are strangers to such pets.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lapsus Linguæ.</b> Latin for “a slip of the tongue.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Largess.</b> From the Latin <em>largitso</em>, to give freely, through -the French <em>largesse</em>. This word meant originally a fee -or present bestowed upon a butler or head servant by -a departing guest. In its modern acceptation it is a -distribution of money amongst a number rather as a -matter of policy or necessity than from choice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lascar.</b> The generic name for an East Indian seaman, -though it really expresses the Persian for a soldier, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>from <em>lashkari</em>, a camp-follower. Lascars were first -employed by the East Indiamen homeward bound. -Nowadays all Asiatic sailors, of whatever nationality, -are called Lascars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lasso.</b> From the Spanish <em>lazo</em>, a noose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Latakia.</b> A Turkish tobacco, so called from the place -(the ancient Laodicea) where it is produced.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Latch-string is always out.</b> An Americanism for a hearty -welcome at all times, without need for a formal -invitation. The allusion to the latch-string means: -“You have only to walk in, like any member of the -family.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lath.</b> A subdivision of land while certain portions of -Eastern England were held by the Danes, so called -from the Norse “Lathing,” a law assembly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Latins.</b> See “<a href='#ITALY'>Italy</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Latin Vulgate.</b> The Roman Catholic Bible authorised -by the Council of Trent in 1546. This translation of -the Scriptures was made by St Jerome from the Greek -into the Latin or vulgar tongue <span class='fss'>A.D.</span> 405.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Latitudinarians.</b> The opposers of the High Church party, -and also of the Puritans, during the Restoration -period. Modern Latitudinarians are those who hold -very broad views in regard to orthodox doctrine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laugh and grow Fat.</b> In allusion to Democritus, “The -Laughing Philosopher,” who waxed fat, and lived to be -109 years old.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laughing Philosopher.</b> Democritus of Abdera, from his -habit of humorously exposing the absurdities of his -countrymen, whose stupidity, he declared, was proverbial; -the feeble powers of mankind, contrasted with -the forces of nature, likewise aroused his contempt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laugh in your Sleeve.</b> Anciently the sleeves of all outer -garments were very wide, and when a person covered -his face with his hand there was always a suspicion -that he was making merry at someone else’s discomfiture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span><b>Laugh on the wrong Side of your Face.</b> A person -may preserve a grave countenance while listening to a -story, and at the same time wink significantly to -a bystander on the opposite side of the speaker. -The expression means that if, for his insolence, he -received a castigation, both his eyes would be made -to wink or blink.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laundress.</b> The exclusive designation of a housekeeper -or caretaker of bachelor chambers in the Temple. -This is because during the Crusades a great many -women of the town followed in the train of the Knights -Templars to the Holy Land for the purpose of washing -their linen. It afterwards transpired that, as a rule, -they acted also as mistresses to the Knights, and had -tents set apart for them even within sight of Jerusalem. -Historians tell us too that, though a religious Order, -the Templars did not scruple to introduce these -women into their London house after their return from -the seat of warfare, and this irregularity, in fact, led to -their suppression by Edward II. in 1313.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laundried.</b> An Americanism for “washed,” in relation -to household or personal linen. This, when one -comes to look into the word, is correct English, -meaning <em>lawn dried</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lavender.</b> From the Latin verb <em>lavare</em>, to wash, because -this shrub yields an essential oil employed in medicine -and perfumery. Laundresses also use it for preserving -newly washed linen against moths.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lavender Water.</b> A scent produced from the essential oil -of lavender, spirits of wine, and ambergris.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawing.</b> An Americanism for “going to law.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawless Parliament.</b> See “<a href='#DUNCES'>Parliament of Dunces</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawn.</b> The finest linen, which has been bleached on a -lawn instead of the usual drying ground. The greensward -called a lawn received its name from the Celtic -<em>allawnt</em>, a smooth, rising ground.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawrence Lane.</b> From the Church of St Lawrence, at -its foot, in Gresham Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span><b>Law Sakes.</b> An American corruption of the phrase -“For the Lord’s sake!” which, current among the -Puritans of New England, found its way in this new -form into neighbouring states.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Laws, Laws-a-me.</b> A corruption of “Lord, have mercy on -me.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawyer.</b> From the old English <em>Lawwer</em>, literally “lawman”; -the suffix is allied to the Latin <em>vir</em>, man.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lawyer’s Treat.</b> A phrase implying that each shall pay -for his own drinks. A lawyer never treats his clients -at a refreshment bar; they defray the cost between -them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lay-by.</b> The name given to an article, generally clothing, -purchased on the weekly instalment system, and laid -by on a shelf until the whole amount has been paid off.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lazar-house.</b> The old name for a poor-house, in allusion -to Lazarus, who picked up the crumbs under the -table at the mansion of Dives. On the Continent such -an institution is styled a “Lazaretto.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lazarists.</b> An Order of missionaries founded by St Vincent -de Paul, so called from their headquarters in Paris, the -Priory of St Lazare, between 1632 and 1792.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lazzaroni.</b> The beggars of Naples, and originally all the -poorest people of that city who had no regular habitation -save the streets. Their name was derived from -the common refuge, the Hospital of St Lazarus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leadenhall Street.</b> After the edifice known as the Leadenhall, -the first in London ever roofed with lead, built in -1419 by Sir Simon Eyre, and presented to the city for -the purposes of a granary in time of scarcity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leading Article</b> (or <b>Leader</b>). There are three reasons -for this term applied to a large-type newspaper article. -It is supposed to be written by the chief of the literary -staff, the editor; it leads off the foreign and all other -important news on the inside pages of the paper; -and it is intended to lead public opinion according to -the party views maintained by the journal in question.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span><b>League of the Cross.</b> The title of a modern crusade among -the Roman Catholics for the total suppression of -drunkenness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leamington.</b> The town in the meadow on the banks of -the Leam.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leap Year.</b> That which every fourth year leaps to the -total of 366 days by adding a day to the month of -February.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leather Lane.</b> From “The Old Leather Bottle,” now -modernised, at the corner of this lane and Charles -Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leave some for Manners.</b> A dinner-table phrase, which -had its origin in the ancient custom of making an -offering of a portion of the viands to the gods.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lebanon.</b> From the Hebrew <em>laban</em>, white; expresses “the -white mountain.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LEE'></a><b>Lee.</b> A variant of the Anglo-Saxon <em>lea</em> and <em>ley</em>, “meadow” -or “pasture land.” This word enters into many river -and place-names.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leech.</b> The old name for a medical man in the days when -bleeding the patient, no matter what his ailment might -be, was the common practice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>L. E. L.</b> The literary pseudonym, formed from the initials -of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the poetess.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leg and Star.</b> A corruption of “The Star and Garter.” -This, of course, arose when a painted device, instead -of a mere title, served as an inn and tavern sign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Legend.</b> An Americanism for a written or printed notice. -The term has latterly come into use in England -relative to a tradesman’s shop announcement.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Legitimate Drama.</b> That which is dependent upon its -intrinsic literary and constructive merits, quite apart -from scenic effects.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leg Stretcher.</b> A Far Western expression for a drink. -This arose from the common travellers’ exclamation -while the stage coach was waiting for the mails: “I’ll -get off a bit, and stretch my legs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span><b>Leicester.</b> The <em>Leirecastra</em> of the Romans, being the -fortified camp on the Leire, now called the Soar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leicester Square.</b> Originally Leicester Fields, from the -town mansion built on its east side by Robert Sidney, -Earl of Leicester, in 1636.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leipsic.</b> Expresses the Slavonic for linden or lime tree -town, from <em>lipa</em>, lime-tree.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leman Street.</b> Properly “Lemon Street,” from a wharf -at the Thames side, where, before the construction -of the docks, lemons were landed and sold.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lemon Sole.</b> The species of sole found on the south -coast of England; really a mud sole, from the Latin -<em>lima</em>, mud.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lent.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>lencten</em>, the spring. The -word has the same origin as “lengthen,” since at this -season of the year the lengthening of the days becomes -perceptible.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lent Crocking.</b> A popular old-time diversion of the -schoolboys on Shrove Tuesday. The ringleader, -having knocked at a house door and recited a garbled -set of verses, to the effect that he had come <em>a-shroving</em>, -his companions kept up an incessant din with old -saucepans and kettles until they were paid to go away.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leonine Verses.</b> Those which rhyme both in the middle -and at the end of each line, so called after Leoninus, -a canon of St Victor in Paris midway in the twelfth -century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='CATOUTOFBAG'></a><b>Let the Cat out of the Bag.</b> To disclose a trick unwittingly. -The illusion is to a very old device at -country fairs of selling a cat for a sucking pig. One -pig only was exposed to view; all the others were -supposed to be ready tied up for carrying away. If, -on occasion, a purchaser insisted on untying the sack -before paying for it, the cat leapt out, and the fraud -was discovered. As to the other victims who had -taken away theirs on trust, they were forced to admit, -because their sack contained no sucking pig, that they -had been “sucked in.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span><b>Levant.</b> An Italian term for the Orient or East--<em>i.e.</em> all -those parts of the Mediterranean eastward of Italy. -The word is also used in the sense of to depart, and a -defaulter was said to have <em>levanted</em>, or gone to the -Levant. This was in allusion to the “Grand Tour” -which all scions of the nobility were expected to make -on reaching their majority.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Levee.</b> A French word applied to a royal reception, from -<em>lever</em>, arising, because in former times such a function -took place in the King’s bed-chamber at the hour of -rising.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Levellers.</b> The primitive Radicals or Socialists of the time -of Charles I. and long afterwards; their plea was that -all men should be on a common level in regard to -office-seeking. Also the original name of the “White -Boys” in Ireland, who commenced their agrarian outrages -by levelling the hedges and fences on enclosed -lands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leviticus.</b> That book of the Old Testament which sets -forth the laws pertaining to the priests or Levites, the -descendants of Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lewisham.</b> From <em>Leesham</em>, the home or family settlement -in the meadow. See “<a href='#LEE'>Lee</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leyden.</b> Originally <em>Lugdunum</em>, the Latinised form of the -Celtic <em>llwch</em>, a morass, and <em>dun</em>, a hill, fortress.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leyton.</b> The town in the lea or meadow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Leytonstone.</b> A corruption of “Leytonstowe,” the stock -or wooded place in the vicinity of a meadow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lhassa.</b> A Tibetan word for “full of gods.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liberal.</b> The modern designation of the Progressive or -“Whig” Party. This arose out of Lord Byron’s -political magazine, <em>The Liberal</em>, in 1828, though the -name was not formally assumed until the agitation for -the Reform Bill in 1831.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liberator.</b> The surname of Simon Bolivar, who established -the independence of Peru.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span><b>Liberia.</b> An independent republic of free Negroes on the -west coast of Africa. The word is derived from the -<a id='corr199.3'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Latan'>Latin</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_199.3'><ins class='correction' title='Latan'>Latin</ins></a></span> <em>liber</em>, free, and the Celtic suffix <em>ia</em>, country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Library.</b> From the Latin <em>librarium</em>, a bookcase, through -<em>liber</em>, a book.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lifting.</b> This technical term in the printing trade, -because type is lifted out of the columns prior to -distribution, or, as may happen in a newspaper, to be -held over until the next issue for want of space, has -come to be applied by journalists to literary theft. -Facts, anecdotes, or jokes stolen from a contribution -submitted to an editor on approval are said to have -been “lifted.” One newspaper, too, often “lifts” -matter from another without acknowledgment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Light.</b> A journeyman printer’s term for “credit.” -Derived from the old saying: “He stands in a good -light with his neighbours.” The boast: “My light is -good,” has about it little to find fault with.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liguorians.</b> Another name for the Redemptorists or -Preachers of the Redemption, an Order founded by -St Francis Liguori in 1732.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Like a Thousand of Brick.</b> An Americanism for very -heavily, as if a waggon-load of bricks had been -dumped down on one.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lille.</b> Properly <em>L’Isle</em>, the island.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lima.</b> A Spanish corruption of the Peruvian Rima, the -name of the river on which it is situated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Limavady.</b> From the Irish <em>Leim-a-madha</em>, “The Dog’s -Leap.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Limehouse.</b> A corruption of <em>Limehurst</em>, or wood of lime-trees.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lime Street.</b> Where lime was sold in ancient times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Limoges.</b> Anciently called “Lemovica,” from the -<em>Lemovices</em>, the people who settled in this portion of -Gaul.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lincoln.</b> Originally <em>Llyn-dun</em>, the Celtic for “Pool hill,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>or the town built on the eminence overlooking the -Swanpool, which was not drained until the eighteenth -century. When the Romans established themselves -here they called it <em>Lindum Colonia</em>, or the colony -beside the pool. Of this name, therefore, Lincoln is -a softened abbreviation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lincoln College.</b> Founded at Oxford by Richard Fleming, -Bishop of Lincoln, in 1427.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lincoln’s Inn.</b> Anciently the town mansion of the Earls of -Lincoln, built by Henry de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in -the fourteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Line of Business.</b> A theatrical phrase for the special -kind of parts in which an actor is experienced. One -who plays the “Juveniles” would not be entrusted -with an “Old Man’s” part, and so forth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liner.</b> A steamship belonging to a regular line or service -of fast sailers--<em>e.g.</em> the Cunard Line.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LINGO'></a><b>Lingo.</b> Slang for language, derived from the Latin -<em>lingua</em>, the tongue.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lingua Franca.</b> A common language along the Mediterranean -shores, being a mixture of French and -Italian. See “<a href='#LINGO'>Lingo</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Linoleum.</b> A floorcloth, into the manufacture of which -linseed oil enters largely.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Linseed Lancers.</b> The nickname of the Army Medical -Corps.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lion.</b> An ancient inn sign derived from the heraldic -device of a particular monarch, or it might be, the -Lord of the Manor. According to the colour of the -animal in that device, so the name of the inn, after a -mere name was substituted for the painted representation, -came to be designated. Hence “Red Lion,” -“Black Lion,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lion and Key.</b> A corruption of “The Lion on the -Quay,” by way of distinguishing an inn or tavern from -other Lions in the same seaport.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lion Comique.</b> The name bestowed upon George -<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>Leybourne and other music-hall vocalists of his class -in days when comic singing was very different to what -it is now. The modern type of vocal comedians is, -happily, not “lionised” in the strict sense of the -word.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lionise.</b> See “<a href='#LION'>Lion of the Season</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LION'></a><b>Lion of the Season.</b> A <a id='corr201.7'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='distingushed'>distinguished</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_201.7'><ins class='correction' title='distingushed'>distinguished</ins></a></span> musical executant -or other celebrity, generally a foreigner, at whose -shrine society metaphorically worships while his fame -is at its zenith. The expression is the outcome of the -anxiety of the country folk in former days to see the -“London Lion” at the Tower. Hence to “lionise,” -make the most of a “stranger within our gates.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lion Sermon.</b> This is delivered once a year at the -Church of St Katherine Cree in commemoration of -Sir John Gayer’s miraculous escape from death by a -lion when he found himself separated from his companions -in the African desert. He bequeathed the -sum of £200 a year to the poor on condition of this -sermon being annually preached.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lisbon.</b> Anciently <em>Olisipo</em> or <em>Ulyssippo</em>, after Ulysses, -who, visiting Portugal with Lucus, is traditionally -stated to have laid the foundations of the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LISSONGROVE'></a><b>Lisson Grove.</b> Formerly Lidstone Green, a corruption of -“Ossulton Green,” the name of a Hundred cited in -Domesday Book. Ossulton Street in the Euston -Road preserves the name in the original form.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Litany.</b> See “<a href='#ROGATIONDAYS'>Rogation Days</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Bit of All Right.</b> A popular expression meaning -“Just the thing I wanted,” or “It couldn’t have happened -better.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Britain.</b> From the ancient residence of the Dukes -of Brittany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Corporal.</b> The name bestowed upon Napoleon I., -at the commencement of his military career, from his -rank and low stature.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little John.</b> The real name of this Sherwood forester -<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>was John Little, but Robin Hood playfully inverted it -because its owner was a tall, strapping fellow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Man.</b> The affectionate sobriquet of the late Mr -Alfred Beit, the “Diamond King,” on account of his -diminutive stature.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Mary.</b> A modern euphonism for the stomach, -popularised by J. M. Barrie’s successful comedy of -this title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little too Thick.</b> The antithesis of a “thin” story; one -so crowded with extraordinary statements that it is -hard to grasp or credit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Little Turnstile.</b> The lesser turnstile on the north side -of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, set up to prevent sheep from -straying into Holborn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Live like Fighting Cocks.</b> From the days of the Greeks -down to comparatively modern times game-cocks were -fed luxuriantly, so as to increase their pugnacity; -hence the application of the phrase to good living.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Live Man.</b> An Americanism for an energetic agent or -canvasser.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liverpool.</b> From an extinct bird, somewhat resembling -the heron, and called the <em>liver</em>, that made the <em>pool</em> on -which this city was built its home.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liverpool Landseer.</b> The sobriquet of William Huggins, -who acquired an equal celebrity for animal painting in -his native place, as Sir Edwin Landseer in the country -at large.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liverpool Street.</b> After Lord Liverpool, one of the most -popular members of the Ministry at the accession of -George IV. There is another Liverpool Street named -after him at King’s Cross.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Liverymen.</b> Freemen of the city of London who on -great special occasions wear the distinctive livery of -the companies to which they belong.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Llandaff.</b> Properly <em>Llan Taff</em>, the church on the Taff.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lloyd’s.</b> After Edward Lloyd, a coffee-house keeper in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>Abchurch Lane, whose premises were first used by -merchants and shippers as a sort of club.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>LL Whisky.</b> That distilled by Messrs Kinahan of -Dublin. When the Duke of Richmond was Lord-Lieutenant -of Ireland between 1807 and 1813 he in -the former year sent to various distilleries for samples -of good whisky, and preferring that tendered by -Messrs Kinahan, he ordered a large vat of the same -quality to be exclusively reserved for him. This vat -had LL painted on it, denoting “Lord-Lieutenant -Whisky.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lo.</b> An American term for an Indian. This originated -in Pope’s “Essay on Man,” a couplet of which reads:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c011'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Lo, the poor Indian! whose untutored mind</div> - <div class='line'>Sees God in clouds or hears Him in the wind.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c012'><b>Loaded.</b> An Americanism for intoxicated or “primed.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loafer.</b> This word is neither Dutch nor German, as -generally stated; it is distinctly Spanish-American. -The early settlers of Mexico and Texas gave the name -of <em>gallofo</em> to a vagrant, who, like the <em>lazzaroni</em> of Naples, -hung about the churches begging for alms. From the -western states this word travelled to New York, and -in the process became changed into “Loafer.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loan.</b> An Americanism for “lend.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lock-out.</b> When artisans have struck for an advance of -wages, and afterwards decide to return to work on the -former scale, the masters retaliate by shutting them -out of the works altogether and employing fresh hands -from elsewhere.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lock, Stock, and Barrel.</b> A sportsman’s phrase for the -whole of a thing, in allusion to the three parts of a -gun. In the modern sense it is used to imply the -complete discomfiture of an adversary in argument -or of one utterly outwitted in his schemes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loco-Focos.</b> The American term for lucifer matches. By -a patent dated 16th April 1834 John Marck, a storekeeper -of Park Row, New York, brought out a self-lighting -<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>or friction cigar, which he called a Loco-Foco. -The first portion of this name was taken from the -newly introduced locomotive, which people generally -thought to mean self-moving; the latter half was a -euphonism of his own. When friction or self-firing -matches came in they received the same designation. -The Democratic Party of the United States received -the name of “Loco-Focos” from the circumstance -that at a great general meeting held in Tammany Hall -to confirm the nomination of Gideon Lee as the -Democratic candidate for Congress, a tumult arose, -and the lights were turned out; whereupon the -adherents of the candidate, who had provided themselves -with loco-focos and candles, relighted the hall -in a moment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loft.</b> An Americanism for storey. In the United States -it is usual to say a house contains so many “lofts” -instead of storeys.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Logger.</b> One employed in the North American forests -cutting down trees and sawing them into logs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LOGGERHEAD'></a><b>Loggerhead.</b> A dull, stupid fellow with no more sense -in his head than a “logger” or lumberman. These -loggers often quarrel for no visible cause; hence the -expression to be “at loggerheads.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Log-rolling.</b> Primarily a political term descriptive of -mutual co-operation on the part of individuals for -the furtherance of a general cause. It means: “You -help me and I’ll help you”; “If your party further my -Bill through Congress I’ll pledge my party to push -yours along too.” The expression obtains also in a -social and journalistic sense: “If I propose a testimonial -for you I expect you to do the same for me”; -“I’ll write you up in the Press if you engage to -return the compliment.” For the origin of the term -we must look to the lumber regions of the state of -Maine, where the loggers of different camps assist one -another by turns to roll their logs down to the river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lollards.</b> Originally an association of pious people in -Germany at the commencement of the thirteenth century -<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>banded together for the purpose of burying the -dead. They were so called on account of the solemn -dirges they sang, from the Low German <em>lollen</em>, to sing -softly. After a time the same title was assumed by -the followers of one Walter Goilard, a dissolute priest, -who was burned for heresy at Cologne in 1322. The -Wycliffites assumed this name still later, and some -of these it must have been who were imprisoned in -the “Lollards’ Tower,” Lambeth Palace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lombard Street.</b> From the Jews of Lombardy, who here -set up banks and money-lending establishments, at the -instance of Pope Gregory IX., as a means of assisting -the people of England to raise money for the payment -of their taxes early in the thirteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lombardy.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Longobardi</em> after its -people, whom they subdued. This name was not -derived from their long beards, as generally stated, -but from the <em>longis bardis</em>, or long battle-axes, with -which they were armed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>London.</b> This name claims the same origin as “Lincoln,” -the first rude habitations beside the Thames being -situated on the rising ground now known as Tower -Hill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>London Bridge was built on Woolpacks.</b> This expression -had its origin in the fact that, when the construction -of Old London Bridge was stopped for want of -funds, Henry II. expedited its completion by imposing -a tax upon wool.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Londonderry.</b> The town built by a company of London -adventurers, to whom it, with the county of the same -name, was granted by a royal charter of James I. -<em>Derry</em> is Celtic for a grove or oak forest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>London Lion.</b> An expression derived from the Royal -Menagerie at the Tower of London ere the metropolis -rejoiced in a Zoological Gardens, and when travelling -menageries were unheard of. Country visitors up in -town for a few days never failed at that period to feast -their eyes upon a real live lion, and on returning to -their homes boasted of having seen the London Lion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span><b>London Stone.</b> Marked the centre of Roman London, -from which all the great roads through the country -radiated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>London Wall.</b> From the Roman wall which here defined -the northern limits of the city. A portion of this old -wall may yet be seen in Cripplegate Churchyard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lone Star State.</b> Texas, from the single star in her flag.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Acre.</b> The Anglo-Saxon <em>acer</em>, like the modern -German <em>acker</em>, expresses a field. This was anciently -a path across the fields between Lincoln’s Inn and -“Lomesbury Village,” or the manor now known as -Bloomsbury in the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Friday.</b> The old name for Good Friday, both on -account of the length of the Church service and the -long fast imposed on all good Catholics.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Longford.</b> The long ford on the River Camlin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Island.</b> So called from its shape.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Lane.</b> This was a long, narrow lane extending from -Barbican to Farringdon Road before the greater portion -of its one side was cleared for the Smithfield -Market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Lane that has no Turning.</b> An expression meaning -that sooner or later a turn of fortune must come, -since no lane, however long, exists that has no turning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Peter.</b> This name was merited by the celebrated -Flemish painter, Peter Aartsen, by reason of his -abnormal stature.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Long Parliament.</b> That which was dissolved by Oliver -Cromwell after it had lasted more than twelve years.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Longshanks.</b> The surname of Edward I. on account of -his spindle legs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Longshoreman.</b> Properly “Along-shoreman”--namely, a -wharfinger, or one employed in loading and unloading -vessels.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Look Daggers.</b> A phrase used when two persons look -fixedly at each other as if their eyes were dagger -points ready to make a fatal thrust.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span><b>Loosen your Purse Strings.</b> See “<a href='#PURSESTRINGS'>Purse Strings</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lord Bobs.</b> The later nickname of Lord Roberts since -the close of the South African War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lord’s Cricket Ground.</b> After Thomas Lord, the founder -of the earliest private Cricket Club in London, in 1780. -First in Dorset Square, and eventually on its present -site--his own landed property--he set up a private -pitch for genteel folk far from the haunts of the city -apprentices and other enthusiasts of the game.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lord’s Day.</b> The name given to Sunday by the Quakers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lordship Lane.</b> From the Lord of the Manor of Dulwich.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loretto.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Lauretana</em> after Laureta, -the lady to whom the country villa, and a large tract of -land on which the town was afterwards built, belonged.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lorraine.</b> Anciently Lotharingia, the duchy of Lotharius -II., grandson of the Emperor Lewis I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Los Angeles.</b> Originally called by the Spaniards “Pueblo -de los Angeles,” the city of the angels, on account of -its delightful situation and climate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='LOSPAGNOLETTO'></a><b>Lo Spagnoletto.</b> The surname of Guiseppe Ribera, the -celebrated Spanish painter. It means “Little Spaniard.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lothbury.</b> A corruption of “Lattenbury,” where the -workers in <em>latten</em> ware, a species of bronze, had their -shops in the Middle Ages. In the modern sense -latten is a kind of sheet brass.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Loudoun Road.</b> After the name of the builder on the -estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Louis d’Or.</b> A gold coin first struck in the reign of -Louis XIII. of France. The name means a “Louis of -gold.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Louisiana.</b> The name bestowed upon this State by -M. de la Sale in 1682 in compliment to Louis XIV. -of France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Louvre.</b> An adapted French word, from <em>l’ouvert</em>, “the -opening,” which expressed a kind of turret on the roof -of a building by way of a chimney to let out the smoke. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>A rude contrivance of this kind distinguished the -ancient hunting seat of Dagobert, on the site of which -Francis I. commenced the famous Parisian palace of -this name in 1528, completed twenty years later by -Henry II. A <em>louvre</em> window partakes of the same -character.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lower Berkeley Street.</b> See “<a href='#BERKELEYSTREET'>Berkeley Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lower Thames Street.</b> The eastern portion of Thames -Street, from London Bridge to the Tower.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lowndes Square.</b> After the ground landlord, lineally -descended from William Loundes, secretary to the -Treasury, <em>temp.</em> Queen Anne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Low Sunday.</b> Not only was this Sunday at the bottom of -the Lenten or Easter Calendar, but prior to the alteration -of New Year’s Day it was frequently also the last -Sunday of the year.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Luciferians.</b> A sect of Christians in the fourth century, -under Lucifer, Bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia, who -separated from the Orthodox Church on the ground -that the reconverted “Arians” should not again be -admitted to the fold.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lucifer Matches.</b> Early friction matches, so called from -the Latin <em>lucis</em>, light, and <em>ferre</em>, to bring.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lucullus Feast.</b> A sumptuous banquet, so called after -Licinius Lucullus, a famous Roman general, who in -the days of his retirement was no less distinguished for -the costly suppers he gave to the greatest men of the -Empire. The sums expended on those entertainments -were enormous. As an epicure he was unrivalled; he -could also be a glutton on occasion. There is a story -told that after the feast had been prepared no guests -arrived. “Lucullus will sup to-night with Lucullus” -was the explanation of the host.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lud-a-massy.</b> A corruption of the old exclamation “Lord, -have mercy!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Luddites.</b> A name borne by the wilful destroyers of -machinery in the manufacturing <a id='corr208.37'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='disticts'>districts</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_208.37'><ins class='correction' title='disticts'>districts</ins></a></span>; said to have -been adopted from Ned Lud, an imbecile of Leicester, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>who being, chased by boys, took refuge in a house, and -there broke a couple of stocking frames. These rioters -caused great havoc during the second decade of the -last century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ludgate Hill.</b> The testimony of Old Stow notwithstanding, -there is grave doubt whether King Lud, the reputed -builder of the western gate of the city, ever -existed. In much greater likelihood this gate received -its name from its situation near the River Fleet, and -meant simply <em>Flood Gate</em>. See “<a href='#FLEETSTREET'>Fleet Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lug.</b> Northern and Scottish for “ear.” In England generally -this word is regarded as slang except when employed -in connection with “Lugger” and “Luggage.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Luggage.</b> So called because it is lugged about in transit -by the handles, as a Lancashire man would pull -another by the <em>lug</em> or ear.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lugger.</b> A small craft having <em>lugs</em>, or drooping sails, like -a dog’s ear.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lumber.</b> An Americanism for timber sawn into logs and -sent floating down the rivers for eventual shipment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lumber-room.</b> One set apart for odds and ends of no -practical utility. The name is derived from “Lombard -Room,” in which the Lombards, who were the first -goldsmiths and money-lenders in England, stored the -articles pledged with them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lunatic.</b> From the Latin <em>luna</em>, the moon. The Romans -persistently cherished the idea that a person’s mind -was affected at the several changes of the moon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lupercalia.</b> A Roman festival in honour of <em>Lupercus</em>, -the god of fertility. This occurred on the 15th of -February.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lupus Street.</b> This keeps alive the name of Henry Lupus, -first Earl of Chester, from whom the Grosvenors, the -ground landlords, are descended.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lurid Waistcoat Banquet.</b> The latest style of “Freak -Dinner” in America, each guest disporting himself in -a waistcoat of startling hue and design.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span><b>Lutherans.</b> After Martin Luther, the German Reformer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Luxembourg.</b> This celebrated palace of the French -capital stands on the site of that purchased and -enlarged in 1583 by the Duke of d’Epinay, Luxembourg. -The title of the Dukes of Luxembourg is very -ancient, having been derived from a beautiful chateau -called <em>Luici burgum</em>, which was acquired by Siegfried, -Count of Ardennes, in 963.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lyceum Theatre.</b> Opened in 1834 as the English Opera -House. This was originally a lyceum or academical -establishment connected with the Society of Arts. -The word <em>Lyceum</em> was correctly applied in this case -from the academy formed by Aristotle in the temple -of Apollo Lyceus, near the River Illissus.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lych-Gate.</b> A large gateway at the entrance to the churchyard -where the coffin can be set down while the -mourners await the arrival of the clergyman to lead -the funeral service. The word comes from the Gothic -<em>leik</em>, and German <em>leiche</em>, a corpse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lyddite.</b> So called because experiments with this explosive -were first made at Lydd in Kent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lying around Loose.</b> An Americanism for being out of -a situation, lounging about the town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lyme Regis.</b> This little Dorsetshire seaport on the River -Lym was honoured with a royal charter and the title -of <em>Regis</em> because it furnished Edward III. with three -ships to aid in the siege of Calais in 1346.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lynch Law.</b> The summary justice meted out to public -offenders in the western states of North America. -This term was derived from James Lynch, a farmer -of Piedmont on the western frontier of Virginia. -There being no Court of Law for many miles around -he was always appealed to in cases requiring a legal -decision, and his judgments were so sound and impartial -that the people gave him the name of Judge -Lynch. The death sentence was by hanging at the -nearest tree. To “lynch a man,” however, in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>modern sense is to dispense with legal formalities -altogether.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lynn Regis.</b> See “<a href='#KINGSLYNN'>King’s Lynn</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lyon King at Arms.</b> The principal at Heralds’ College -in Scotland, so called from the lion rampant on the -armorial bearings of the Scottish kings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Lyre Bird.</b> So called from the resemblance of the sixteen -feathers of its tail when spread erect to a lyre.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>M</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Ma’am.</b> An Americanism for mother. See “<a href='#MADAM'>Madam</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ma’am School.</b> The American term for a young ladies’ -seminary, or an infants’ school kept by a woman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macadamised Road.</b> This system of road-making by -means of broken stones pressed down by a heavy -roller was introduced by John Loudon Macadam, a -Scotsman, appointed Surveyor of Public Roads in 1827.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macaroni.</b> From the Italian <em>macare</em>, to crush, to bruise, -through <em>Macarone</em>, a mixture, a medley. This confection -originally consisted of cheese and bread paste -squeezed into balls.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macaronies.</b> Fashionable dandies first heard of in London -after the accession of George III. Their leaders -hailed from France and Italy, where Macaroni Clubs -abounded. These clubs arose out of Dilettante -Societies, formed for the cultivation of what was styled -Macaronic Verse, after a poetical rhapsody entitled -“Liber Macaronicorum,” a jumble of Latin and other -languages published by a monk of Mantua in 1520. -Subsequently everything in dress or taste received the -name of Macaroni.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macaroon.</b> A biscuit the name of which has the same -etymology as “Macaroni.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macassar Oil.</b> So called because it was first exported -from Macassar, the Dutch capital of Celebes Island.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macclesfield Street.</b> After the Earl of Macclesfield, the -landlord of the estate when it was laid out in 1697.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span><b>Macedonians.</b> A fourth century sect of Christians founded -by Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Machinaw.</b> A heavy blanket worn by Indians, and also -nowadays in the western states used as a travelling -rug and bed pallet. The term is derived from -Machinac (pronounced <em>Machinaw</em>), the chief trading -station with the Indians formerly. Western settlers -also describe an overcoat as a Machinaw.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Machine.</b> A bicycle is called a machine because it is a -more or less complicated piece of mechanism made up -of many parts. In the United States the term machine -is applied both to a locomotive and a fire engine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mackenzie River.</b> After Alexander Mackenzie, by whom -it was first navigated in 1789.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mackerel.</b> From the Danish <em>mackreel</em>, “spots.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mackintosh.</b> After the Scotsman who invented water-proofing -material for over-garments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Macklin Street.</b> After Charles Macklin, the celebrated -actor of Drury Lane Theatre. His name was really -Maclaughlin shortened into Macklin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MACMILLANITES'></a><b>Macmillanites.</b> An offshoot of the Presbyterians under -John Macmillan; also styled the “Reformed Presbytery.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Madagascar.</b> A corruption of the native name <em>Malagasay</em>, -the island of the Malagese or Malays.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MADAM'></a><b>Madam.</b> In New England the term applied to the deceased -wife of a person of local distinction, such as -the parson, doctor, etc. In the southern states it -expresses the mistress or master’s wife universally -among the Negroes. Elsewhere it is either <em>Madam</em> or -<em>Ma’am</em> for a mother.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mad Cavalier.</b> Prince Rupert, so called on account of -his rash courage and lack of self-control.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mad Dog.</b> A skull cap, from the old idea that keeping -the head impervious to air was a remedy against the -bite of a dog.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mad Poet.</b> Nathaniel Lee, who wrote some of his finest -<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>pieces while confined during four years at Bethlehem -Hospital.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mad as a Hatter.</b> A corruption of “Mad as an atter.” -<em>Atter</em> expressed the Saxon for a viper or adder. -The word “Mad” was anciently used in the sense -of venomous; hence this expression really meant -“venomous as a viper.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mad as a March Hare.</b> Being their rutting season, hares -are very wild in March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Made a bad Break.</b> An Americanism for having made a -silly slip of the tongue, a sad mistake, or a great -blunder. The expression is, of course, derived from a -game of billiards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Made his Pile.</b> Although a Californian phrase for having -amassed a fortune, this originated at the gaming-tables -throughout the States generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Madeira.</b> Expresses the Portuguese for “timber.” This -island was at the time of its discovery covered with -forests. Also the name of a rich wine imported therefrom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Madeleine.</b> The church at Paris dedicated to Mary Magdalen -or Mary of Magdala.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maddox Street.</b> After the name of the builder upon the -land in 1720.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Madras.</b> From the Arabic <em>Madrasa</em>, “university.” Originally -Madrasa Pattan, the name expressed “University -town.” <em>Pattan</em> is Sanscrit for town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Madrid.</b> In the tenth century this was simply a Moorish -fortified outpost of Toledo, as expressed by its Arabic -name, <em>Majerit</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maelstrom.</b> Expresses the Norwegian for an eddy or -whirlpool; literally “whirling stream.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maffiking.</b> A word used to denote the madness which -may seize upon an entire community on an occasion -of great public rejoicing, as happened when news of -the relief of Mafeking, during the South African War, -reached England. Staid citizens--bankers, stockbrokers, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>and others--assembled in front of the Mansion -House, cheering wildly, and losing all control -over themselves to such a degree that they threw their -hats high in the air. For the remainder of that day -and far into the night all London went mad with joy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magazine.</b> From the Arabic <em>Makhzan</em>, a depository for -stores. In a literary sense this originally expressed a -periodical whose contents were made up of elegant -extracts from the best authors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magdalen Hospital.</b> The old name of a penitentiary for -fallen women, so called after Mary Magdalen. The -French form of this name is Madeleine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magdalen Smith.</b> The famous Dutch portrait painter, -Gaspar Smitz, is usually known by this name on -account of his many “Magdalens,” in which he excelled.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magdeburg.</b> German for “town on the plain.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magenta.</b> This colour was so called because first produced -after the battle of Magenta in 1859.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magic City of the South.</b> Birmingham in the state of -Alabama. Since its foundation by the Elyton Land -Company in 1871 it has bidden fair to rival Pittsburg -as the Birmingham of America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Magnolia.</b> In honour of the eminent French botanist, -Pierre Magnol.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mahala.</b> The Californian term for an Indian squaw, derived -from the Spanish <em>muger</em> (pronounced <em>muher</em>), a -woman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mahatma.</b> A Hindoo term for a Buddhist gifted with -what appear to be supernatural powers, as the result of -the very highest intellectual development.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mahogany.</b> A vulgar term very frequently heard in the -Midland counties for a man’s wife. This arose from -the fact that the wood of the Mahogany-tree (West -Indian <em>Mahogan</em>, but botanically <em>Swietenia Mahogani</em>) -was for many years at first used exclusively for the -manufacture of domestic dining-tables; hence a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>man would say: “I’ll discuss it with my wife over the -Mahogany.” Eventually the phrase was corrupted -into “I’ll talk to the Mahogany about it,” and so the -term came to denote the man’s wife.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mahrattas.</b> The Hindoo term for “outcasts.” Although -devout worshippers of Buddha, this powerful Hindoo -family does not recognise that fine distinction of -caste which obtains elsewhere.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maida Vale.</b> After the victory of Maida, 4th July 1806.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maiden.</b> An ancient instrument of capital punishment -made in the form of a woman, the front of which -opened like a door, and, the victim being imprisoned, -sharp steel spikes pierced his body on every side. -This name was also given to an early species of guillotine -in Scotland. To be executed by its means was -to “Kiss the Maiden,” because she clasped him in a -death embrace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maidenland.</b> A Virginian term for the land which comes -to a man by marriage on his wife’s side, and which -passes from him at her decease.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maiden Assize.</b> So called when there are no charges -for the jury, which in the event of conviction merit -capital punishment or the death sentence. On such -an occasion the sheriffs present a pair of white gloves -to the judges as the emblems of innocence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maiden Lane.</b> Anciently skirting the garden of the Convent. -This thoroughfare had at its western corner a -statue of “Our Lady” let into the wall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MAIDMARIAN'></a><b>Maid Marian.</b> So far from having any connection with -Robin Hood and his merry men in Sherwood Forest, -this term is derived from the “Morris Dance,” in -which five men and a boy took part. On account of -his antics and the ill-fitting <em>morione</em>, or helmet, that -this boy wore, he came to be styled as the “Mad -Morion,” of which Maid Marian was an easy corruption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maid of Orleans.</b> Joan of Arc, who led her countrymen -<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>against the English, and effected the capture of the -city of Orleans, 29th April 1429.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maid of Saragossa.</b> Augustina Zaragossa, who distinguished -herself in the <a id='corr216.4'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='herioc'>heroic</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_216.4'><ins class='correction' title='herioc'>heroic</ins></a></span> defence of the city of -Saragossa during its eight months’ siege by the French -in 1808-9.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MAIDSTONE'></a><b>Maidstone.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Medwægeston</em>, the -town on the <em>Medwæge</em>, or Medway, which river runs -through the middle of the county of Kent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mail.</b> The American term for “post”--<em>i.e.</em> a letter. This -word is, of course, derived from the mail bag in which -letters are transmitted.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mail Stage.</b> The American form of “Stage-coach.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maine.</b> The name given to the French settlement in the -New World after the city so called in the Mother -Country. Maine, from the Celtic <em>man</em>, expresses a -district or region.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Majorca.</b> Expresses the Latin for Greater, relative to the -“Balearic Islands.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Make Bricks without Straw.</b> To make something without -the needful materials. In the East bricks are -made out of straw and mud dried in the sun. The -expression comes from the burdens laid upon the -Israelites in Egypt as related in Exodus v.: “Go -therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be -given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Make Money out of a Shoe-string.</b> An Americanism -for a capacity to make money out of nothing--that is, -without working capital.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Make the Raise.</b> An Americanism for to “raise the -loan.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Make the Sneak.</b> An Americanism for to sneak or run -away.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Make Tracks.</b> Originally a Far West expression when a -squatter deserted his claim and set out to explore an -unknown region.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span><b>Make Trade hum.</b> An Americanism for whipping up -business by advertising or extraordinary energy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Malaga.</b> From the Phœnician <em>malaca</em>, salt. The wine of -the same name is imported from this city of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Malmsey.</b> Wine from Malvasia, an island in the Mediterranean -historically famous for its vineyards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Malta.</b> From the Phœnician <em>Melita</em>, “a place of refuge.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mamelukes.</b> From the Arabic <em>mamluc</em>, a slave. The -original standing army of Egypt, composed of boy -slaves purchased by the Sultan from the Tartar Khan -in the Caucasus in the thirteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mamma.</b> Latin for “breast”; hence all animals that -are suckled by the mother belong to the class of -“Mammals.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mammon.</b> From the Syriac <em>mamona</em>, “riches.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manchester.</b> Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for a common -on the site of a Roman camp. The Friesic <em>man</em> in -this sense enters into many place names also on the -Continent.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manchester Square.</b> After the Duke of Manchester, the -owner of the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manchuria.</b> The territory of the Manchus, the founders -of the present ruling dynasty of China.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mandarin.</b> Although this title is borne by officers of -every grade in China the word is really Portuguese, -<em>mandar</em>, to command. It was applied by the early -settlers of Macao to the Chinese officials of that -colony, and has remained a European designation for -a Chinaman of rank ever since.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manhattan.</b> From the Indian <em>munnohatan</em>, “the town on -the island.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manicure.</b> The American mode of “Manicurist,” which, -from the Latin <em>manus</em>, hand, literally means one who -undertakes the care of the finger-nails.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Manitoba.</b> After <em>Manitou</em>, the “Great Spirit” of the -Alonquin Indians. This name is pronounced Manito<em>bar</em> -not Mani<em>to</em>bar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span><b>Man in the Street.</b> A metaphorical expression for the -average man, with no more than a superficial knowledge -of matters in general. Not belonging to a club, he -has small means of adding to his own store of knowledge -by daily communion with those better informed -than himself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MANLIUSTORQUATUS'></a><b>Manlius Torquatus.</b> The Roman Consul Manlius received -his surname “Torquatus” through having -wrested the golden torque or collar from his adversary -on the field of war.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mannheim.</b> German for “the home of men.” Until the -Elector Palatine Frederick IV. built a castle here, and -a town grew up around it in the seventeenth century, -this was a village of refugees from religious persecution -in the Netherlands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Man of Kent.</b> A native of the county of Kent east of -the Medway.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Man of Ross.</b> The name given by Pope to John Kyrle -of Ross, Herefordshire. See “<a href='#KYRLESOCIETY'>Kyrle Society</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Man of Straw.</b> One who, having nothing to lose, descends -to mean practices for gain, well knowing that his -victims rarely go to the expense of entering a prosecution -against him, since they cannot obtain damages. -This term was derived from the hangers-on at the -Westminster Law Courts, who were ready to swear -anything at the instruction of counsel for a bribe. -They were known by displaying a wisp of straw in -their shoes. If another witness was required while a -case was being heard, counsel generally sent out to -look for “a pair of straw shoes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Man-of-War.</b> This term is a popular abbreviation of -man-of-war ship--<em>i.e.</em> the floating home of a man-of-war’s-man. -Our national prestige has from time immemorial -been dependent on the supremacy of the -seas, therefore an English sailor, more than a soldier, -was regarded by our ancestors as a fighting man. Since -the introduction of ironclads, however, it has become -the custom to speak of a floating battery as a war -vessel or battleship, and a sailor as a bluejacket.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span><b>Mansard Roof.</b> After its inventor, François Mansard, -the French architect of the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mansfield Street.</b> From the town mansion of the Earls -of Mansfield, which stood here.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mansion House.</b> Expresses the “house of houses,” the -official residence of the Lord Mayor of London, the -representative in the city of the King, whose flag -proudly waves in the breeze from the roof.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mantua.</b> A lady’s cloak or mantle, originally introduced -from the Italian city of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maoris.</b> The aborigines of New Zealand. In the native -tongue this means “indigenous.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maraboo Feathers.</b> Those plucked from the underside of -the wings of the stork of the same name. The stork -being held sacred by the Mohammedans, as it was by -the ancient Egyptians, its name has the same meaning -as that of the “Marabuts.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marabuts.</b> The priestly order of the Arabs in North -Africa; those who attend the mosques and call the -people to prayers. Their name is derived from the -Arabic <em>Marabath</em>, sacred or devoted to God.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maraschino.</b> A liqueur distilled from delicate and finely -flavoured cherries, called <em>Marazques</em>, cultivated at -Zara in Dalmatia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>March.</b> In honour of Mars, the Roman god of war.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marconigram.</b> A wireless telegram, so called after Marconi, -the inventor of the system.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Margate.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Mære</em>, the sea; expresses -the road or entrance to the Thames estuary from the -sea. See “<a href='#GATE'>Gate</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Margaret Street.</b> After Lady Margaret Cavendish, wife -of the second Duke of Portland, landlord of the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marigold.</b> This, golden flower, indigenous to Mexico, was -dedicated by the Spaniards to the Virgin. What are -called “Marigold Windows,” having these flowers represented -on them, appear in Lady Chapels.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span><b>Marine Store Dealer.</b> The legal description of what is -now a rag and bone merchant in a small way, because -at one time old ships’ iron and cables were not allowed -to be disposed of in any other manner save to such a -registered dealer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Market Street.</b> The site of an ancient market on which -at a later period the annual May Fair was held. This -district is now one of the most fashionable in the West -End of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mark Lane.</b> A corruption of “Mart Lane,” in which an -ancient annual fair or mart of Flemish merchants was -held.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Mark Twain.</b> The literary pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne -Clemens, reminiscent of his early life as a pilot -on a Mississippi steamboat. “Mark Twain” in -nautical phraseology means “mark two fathoms of -water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marlborough House.</b> This, the residence of H.R.H. the -Prince of Wales, was built by Sir Christopher Wren -for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, in 1709 at -a total cost of a million of money.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marlborough Road.</b> This, like the square of the same -name off the Fulham Road, was so called after the -“Duke of Marlborough” at one end of it. At Peckham, -after the one-time residence of John Churchill, -Duke of Marlborough, before he removed to Pall Mall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MAROONS'></a><b>Maroons.</b> Revolted Negroes in South America and the -West Indies. The term was derived from the Morony -River, between Dutch and French Guiana, where great -numbers of these fugitives found a place of safety.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marquee.</b> Originally the tent of a marchioness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marquis.</b> From the Italian and French <em>Marchese</em>, pursuant -to the root <em>mark</em>, a boundary. Anciently expressive -of an officer who had the guardianship of the marches -or boundaries of a duchy. At a later period the -owner of a slice of land bestowed upon him out of a -duchy. Nowadays the title next below that of duke.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marquis of Granby.</b> A tavern sign in honour of John -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>Manners, the British general during the Seven Years’ -War in Germany, a soldier beloved by his men and -esteemed by his country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marry.</b> A perverted form of the oath “By Mary” in -days when people were wont to swear by the Virgin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marsala.</b> A light wine exported from Marsala in Sicily. -This name was bestowed upon the town by the Arabs, -<em>Marsa Alla</em>, “Port of God,” on account of its delightful -situation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MARSEILLAISE'></a><b>Marseillaise.</b> This was the composition of Rouget de -Lisle, an artillery officer stationed with the French -garrison at Strasburg. First sung at a banquet given -by the mayor of that city, it became immensely -popular; and when in 1792 the Marseilles volunteers -were summoned to Paris, they sang it as they approached -and entered the capital. The words and -music at once struck the popular ear, so that “La -Marseillaise” became the national war song.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marshal.</b> From the Teutonic <em>mare</em>, horse, and <em>schalk</em>, -servant. This term, through the French <em>maréchal</em>, originally -signified the groom of the horse; now it means -in a civil sense the master of the horse and head of -the ceremonies in devising pageants and processions. -The Duke of Norfolk, as Earl Marshal of England, -takes precedence over all other noblemen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marshal Forward.</b> General Blucher, on account of his -eagerness to make a dash in the campaign which -terminated in the victory of Waterloo.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marshalsea.</b> The old Debtors’ Prison in Southwark, so -called because the Court of the Knight Marshal, for -the settlement of disputes between members of the -Royal Household, was held within its walls. This -edifice was demolished in 1842.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marsham Street.</b> From the ground landlord, Charles -Marsham, Earl of Romney.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MARTEL'></a><b>Martel.</b> The surname of Charles, the son of Pepin -d’Heristal, who signalised himself in battle against -the Saracens when, according to the chronicler, “he -<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>knocked down the foe and crushed them between his -axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” -This exploit occurred during the attempted Saracenic -invasion of France <span class='fss'>A.D.</span> 732.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Martello Tower.</b> Originally built near the sea as a watch-tower -for protection of merchandise against pirates. -The term arose from the custom of the sentry striking -a bell with a <em>martel</em>, or hammer, as often as he discerned -a pirate ship out at sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Martin.</b> The common wall-swallow, corrupted from its -Latin name <em>Murten</em>, from <em>murus</em>, a wall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Martinet.</b> From the name of a strict officer under -Louis XIV. of France; hence the phrase “a regular -martinet.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Martin’s Lane.</b> From St Martin’s Church in this lane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Martlemas.</b> A corruption of “Martinmas,” or Feast of St -Martin, 4th November, the usual time for the hiring of -servants in the rural districts of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maryland.</b> The name given by Lord Baltimore to the -colony founded by him, in honour of Henrietta Maria, -queen of Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maryland End.</b> An Americanism for the hock of the -ham, as distinguished from the other, the “Virginia -End.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Marylebone.</b> A corruption of “St Mary of the Bourn”--<em>i.e.</em> -the parish church of St Mary beside the bourn or -stream which descended from near the hermitage at -“Kilburn” to “Tyburn.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Masaniello.</b> The name of the leader of the Neapolitan -insurrectionists of the seventeenth century was Tommaso -Aniello, of which <em>Masaniello</em> is a corruption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Masher.</b> From the Romany or gipsy <em>Masha</em>, “to fascinate -the eye.” Whether the overdressed fop, so designated -in our day, really possessed this enviable quality is -open to question.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mason and Dixon’s Line.</b> An American expression -for the old-time boundary between the slave and the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>free states. This line was defended between Pennsylvania -and Maryland and Virginia by two English -surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in -1763-7.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Massage.</b> A Frenchised Hindoo word for rubbing. A male -and female practitioner of this new curative mode of -friction treatment are respectively styled a masseur -and masseuse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mattan Diamond.</b> This, the largest in the world, weighing -367 carats, is the property of the Rajah of Mattan in -India.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Maudlin.</b> A word expressive of sentimentality or an -inclination to shed tears, more especially when in a -state of intoxication. Old painters always represented -Mary Magdalen with swollen eyes, the result of -penitential tears; hence a corruption of “Magdalen.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MAUND'></a><b>Maund.</b> The Saxon for an alms-basket employed in the -distribution of bread to the poor by the Lady of the -Manor.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Maundy Thursday.</b> So called from <em>Maundé</em>, the French -form of <em>Mandatum</em>, the first word in the New Commandment -or mandate given by our Lord to His -disciples after washing their feet at the Last Supper. -The essence of this mandate was to love one another; -hence the washing of feet of poor persons and distribution -of doles by the reigning sovereign on this day. -See “<a href='#MAUND'>Maund</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mauritius.</b> A Dutch colony named in honour of Maurice, -Prince of Orange.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mausoleum.</b> After the <a id='corr223.30'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='magnificient'>magnificent</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_223.30'><ins class='correction' title='magnificient'>magnificent</ins></a></span> sepulchral monument -erected by his widow, Artemisia, to Mausolus, King of -Caria, at Halicarnassus, 353 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span></p> - -<p class='c010'><b>May.</b> The budding or shooting of plants in this month -caused the Romans to give it the name of <em>Magius</em>, -afterwards shortened into <em>Maius</em>, from the Sanskrit -mah, to grow. Eventually this month was held sacred -to <em>Maia</em>, the mother of Mercury, to whom sacrifices -were offered on the first day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span><b>Maydew <a id='corr224.1'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Cheeries'>Cherries</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_224.1'><ins class='correction' title='Cheeries'>Cherries</ins></a></span>.</b> A corruption of Medoc cherries, from -the district in France where they are cultivated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mayfair.</b> On the site of this fashionable district Edward III. -established a six days’ fair in the month of May for -the benefit of the leper hospital of St James the Less, -where St James’s Palace now stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>May Meetings.</b> The annual meetings of the many religious, -missionary, and philanthropic bodies of the United -Kingdom are held in London, generally at Exeter Hall, -during the month of May.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mazarin Bible.</b> A very rare edition of the Scriptures, being -one of the earliest printed by Gutenberg with separate -metal types, between 1450 and 1455. It received this -name from the fact that a copy was discovered in the -library of Cardinal Mazarin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mecklenburg Square.</b> One of the many names about -London which, when new streets were built upon, -complimented the Hanoverian Succession.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Medina.</b> Expresses the Arabic for “City.” Its full name -is <em>Medinat al Nabi</em>, “City of the Prophet.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mediterranean Sea.</b> The sea “in the middle of the earth” -is that between the two great continents, Europe and -Africa.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Medway.</b> See “<a href='#MAIDSTONE'>Maidstone</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Meerschaum.</b> Expresses the German for “sea foam,” the -fine white clay out of which pipes are made being at -one time thought to be the petrified scum or foam of -the sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Meistersingers.</b> Literal German for “Master Singers”; -master craftsmen who in the Middle Ages revived -the national minstrelsy, which had been allowed to -fall into decay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Melbourne.</b> In honour of Lord Melbourne, the Prime -Minister in 1837, when this Australian colony was -founded.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Melodrama.</b> Modern drama, distinguished by incidental -music as an accompaniment to the action.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span><b>Memorial Day.</b> The United States mode of expressing -a great commemorative occasion, such as Independence -or Decoration Day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Memorial Hall.</b> This building, in Farringdon Road, -commemorates the issue of the famous “Act of Uniformity,” -whereby 2000 ministers of the Church of -England were deprived of their livings on 24th August -1662. The site was formerly occupied by the old -Fleet Prison.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Memory-Corner Thompson.</b> The name borne by John -Thompson of the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields. -Seated in a corner of a coffee-house, he was wont for -the amusement of regular habitues to display his -astounding powers of memory in regard to the topography -of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Memory Woodfall.</b> The sobriquet of William Woodfall, -brother to the reputed author of the celebrated -“Letters of Junius.” His mnemonical powers differed -from that of “Memory-Corner Thompson” in that, -after listening to a debate, Parliamentary or otherwise, -overnight, he could repeat it word for word the next -morning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mentor.</b> A “guide, philosopher, and friend,” so called -after Mentor, the faithful friend and counsellor of -Ulysses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mercenaries.</b> From the Latin <em>mercer</em>, wages, reward. -These hired soldiers of antiquity figured largely in -the Punic Wars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MERCER'></a><b>Mercer.</b> The old name for a dealer in silks and woollen -fabrics, so called from the Latin <em>mercis</em>, wares, -merchandise. Nowadays such a one styles himself -a “Draper.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Merino.</b> A fabric of wool from the sheep of the same -name, which expresses the Spanish for an inspector of -sheep walks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Merioneth.</b> After Merion, an early British saint.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Merrimac.</b> Indian for “swift water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span><b>Merry Andrew.</b> A buffoon or clown, said to have been so -called after Andrew Borde, a noted physician of the -time of Henry VIII., whose witticisms were on a par -with his medical skill. His sayings were widely -repeated, and since it happened that Andrew was then -the most common name for a man-servant, facetious -fellows came to be dubbed Merry Andrews.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Merry Monarch.</b> Charles II., who from the time of coming -to the throne never knew care, but made his life one -round of pleasure.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mesopotamia.</b> The ancient description of the region -situate between the Tigris and the Euphrates. The -name is Greek, from <em>mesos</em>, middle, and <em>potamos</em>, -river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Messe Rouge.</b> Expresses the French for “Red Mass.” -At the resumption of their duties at the Law Courts -after the Long Vacation all the Catholic judges and -barristers attend a Mass of the Holy Ghost to invoke -the Spirit for the gift of wisdom. Like the masses of -the Feast of the Holy Ghost, the vestment worn by -the officiating priest is red, in allusion to the tongues -of fire that descended upon the Apostles on Whit -Sunday.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Methodists.</b> This name was first given by a fellow-student -of Christ Church, Oxford, to the Brothers -Wesley and a few friends who were in the habit of -meeting on certain evenings for religious conversation. -They also visited the inmates of Oxford Jail at stated -times, always faithfully kept their engagements, and -acted up to their Christian principles in a strictly -methodical manner. The new sect was afterwards -styled by John Wesley “The First Methodist -Society.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Metz.</b> This city was styled by the Romans <em>Mettis</em>, from -the <em>Medio matrici</em>, the people of the country, whom -they conquered.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mexico.</b> Expresses the seat or place of <em>Mexitli</em>, the -Aztec god of war.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span><b>Michaelmas Day.</b> The feast of St Michael, prince of the -heavenly host, and patron saint of the Catholic Church. -This is properly described as “St Michael and all -Angels” (29th September).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Michaelmas Goose.</b> Stubble geese being at their best -about this time, the rural tenantry always brought their -landlords a goose with their Michaelmas rent. Since -the latter usually received more geese than they could -consume themselves, they passed them over to friends, -and thus the goose became a standing Michaelmas -dish.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Michigan.</b> Indian for “a weir for fish.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Middlesex.</b> Expresses the territory of the Middle Saxons, -situate between that of the East and West Saxons -under the Heptarchy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Middling.</b> North of England, and also American, for -medium or passable in the sense of feeling well.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mignonette.</b> Expresses the diminutive of <em>Mignon</em>, the -French for “darling.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mildmay Park.</b> The estate of the Mildmays, whose -ancestor, Sir Henry Mildmay, came, by marriage, into -possession of Mildmay House and its park in the -time of Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mile End Gate.</b> From a toll gate which at this point of -the highroad marked the eastern limits of London -town and the parish of Whitechapel, distant one mile -from the city boundary at Aldgate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Miles Lane.</b> After Miles Coverdale, a famous preacher -at the Weigh-House Chapel hard by in former days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Milford Lane.</b> From an old mill that stood here in the -fields. The lane itself led to a ford across the river -at low water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Milking the Street.</b> An Americanism for the operations -of stockbrokers who, by alternately raising and depressing -shares, capture all the floating money in the -market. The allusion is, of course, to Wall Street, the -financial centre of New York city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span><b>Milk Street.</b> The ancient milk and butter market in -connection with Cheapside.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Millbank.</b> From an old mill that stood on the Thames -bank, on the site of which the Grosvenors built a -mansion, subsequently displaced for the gloomy prison -of the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Millerites.</b> An American religious sect, whose founder, -William Miller, prophesied the millennium or first -judgment of the world by Christ and His angels to -take place on 23rd February 1843. Many of his -followers went mad through excitement as this date -approached. Subsequent days assigned for the fulfilment -of the prophesy proved alike misleading.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Milliner.</b> A corruption of <em>Milaner</em>, after the city of Milan, -which at one time set the fashion throughout Europe -for elegance and taste not only in matters of dress, -but of art. A milliner is one who deals in hats, -feathers, and ribbons. See “<a href='#MERCER'>Mercer</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mill Street.</b> From a mill that stood hereabouts when the -scene was one of peaceful rusticity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Milton Street.</b> After the author of “Paradise Lost,” who -resided here for a time, and was buried in the parish -church of St Giles’s, Cripplegate. This was the -famous Grub Street of tradition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Milwaukee.</b> Indian for “rich land.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MINCINGLANE'></a><b>Mincing Lane.</b> A corruption of “Mynchen Lane,” denoting -the property of the Minchery, the Saxon term for -a nunnery of St Helen’s in Bishopsgate Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minden Boys.</b> The 20th Foot, so called from the conspicuous -bravery displayed by them at the battle of -Minden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mind your P’s and Q’s.</b> This had reference originally -to the pints and quarts chalked up against a rustic at -the village alehouse. When his score threatened to -become too disproportionate to his prospective wages, -the alehouse-keeper generally administered a timely -warning in these set terms. It was a polite way of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>saying he would very soon decline to serve him with -more until the next settling day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Miniature.</b> So called because this early species of hand-painted -portraiture originated in the head of the -Madonna or of a saint that formed the initial letter of -the beautifully illuminated rubrics produced by the -monks styled the “Miniatori,” because their paints -were made out of <em>minium</em>, or red lead.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minnesingers.</b> Expresses the Old German for “love -singers,” the troubadours of the Fatherland in the -Middle Ages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minnesota.</b> Indian for “smoky water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minorca.</b> Expresses the lesser of the “Balearic Islands.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minories.</b> This thoroughfare was laid out across the -lands belonging to the Minoresses or Nuns of St -Clare after their priory had been demolished at the -Reformation. The Order of the Minoresses corresponded -to the Friars Minor of the Franciscans -founded by St Francis de Paula.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minster.</b> The distinction between a minster and a cathedral -lies in this: the former is the church in connection -with a monastery, whereas the latter contains the -<em>kathedra</em>, or chair, of a bishop.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minstrel Boy.</b> A favourite page whose duty it was to -attend a knight in peace and war. On his return from -“feats of arms” he recited the doughty deeds of his -master to the accompaniment of a lute, harp, or lyre -in the banqueting-hall. In times of peace his theme -was the bravery of the knight in the lists at tournaments -or his prowess in defence of fair maidens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minstrel of the Border.</b> The name bestowed upon -William Wordsworth by Sir Walter Scott.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MINT'></a><b>Mint.</b> On the spot where Manlius Capitolinus had built -himself a sumptuous residence the Romans set up a -temple to Juno Moneta, or “The Monitress,” since -Manlius had been apprised of the Gallic invasion -through the cackling of the sacred geese. Subsequently -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>this temple of Moneta was converted into an -establishment for the coinage of money. Both mint -and money therefore come from <em>Moneta</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mint Street.</b> From the old mint established at Suffolk -House by Henry VIII. when that property was sequestered -to the Crown.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Minuet.</b> So called from the Latin <em>minutus</em>, small, on -account of the short, graceful steps which distinguish -this dance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Miserere.</b> The name given to a mediæval choir stall of -which the seat could be turned up so as to form a -ledge for the support of the aged monks while kneeling. -Its name, <em>miserere</em>, “Have mercy,” was singularly -appropriate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Misluck.</b> An Americanism for misfortune or ill luck.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Misses’ Tailors.</b> An Americanism for “Ladies’ Tailors.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mississippi.</b> Indian for “great and long river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Missouri.</b> Indian for “muddy water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mitre.</b> An inn sign most generally to be met with in a -cathedral city, having reference, of course, to the -mitre worn by a bishop.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mitre Court.</b> So called after an ancient Fleet Street -tavern hard by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mitre Square.</b> From an old inn, “The Mitre.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mob.</b> From the Latin <em>mobile vulgus</em>, “the vulgar crowd.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mobtown.</b> The name given to the city of Baltimore on -account of the lawlessness of a certain section of its -inhabitants.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mocha.</b> Coffee brought from the district of the same -name in Arabia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mocking Bird.</b> A species of thrush that mocks or imitates -the notes produced by other birds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moet and Chandon.</b> A favourite brand of champagne -from the vineyards of the French firm trading under -the name of “Moet et Chandon.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span><b>Molasses.</b> The American term for syrup or treacle, -derived from the French <em>melasse</em>, the root of which is -the Latin <em>mellis</em>, honey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Money.</b> See “<a href='#MINT'>Mint</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mohair.</b> From the Arabic <em>Mukhayyar</em>, “goatskin hair,” -through the French <em>moire</em>, the fine silken hair of the -Angora goat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mohawks.</b> Night marauders who in the days of the “Old -Charlies” terrorised peaceable London citizens, self-styled -after the fierce Indian tribe of the same name. -“Mohawk” means “man-eater” or “live-eater,” this -term being applied to the Iroquois by the eastern -Indians of North America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moire Antique.</b> The French description of watered silk -worked in the style of the olden times. See -“Mohair.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moldavia.</b> The country traversed by the River Moldau.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moleskin.</b> A superior fabric of fustian or strong cotton -distinguished for a smoothness like the hair of the -mole.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Molly Maguires.</b> An Irish Secret Society in the United -States, more especially Pennsylvania, composed of -young men dressed in women’s clothes, and with -blackened faces, who did not hesitate to murder in -connection with the agrarian outrages that they -committed. The execution of ten of the ringleaders -in June 1877 at length put an end to their reign -of terror.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MONASTERY'></a><b>Monastery.</b> From the Greek <em>monos</em>, alone. This term -expresses an establishment of monks, secluded from -one another in cells except when at prayers or at -meals; recluses who never go into the outer world -at all. A Friary, on the contrary, is a convent whose -inmates live in community and go forth to preach -among the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monday.</b> A term derived from Scandinavian mythology -when, after the first day of the week given up to sun-worship, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>the second was set apart for the worship of -the moon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Money makes Money.</b> This is a truism which it were -vain to deny. Without capital a man cannot possibly -set up in business for himself, even as a costermonger. -The command of money makes its possessor doubly -rich.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monger.</b> This word enters into various designations of -the trading community, such as Fishmonger, Costermonger, -being derived from the Anglo-Saxon <em>mongere</em>, -“one who trades.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monk.</b> From the Greek <em>monachos</em>, “one who lives alone.” -See “<a href='#MONASTERY'>Monastery</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monkey.</b> From the Italian <em>monicchio</em>, the diminutive of -<em>monna</em>, an ape. This word is often used as a verb--<em>e.g.</em> -“Don’t monkey about on there,” meaning -“Don’t play about or be up to monkeyish pranks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monkey Board.</b> The platform at the back of an omnibus, -so called on account of the capers usually indulged in -by the conductor. On a vehicle of the old-fashioned -kind this platform was so small that he had to jump off -it in order to allow a passenger to enter or alight.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monk Lewis.</b> The sobriquet of Matthew Gregory Lewis -after he had published his celebrated novel, “The -Monk,” in 1795.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monmouth.</b> The mouth of the Mon, the ancient description -of which was <em>Mynwy</em>, “the border river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montague Place.</b> This, like the street close by, received -its name from Montague House, the town mansion of -the Dukes of Montague, in which the treasures of the -British Museum were at first deposited pending the -erection of the present edifice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montague Square.</b> Like the street of the same name, this -was designated in compliment to Mrs Montague of -the “Blue Stocking Club,” who after the death of her -husband resided in Portman Square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mont Blanc.</b> French for “white mountain,” because it -is eternally snow-clad.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span><b>Montenegro.</b> Literally “black mountain.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montepulciano.</b> A famous Italian wine produced at the -ancient city of the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montgomery.</b> After Roger de Montgomery, Earl of -Shrewsbury, who obtained forcible possession of the -castle erected on the height by the Lord of the Marshes -in the time of William the Conqueror.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montreal.</b> So called from the admiring exclamation of -Jacques Coutier, when in 1534 he viewed the surrounding -country from its summit. The name is -French for “Royal Mount.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Montserrat.</b> Expresses the Latin for a mountain serrated -or jagged like a saw.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Monumental City.</b> Baltimore, so called on account of its -one hundred and four churches, the obelisk, etc., -which it contains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moonshiners.</b> The name given in the western states of -America to illicit whisky distillers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moonshine Whisky.</b> American whisky distilled under -cover of night by “Moonshiners.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moorfields.</b> See “<a href='#MOORGATESTREET'>Moorgate Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MOORGATESTREET'></a><b>Moorgate Street.</b> From the postern gate in the Roman -Wall leading to the moor beyond the fen lands or -marshes of Finsbury known as Moorfields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MOORS'></a><b>Moors.</b> From the Latin <em>mauri</em>, and Spanish <em>moros</em>, -“black.” Elsewhere denominated “Saracens,” these -Arab conquerors of the peninsula were called by the -Spaniards “Moriscoes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mop Fair.</b> The name given to a fair held a few days -after the periodical Statute Fair for the hiring of farm -servants. The dregs of the Statute Fair are then -mopped or swept up.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moravia.</b> From the <em>Morava</em>, which name expresses a -marsh or boundary river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moravians.</b> The followers of John Huss, driven out of -Bohemia and Moravia by religious persecutions early -in the eighteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span><b>Morgan Horse.</b> A favourite breed of American sporting -horse descended from the animal owned by Justin -Morgan, a schoolmaster of Randolph, Vermont, nearly -a hundred years ago.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Morgue.</b> So far from denoting a mortuary, this term -really means the inner wicket of a prison, where the -identification marks of new arrivals are taken before -they have their cells and tasks assigned to them. It -is therefore not incorrectly applied to the place of -public examination and identification of the unknown -dead.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Morisonians.</b> A religious sect which separated from the -Scottish Presbyterians in 1841, under the leadership of -James Morison.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mormons.</b> A sect whose founder, Joseph Smith, claimed -to have received a new revelation in “The Book of -Mormon,” written on gold plates by the angel Mormon, -the last of the Hebrew line of prophets, in 1827.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mornington Crescent.</b> After the Earl of Mornington, -Governor-General of India, the brother of the Duke -of Wellington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Morocco.</b> The territory of the Moriscoes or “Moors.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Morris Dance.</b> An ancient military dance of the Moriscoes -or Moors of Spain introduced to England by John -of Gaunt after his return from that country, <em>temp.</em> -Edward III. Hence the companions of the “Jack in -the Green” at the May Day festival always blackened -their faces, and disported themselves in extravagant -costumes, imitative of the flowing robes of the original -dancers. See “<a href='#MAIDMARIAN'>Maid Marian</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mortimer Street.</b> After Edward Harley, Earl of Wigmore -and Mortimer, landlord of the estate in 1717.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mosaics.</b> So called because such inlaid work of stones -was originally employed in the pavements of the -temples of the Muses. The word is French <em>mosaique</em>, -derived from the same Greek root as <em>Museum</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moscow.</b> From the River <em>Moskwa</em>, on which the city was -built.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span><b>Moselle.</b> Wines produced at the vineyards on the banks -of the French river of the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MOSLEM'></a><b>Moslem.</b> From the Arabic <em>Muslim</em>, “true believer,” -through <em>Salama</em>, “to submit.” This term expresses -the plural of “Mussulman” among the Persians. By -the Turks “true believers” are styled “Moslemin.” -There is no such word as “Mussul<em>men</em>” or “Mussul<em>mans</em>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mosquito.</b> From the Spanish <em>mosca</em>, a fly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mosquito Coast.</b> A territory in Central America which, -on account of its climate and the swampy nature of -the land, is infested by mosquitoes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mothering Sunday.</b> The Sunday in Mid-Lent when the -members of a family in domestic service visit their -parents and enjoy “Mothering Cakes” for tea. -These cakes had their origin in offerings made to the -“Mother Church” on the afternoon on this day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother Black Cap.</b> A public-house sign in Camden -Town set up in opposition to the “Mother Red Cap” -over the way. There never was a noted character of -this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother of Believers.</b> The name bestowed by Mohammedans -upon Ayesha, the favourite wife of “The -Prophet,” styled “The Father of Believers.” Mohammed -himself declared that Ayesha was the only member -of his family who cherished the slightest faith in his -mission. His preference for his second wife, therefore, -can be readily understood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother of Presidents.</b> Virginia, on account of the many -Presidents which this state has given to the American -Republic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother of South-Western Statesmen.</b> Tennessee, from -the seventeen eminent Congressmen which this state -has given to the Union.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother of States.</b> Virginia, the pioneer British colony in -the New World.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother Red Cap.</b> An omnibus stage in Camden Town, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>the sign of which perpetuates the memory of a notorious -London poisoner during the Commonwealth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mother Shipton.</b> A noted hostelry at Haverstock Hill, -built when the prophecies of this Welsh sorceress were -the common talk of the day. Some of her less baneful -predictions were actually verified; notably those as to -ships ploughing the ocean without sails and vehicles -careering along the road without horses. Is it -possible that she had the motor car in her mind?</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Moulin Rouge.</b> Expresses the French for “Red Mill.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mound City.</b> St Louis, on account of the numerous -artificial mounds occupying its site at the time when -the city was built.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mountain.</b> The extremists of the Democratic party in -France during the Reign of Terror, so called because -they occupied the elevated benches in the House of -Convention.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MOUNTAINDEW'></a><b>Mountain Dew.</b> An Irishman’s term for whisky, because -it was often secretly distilled among the mountains in -order to escape excise duty; hence the expression: -“A drop o’ the cratur.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mount Street.</b> On a natural mound the Parliamentary -forces here erected a fort or bastion when the Royalists -were expected to make an attack upon London from -the west.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mrs Grundy.</b> A term expressive of the prudishness of the -English character. It arose out of the line: “What -will Mrs Grundy say?” in Thomas Morton’s drama, -“Speed the Plough,” produced in 1798.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mudlarks.</b> The nickname of the Royal Engineers, whose -function it is to throw up entrenchments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muff.</b> This term was at first applied to an effeminate -dandy who at one time, like the ladies, carried a muff -to keep his hands warm in winter. This incapacitated -him from defending himself with his sword against -an unexpected attack at the hands of a street bully, and -hence, as now, a <em>muff</em> was easily taken advantage of, -or likely to become a prey to the sharp-witted.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span><b>Muff Dogs.</b> Small dogs carried by ladies in their muffs -during the seventeenth century. A “muff dog” -figures in an engraving by Hollar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mug.</b> Slang for a man’s face. This arose out of the rude -portraiture of Lord Shaftesbury or some other political -celebrity which from the time of the Restoration to the -middle of the eighteenth century adorned the yellow -chinaware beer mugs at an alehouse, or Mug-House -as it was called. These Mug-Houses were the first -political clubs; out of them sprang the popular “Free -and Easies” of modern times, and more recently the -Music Halls.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muggletonians.</b> A religious sect headed by Ludovic -Muggleton, a tailor, who proclaimed himself a prophet, -in 1651.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mugwump.</b> An Indian word for “wise chief.” The Mugwumps -of North America are the Democrats, whose -political aims are above cliques or parties; therefore -they refuse to be influenced by a “Caucus.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mulatto.</b> From the Spanish <em>mulato</em>, a mixed breed, through -<em>mulo</em>, a mule, the offspring of a white and a Negro.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mumm.</b> A strong German beer named after Christian -Mumme, who first brewed it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mummer.</b> Slang for an actor. This old English term, -derived from the German <em>mumme</em>, a mask, was applied -to the performers in a Christmas masque or buffoonery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mummock.</b> An Americanism for handle, disarrange, or -play with--<em>e.g.</em> “Don’t mummock things about.” The -word is really obsolete provincial English for “maul.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Munich.</b> From the German <em>monchen</em>, monks. On the spot -where the city stands some monks built a warehouse for -the salt which they obtained in the neighbourhood. -In the twelfth century Henry the Lion made this -<em>Villa Minichen</em>, as it was then called, into a mint, and -a town grew up around it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Munster Road.</b> From Munster House, the residence of -Melesina Schulenberg, created Duchess of Munster -by George II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span><b>Munster Square.</b> In honour of the eldest son of William -IV., created Earl of Munster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Murphies.</b> Potatoes, the chief articles of consumption -among the Irish peasantry. This term is current also -in America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muscadel.</b> French and Italian wines, so called from the -Italian <em>muscado</em>, musk, nutmeg. Variants of this name -are Muscatel and Muscadine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muscatels.</b> Raisins exported from Muscat in the Gulf of -Oman, Arabia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muscovy Duck.</b> A corruption of “Musk duck,” a species -larger than the common duck.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mush.</b> An Americanism for an umbrella.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Musical Comedy Artiste.</b> The new pet name for a -chorus girl.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Musical Small-Coal Man.</b> The lifelong sobriquet of -Thomas Britton of Aylesbury Street, Clerkenwell, -where was his coal shed. He inaugurated Thursday -evening concerts, that attracted fashionable enthusiasts -from the West End. This worthy, though he earned -his livelihood by crying small coals in the street, was a -scholar, a musician, and a companion of gentlemen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muslin.</b> Called by the French <em>Mousseline</em>, from Mosul in -Asiatic Turkey, whence during the Middle Ages this -fabric was sent to supply all the markets of Europe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muss.</b> An Americanism for “mess,” used in the sense of -a confusion or disorder. It is used also to imply a -squabble or a reprimand--<em>e.g.</em> “I got into a dreadful -muss this morning.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mussulman.</b> See “<a href='#MOSLEM'>Moslem</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Muswell Hill.</b> Properly “Mustwell Hill,” from the Latin -<em>mustus</em>, fresh. On this hill there was discovered an -ancient well of clear, fresh water, that belonged to the -prior of St John’s Clerkenwell and Highbury, who had -a dairy farm hereabouts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mutes.</b> See “<a href='#UNDERTAKER'>Undertaker</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='MUTOSCOPE'></a><b>Mutoscope.</b> A modern peep show, in which the figures -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>move; living pictures, so called from the Latin -<em>mutatis</em>, to change, and the Greek <em>skopein</em>, to view.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Myddleton Square.</b> After Sir Hugh Myddleton, who at -his own cost embarked upon the ruinous enterprise of -constructing the New River from Chadwell in Hertfordshire, -nearly forty miles distant, to London. One of -the reservoirs occupies the enclosed portion of this -square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>My Eye.</b> An exclamation signifying “You dazzle me,” -“You make me blink with astonishment.” Its -American equivalent is briefly “My!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>My Lady Nicotine.</b> The pretty name now generally -applied to tobacco since the republication in book -form of J. M. Barrie’s essays on smoking which -originally appeared in the <em>St James’s Gazette</em>. See -“Nicotine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Mythology.</b> From the Greek <em>muthos</em>, a fable, and <em>logos</em>, a -discourse. This was essentially a religion built upon -fable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>My Uncle.</b> The popular designation of a pawnbroker. -See “<a href='#UNCLE'>Uncle</a>.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>N</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Nailed.</b> Slang for “caught,” in allusion to being pinned -down by the captors. Also a thing seized and made -off with; a punning reference to “driving” a nail.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Naked Possessor.</b> The Far West description of the -possessor of a piece of land for a long period without -a legal title to it. He is the naked possessor because -his title is not clothed in a set form of words recognised -by the Courts of Law.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nankeen.</b> Cotton stuff originally made at <em>Nankin</em>, in -China.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nankin.</b> Expresses the Chinese for “Southern Capital.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nanny Goats.</b> The nickname of the 23rd Foot on -account of their regimental pet goat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span><b>Nantes.</b> A native brandy exported from Nantes in -Brittany. The name is the Celtic for “valley.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nap.</b> A game of cards, originally named after Napoleon I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Naples.</b> Called by the Greeks <em>Neapolis</em>, “New City.” -The ancient name is better expressed when speaking -of the inhabitants as “Neapolitans.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Napoleon.</b> A gold coin of France issued during the -Consulate of Napoleon Bonaparte. This superseded -the “Louis d’Or.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Narcissus.</b> This flower is fabled to have sprung up on the -spot where the beautiful Grecian youth so called died -of love-sickness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='NASO'></a><b>Naso.</b> The nickname given to Ovid on account of the -length of his nose; hence “Ovidius Naso.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nassau Street.</b> After the royal House of Nassau, to which -William III., as Prince of Orange, belonged.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Natal.</b> So called because the Portuguese navigator Vasco -di Gama landed upon its shores on Christmas Day, or -the Feast of the Nativity, 1498.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nation.</b> An Americanism for “damnation.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>National Democrats.</b> Those in the United States whose -principles are national as opposed to sect or party.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Navvy.</b> Originally the name of a labourer employed in -the construction of canals for inland navigation. An -alehouse set up beside one of the earliest canals bore -the sign of the “Navigation Inn,” and those who frequented -it were called <em>Navigators</em>. This term soon -became shortened into <em>Navvies</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nazarenes.</b> Semi-converted Jews who, while nominally -Christians, believed “Jesus of Nazareth” to be the -long-promised Messiah, and still conformed to the rites -and ceremonies prescribed by the Jewish law.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nebraska.</b> Indian for “water valley.” This fertile region -is traversed by several shallow rivers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Neckerchief.</b> A kerchief for the neck. See “<a href='#HANDKEYCHIEF'>Handkerchief</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span><b>Neckwear.</b> An American term for neckties, scarves, or -mufflers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Needle in a Bottle of Hay.</b> See “<a href='#BOTTLEOFHAY'>Bottle of Hay</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Needle’s Eye.</b> The postern gate in the wall of an Eastern -city, so called because with some difficulty a camel is -able to thread its way through it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Negus.</b> Hot spiced wine, originally concocted by Colonel -Negus in the reign of Queen Anne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nemesis.</b> From the goddess of vengeance, who bore this -name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nepaul Paper.</b> India paper made in the district of -Nepaul, Northern India. The original India paper -came from the Far East.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nest Egg.</b> The nucleus of a banking account, so called -because if a china egg be placed in a hen’s nest it is -an inducement for her to lay eggs of her own there. -When a person has a trifle put by he is anxious to -increase it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nestorians.</b> A sect of heretics of the fifth century under -Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Netherlands.</b> Literally the Low Countries, now comprised -in the kingdom of Holland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Netop.</b> Indian for “my friend.” In saluting a friendly -Indian a white in North America always makes use -of this word.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nevada.</b> Spanish for “snowy,” in allusion to the snow-clad -mountain ridges of this state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Amsterdam.</b> The name given by the Dutch settlers -to their colony at the mouth of the Hudson River, -now “New York.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Bond Street.</b> See “<a href='#BONDSTREET'>Bond Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Bridge Street.</b> Leads to Westminster Bridge, -opened in 1862. This name was chosen in contradistinction -to Bridge Street, Blackfriars.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Brunswick.</b> On assuming its independence of Nova -Scotia in 1784 this British colony was named after the -House of Brunswick.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span><b>New Burlington Street.</b> See “<a href='#BURLINGTON'>Burlington Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newcastle-under-Lyme.</b> The name of the river on which -the town stands is the Lyne, not the Lyme. To take -the place of an ancient castle at Chesterton-under-Lyne -a new castle was built in this neighbourhood, -but of such a stronghold no vestige now remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newcastle-upon-Tyne.</b> Originally Moncaster or Monkchester, -so called from a colony of monks on the site -of a Roman camp. Robert, Duke of Normandy, the -son of William the Conqueror, built a castle here for -the defence of the town against the incursions of the -Scots. This castle was afterwards rebuilt by William -II.; whereupon the town assumed the title of Newcastle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Cavendish Street.</b> See “<a href='#CAVENDISHSQUARE'>Cavendish Square</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Compton Street.</b> See “<a href='#COMPTONSTREET'>Compton Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Christians.</b> Portuguese Jews of the fifteenth century -who, having embraced Christianity under compulsion, -secretly conformed to the Mosaic rites and -ceremonies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Cross.</b> The district which grew up around an old -coaching-house, “The Golden Cross,” afterwards rebuilt, -and renamed “The New Cross.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New England.</b> The collective name given to the six -eastern states of the American Union--Maine, New -Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, -and Connecticut--because the people are descended -from the Puritans of England and Scotland, and -therefore may be regarded as the only true “Yankees.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newfoundland.</b> The name bestowed by Sebastian Cabot -upon all the new land that he discovered, but now confined -to this British possession.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newfoundland Dog.</b> A native breed of dog from Newfoundland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newgate Street.</b> From the newest of the city gates, first -alluded to in history in 1207. The gateway having -for centuries been used for the confinement of debtors, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>it gave its name to the prison erected on its south side. -The gloomy edifice which has been demolished within -the last few years dated from 1782, after the burning -of its predecessor by the Gordon rioters in 1780.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Hampshire.</b> This state having been granted to -Captain John Mason, he in 1629 named it after his -native county in England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Holland.</b> The name given to what is now Australia -by its Dutch settlers in 1606 after their Mother -Country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newington.</b> Expresses the new settlement in the meadow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newington Butts.</b> The site of the archery butts in South -London corresponding to those of Moorfields in the -north.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newington Causeway.</b> This was the first road or causeway -across the swampy fields of South London beyond the -“Borough.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Jersey.</b> In honour of Sir George Cartaret, the -gallant defender of Jersey Island against the Parliamentary -forces in 1664.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Newman Street.</b> After the builder on the site.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Orleans.</b> The name given to the French settlement -in the New World after the city in the Mother Country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Pye Street.</b> See “<a href='#NEWWAY'>New Way</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Scotland Yard.</b> The new headquarters of the -Metropolitan Police, occupying a site which has not -the slightest connection with its name, and devoid -of all historic interest further than that its foundations -were laid for a Metropolitan Opera House, the building -of which went no further. With the transference of -the Police Department from “Scotland Yard” the old -name was retained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='NEWSOUTHGATE'></a><b>New Southgate.</b> The modern residential district in the -vicinity of the entrance to the enclosed hunting -ground extending northward to Enfield, anciently -known as Enfield Chase.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Spain.</b> The name given by Cortes to “Mexico.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span><b>News-stand.</b> An Americanism for a railway bookstall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='NEWWAY'></a><b>New Way.</b> A modern extension of Old and New Pye -Streets, named after Sir Robert Pye, who had his residence -on its site.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Woman.</b> A term which came into vogue during the -early days of the modern bicycling craze. The New -Woman disported herself abroad in knickerbockers, -and generally made herself ridiculous in the eyes of -all sensible men. Latterly she has returned to the -obscurity whence she sprang.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New York.</b> Originally New Amsterdam. When taken -from the Dutch in 1664 it received the name it now -bears in compliment to the Duke of York, afterwards -James II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>New Zealand.</b> Named by the Dutch after their native -Zeeland, or “Sea-land,” of the Low Countries.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Niagara.</b> From the Indian <em>On-aw-garah</em>, “the thunder of -waters.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nicaragua.</b> So called by Gil Gonzales de Avila in 1521, -after a Haytian chief called Nicaro, who gave him a -friendly reception on the shores of the lake, which also -bears this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nicholas Lane.</b> After the wealthy banker, Sir Nicholas -Throgmorton, who also gave his name to Throgmorton -Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nickel.</b> An American five-cent piece, so called because it -is coined out of nickel silver.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nick of the Woods.</b> The first word in this American -designation is a corruption of “neck,” denoting a -settlement or habitation in the wooded regions of the -south-western states.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nicotiana.</b> The tobacco-producing regions of the United -States. See “<a href='#NICOTINE'>Nicotine</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='NICOTINE'></a><b>Nicotine.</b> After Jean Nicot, who introduced tobacco, -which he had purchased at Lisbon, into France in -1560.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span><b>Nigger.</b> A corruption of Negro, which term is derived -from the Latin <em>niger</em>, “black.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nightcap.</b> Since everyone in the days of our grandfathers -wore a nightcap, and fancied he could not -go to sleep without one, so the modern substitute is -a glass of spirits just before retiring, with a view to -making him feel drowsy; hence such a drink is -called a “nightcap.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nightingale.</b> Literally a bird that sings in the night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nihilist.</b> Originally a member of a Russian society whose -members recognised no law save their own happiness. -They sought to annihilate all ideas of God and -government, as also of the rights of property. These -ultra-Socialists sprang into existence in 1848.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nimrod.</b> Charles James Apperley, the sporting contributor -to <em>The Quarterly Review</em>, and author of “The -Chase, The Turf, and The Road,” adopted this -pseudonym after Nimrod, the son of Cush, who is -mentioned in Genesis x. 9 as the “mighty hunter -before the Lord.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nincompoop.</b> A dull-witted person, so called from the -Latin phrase <em>non compos mentis</em>, “of unsound mind.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nine Days’ Wonder.</b> Puppies and kittens remaining -blind for nine days after birth, they are during this -period a subject of much wonder to the young members -of the household. A sensational event or a piece of -public scandal arouses uncommon interest for a few -days, and then it gradually subsides.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nine Elms.</b> From nine fine elm-trees on this portion -of the south bank of the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nine Tailors make a Man.</b> The second word in this -expression is a corruption of <em>Tellers</em>. A “Teller” -was in olden times a stroke of the “passing bell” of -the parish church. Three tellers gave warning of the -death of a child, six of a woman, and nine of a man. -As the parishioners counted the strokes they would -say: “Nine tellers make a man.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span><b>Ninny.</b> Short for “Nincompoop.” In America this term -is generally thought to be derived from “Pickaninny.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Niphon.</b> The native name of “Japan.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nipped in the Bud.</b> While a flower is in the bud it may -be destroyed by a mere nip of the fingers. Afterwards -its leaves would have to be plucked separately. To -curb mischief or a bad habit at the very commencement -is therefore the easier plan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='NIPPER'></a><b>Nipper.</b> Originally in thieves’ slang a boy trained to -pick purses and pockets, and nip off unobserved; -hence the expression “A Young Nipper.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nitrate King.</b> The sobriquet of the late Colonel J. T. -North, who amassed a fortune by the nitrate industry -in South America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nob.</b> Short for “noble” or “nobleman.” From University -slang the term has come to imply among the vulgar -anyone of aristocratic pretensions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Noctes Ambrosianæ.</b> A characteristic feature of <em>Blackwood’s -Magazine</em> in its early days. This, “The Ambrosial -Nights,” was contributed as a regular series by -Professor Wilson, being for the most part the actual -conversations of the author, John Gibson Lockhart, -and Mr Blackwood at a small Edinburgh tavern kept -by one Ambrose. Although Hogg, the Ettrick -Shepherd, also figured in those dialogues, he was not -present at the meetings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nocturne.</b> A quiet, dreamy species of musical composition, -suggestive, as its name denotes, of peaceful night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Noddy.</b> A kind of jaunting car peculiar to Dublin, so -called because its jolting motion makes its riders nod -their heads.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>No Flies on me.</b> An Americanism expressive of individual -energy. The meaning is: “I am so active -that no flies can ever settle on me.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>No Hat Brigade.</b> Modern faddists who walk abroad bare-headed -and shelter themselves against the elements -under an umbrella.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span><b>Nonconformists.</b> Those ministers of the Church of -England who refused to subscribe or conform to the -“Act of Conformity,” and thereby lost their livings. -The term is now generally applied to all Dissenting -congregations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>No Quarter.</b> When the battle cry of “No Quarter,” -consequent on an order, goes forth, no lives are spared -by the victors. To give quarter means to spare the -vanquished. This had its origin in ancient European -warfare, when, by way of earning prize-money, a soldier -refrained from dealing the death blow to a fallen foe -on condition of receiving a quarter of the latter’s pay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norfolk.</b> The northern of the two districts or counties on -the east coast settled by the Angles, the north folk -and south folk respectively.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norfolk Howards.</b> An excess of refinement has caused -this term to be substituted for bugs. This originated -in the action of Joshua Bugg of the Swan Tavern, -Norwich, who by deed poll, as advertised in <em>The Times</em> -26th June 1862, changed his name to Norfolk -Howard. In America all beetles are commonly -styled bugs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norfolk Street.</b> From the town house and grounds of -the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel -and Surrey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norland Square.</b> Built on the site of Norland House, the -residence of one of the Drummonds, bankers of -Charing Cross, <em>temp.</em> William IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Normandy.</b> The country peopled by the Northmen or -Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Northampton.</b> Anciently described as “Northavontown,” -having been built on the north of the River Avon, -now called the Nen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>North Audley Street.</b> See “<a href='#AUDLEYSTREET'>Audley Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>North Britain.</b> Scotland. In conjunction with England -and Wales it becomes Great Britain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span><b>North Pole.</b> A tavern sign in Wardour Street up at the -time when Captain Parry’s Arctic Expedition was the -common topic of interest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>North Star State.</b> Minnesota, so called on account of its -northern situation in the Union and the motto on its -arms: “L’Etoile du Nord.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Northumberland.</b> The north-east portion of that vast -tract of land described as “Northumbria,” because -situated north of the River Humber under the -Heptarchy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Northumberland Alley.</b> This name in Fenchurch Street -is reminiscent of the original town house of the Dukes -of Northumberland before they took up their residence -at Charing Cross in 1607.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Northumberland Avenue.</b> From Northumberland House, -the town mansion of the Dukes of Northumberland, -demolished in 1874 to make way for this fine broad -thoroughfare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norton Folgate.</b> A corruption of “Northern Falgate”; -expressive of the fine barred gate leading from Bishopsgate -without the city limits into the open fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norway.</b> Called in the native tongue <em>Nordrike</em>, “the -north kingdom.” This country was long thought to be -wholly surrounded by water, on which account it received -the name of <em>Nordee</em>, “north island.” This the -Saxons modified in <em>Norea</em>, and later Norway.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norwich.</b> So called from the castle erected by the East -Anglian kings as a “North wic,” or northern fortified -village, relative to Caistor, to resist the invasion of the -Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Norwood.</b> This was formerly the northern portion of the -vast wooded district situated between London and -Croydon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>None of my Funeral.</b> An American mode of saying -“Nothing to do with me,” or “It’s no affair of mine.” -Being an Americanism, the expression is devoid of -etymology.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nosey.</b> The nickname borne by Cervetto, the violoncellist -<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>of Drury Lane Theatre, and John Wilson, the painter, -both of whom had exceptionally long noses. The -Duke of Wellington was also popularly referred to -under this name by his soldiers on account of his -Roman nose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nothing succeeds like Success.</b> When a man is successful -the world bows before him. Each fresh enterprise -is crowned with success, because there is an abiding -public faith in the man who has made money or hit -the popular taste. His intrinsic merits may be no -greater than those of the poor devil who has systematically -failed; yet what he lacks himself he readily -finds in his subordinates, whom he can afford to pay, -while the credit is all his own.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Notions.</b> An Americanism for small wares or trifles in -regard to dress.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Not much.</b> An Americanism for “of no consequence.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Not quite the Cheese.</b> A saying which originated with -those who insisted on being served with prime Stilton -or double Glo’ster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nottingham.</b> Called by the Anglo-Saxons <em>Snottengaham</em>, -“a place of caves.” The name is partly Celtic, and -little doubt exists that the Britons made their habitations -in the caverns with which this county abounds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nottingham Place.</b> After the county estates of the Duke -of Portland, the great ground landlord. A goodly -portion of Sherwood Forest is included in this ducal -possession.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Notting Hill.</b> Properly “Knolton Barn Hill,” the ancient -description of a manor of the De Veres, which in the -time of Henry VIII. was held by Robert Fenroper, an -alderman of the city of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Not worth a Dam.</b> See “<a href='#DONTCARE'>Don’t care a Dam</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Not worth a Rap.</b> A rap was an Irish copper coin -issued early in the eighteenth century to supply a long-felt -need for very small money. Nominally worth a -halfpenny, its metal was so thin and base that it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>never passed for more than a farthing. Its infinitesimal -value consequently gave rise to this expression.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Not worth a Song.</b> A song is worth nothing at all after -its popularity has waned. The good old songs live on -account of their intrinsic merits, but they were not -pushed into public favour by adventitious methods at -the time of publication. Those of our day are ground -out of street pianos and sung everywhere for a brief -season, then heard no more.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nova Scotia.</b> This name, expressive of “New Scotland,” -was bestowed upon the island by Sir William Alexander, -a Scotsman, to whom James I. granted a charter of -colonisation in 1621.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nova Zembla.</b> From the Slavonic <em>Nowaja Zemlja</em>, “new -land.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>November.</b> From <em>novem</em>, nine, the ninth month of the -Roman calendar when the year commenced with -March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Noyau.</b> Expresses the French for the stone or nut of a -fruit; hence the name given to a cordial flavoured -with the kernel of the bitter almond or peach stone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nun.</b> From the Italian <em>nonna</em>, a grandmother. Those -who retired into convents originally were aged women. -It was only in modern times that seminaries for girls -were established in convents; this opened the way to -maidens becoming deeply imbued with religious ideas -and secluding themselves from the world by taking the -veil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nunhead.</b> From a tea garden and holiday resort known -to Londoners as “The Nun’s Head” ever since the -days of James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nutcrackers.</b> The 3rd Foot, so called because they -boasted of having broken the heads of the Polish -Lancers at the battle of Albuera.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Nutcrack Night.</b> Another name for All Hallows’ Eve, -when nuts are laid on the fire bars to crack, as a relic -of an ancient kind of divination.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span><b>Nutmeg State.</b> Connecticut, whose people were believed -to manufacture wooden nutmegs for exportation.</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>O</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Oak Apple Day.</b> Another name for Royal Oak Day -(29th May), when people formerly wore oak leaves or -oak apples in their hats to commemorate the manner -in which the partisans of Charles II. welcomed his -return to England on his birthday, 1651. This was, of -course, in allusion to his concealment in an oak-tree -near Boscobel House, Shropshire, after the battle of -Worcester, on 3rd September previous.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oakley Square.</b> After Oakley House, near Bedford, one -of the country seats of the Duke of Bedford, the -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oaks Stakes.</b> So called from a Lodge or Club-House -built among the oaks by the Hunters’ Club, and -afterwards converted into an inn, known as “Lambert’s -Oaks,” after the name of its landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Obiter Scripta.</b> Latin for a thing written in passing, a -note by the way.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Observants.</b> The name borne by those monastic orders -whose members adhere to the strict rule laid down by -their pious founders in contradistinction to others -styled “Conventuals,” who, like the secular clergy, take -upon themselves the performance of parochial duties.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Obstropulous.</b> A corruption of the word “obstreperous,” -inclined to quarrelling.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ocean Greyhound.</b> A fast Atlantic steamer belonging to -one of the great lines.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Octavo.</b> A sheet of printing paper which, when folded and -cut, makes eight leaves or sixteen pages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>October.</b> The eighth month of the Roman calendar when -the year began with March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Octroi.</b> The name given to a toll or tax levied upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>market produce passing through the gates of a town. -It comes from the Latin <em>auctoritas</em>, authority.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odder.</b> Colloquial for one who obtains a livelihood by -doing odd jobs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oddfellows.</b> This friendly society originated with five -Manchester shoemakers who in 1812 were accustomed -to meet after the day’s work. It having occurred to -one of them how his family would fare if, through -sickness, he should be unable to follow his occupation, -and thinking it would be wise to make some provision -against such a contingency, he proposed that each of -them should subscribe a few pence weekly towards a -common sick fund. The idea was at once taken up. -They called themselves Oddfellows because they numbered -five. Others soon joined the little society, and -from these humble beginnings it grew into a powerful -organisation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odd rot it.</b> A perversion of the Crusaders’ curse: “God -rot them!” meaning the Saracens, the enemies of -Christianity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odds Bodkins.</b> A perversion of “God’s Body,” in -allusion to the Eucharist. This oath was not considered -profane during the Ages of Faith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odds Fish.</b> A favourite exclamation of Charles II. It -was a corruption of “God’s Flesh,” or the Body of -Christ.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odds Splutter.</b> A corruption of the Dutch oath <em>Got’s -plut</em>, “God’s Blood,” introduced into England during -the reign of William III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Odd Zounds.</b> A corruption of “God’s Wounds.” See -“Zounds.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Off Colour.</b> To look pale and sickly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Off the Hooks.</b> An expression meaning “beyond hope -of requisition for further service,” “completely done -for,” whether on the score of chronic ill health, lunacy, -or old age. This originally had reference to the -Maypole stored away in Shaft Alley, Leadenhall Street, -and perhaps other Maypoles elsewhere of post-Reformation -<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>days. As long as it rested “on the hooks” there -was a likelihood of its being once more called into -service. See “<a href='#UNDERSHAFT'>St Andrew Undershaft</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ohio.</b> Indian for “beautiful.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>O.K.</b> This arose out of an Irishman’s endorsement for -goods passed by him, as he would have spelt out the -words “Orl Korrect.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Bags.</b> The nickname of Lord Eldon, because he -always carried about with him, in separate brief bags, -the cases on which he had to pass judgment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Bailey.</b> From the Latin <em>ballium</em>, a rampart, through -the French <em>baille</em>. The term “Bailey” expressed the -open space or court between a castle and the embattlements. -Seeing that Lud Gate stood in line with -this street at its southern extremity, there must have -been a keep or fortification behind the Roman Wall -where the Sessions House came to be built. The name -was therefore retained after the wall was demolished.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Bold Fifth.</b> The 5th Fusiliers, which regiment has -distinguished itself for valorous deeds in many campaigns.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Bond Street.</b> See “<a href='#BONDSTREET'>Bond Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Broad Street.</b> With the exception of Cheapside, -this was the widest thoroughfare in Old London, all -the others being similar to what Old Change is at the -present day. During Elizabeth’s reign Old Broad -Street constituted the residence of the wealthiest -citizens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Buffer.</b> The colloquial term for a short, thick-set -elderly man, whose big paunch suggests a railway -buffer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Bullion.</b> See “<a href='#BULLIONSTATE'>Bullion State</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Burlington Street.</b> See “<a href='#BURLINGTON'>Burlington Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Carthusians.</b> Old scholars of the “Charter House.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Catholics.</b> The followers in Germany of the late -Dr Döllinger, who separated from the Roman Catholic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>Communion after the promulgation of the dogma of -Papal Infallibility in 1870.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Cavendish Street.</b> See “<a href='#CAVENDISHSQUARE'>Cavendish Square</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Change.</b> So called from “The King’s Exchange,” -where the bullion was anciently stored prior to being -sent to the shearers or clippers at the neighbouring -Mint. See “<a href='#SERMONLANE'>Sermon Lane</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Charlies.</b> See “<a href='#CHARLIES'>Charlies</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Christmas Day.</b> Twelfth Day, because, according to -the old style calendar, Christmas Day fell on what is -now 6th January.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Compton Street.</b> See “<a href='#COMPTONSTREET'>Compton Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Dominion.</b> Virginia, on account of its documentary -description, “the Colony and Dominion of Virginia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old England.</b> This term was first applied to the Mother -Country after the colonisation of New England in -North America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Fogey.</b> A term derived from the Danish <em>fjog</em>, a stupid -old man, one in his dotage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Fox.</b> The sobriquet of Marshal Soult on account -of his strategic cunning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Grog.</b> The nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon, -who always wore a grogram <a id='corr254.23'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='clock'>cloak</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_254.23'><ins class='correction' title='clock'>cloak</ins></a></span> in foul weather.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Harry.</b> A corruption of “Old Hairy,” as applied to -the Devil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oldham.</b> Expresses the old home or settlement.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Hat.</b> A country tavern sign which must have been -the original when the same premises was devoted to -some other business, in days characterised by the -display of signs by tradesmen generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='OLDHICKORY'></a><b>Old Hickory.</b> “Hickory” is an Americanism used adjectively -for anyone who is tough, obstinate, or hard, -after the tree of the same name. General Andrew -Jackson merited the nickname of “Old Hickory” from -his own soldiers on account of his tough, unyielding -disposition. Its origin is thus explained by Parton, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>the author of the President’s “Life”: “The name of -‘Old Hickory’ was not an instantaneous inspiration, -but a growth. First of all, the remark was made by -some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s -pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next -it was observed that he was as tough as hickory. Then -he was called ‘Hickory.’ Lastly, the affectionate -‘Old’ was prefixed, and the General thenceforth -rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the first-won -honour of a great commander.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='OLDJEWRY'></a><b>Old Jewry.</b> The original Jewish quarter of the city of -London. See “<a href='#JEWINSTREET'>Jewin Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Kent Road.</b> The South London portion of the -Roman highway to Dover.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Lady of Threadneedle Street.</b> The popular name of -the Bank of England. There is a tradition that towards -the end of the eighteenth century a demented old lady -wandered up and down Threadneedle Street day by day -for a long period until she suddenly disappeared. It -was generally assumed that this old lady of Threadneedle -Street must have been waiting for someone who had -passed into the Bank, and, according to her idea, -never came out again. When, therefore, in 1797 the -Bank threatened a temporary stoppage of payment, and -one-pound notes were issued, John Gilray, the artist, -published a caricature entitled “The Old Lady of -Threadneedle Street in Danger.” Since that time the -Bank has been colloquially referred to by this title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Line State.</b> Maryland, whose famous regiment, the -Old Maryland Line, saved the prestige of the army -when Lord Cornwallis’s Grenadiers broke the -American lines at Loughland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old North State.</b> North Carolina, from its relative -position to South Carolina.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Paulines.</b> Old scholars of St Paul’s School.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Pye Street.</b> See “<a href='#NEWWAY'>New Way</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Quebec Street.</b> Laid out and built upon soon after -the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe in 1759.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span><a id='OLDREP'></a><b>Old Rep.</b> Short for “Old Reprobate.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Rowley.</b> A sobriquet of Charles II., from the name -of his favourite race-horse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Rye.</b> A United States term for old whisky distilled -from rye.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Salt.</b> An old sailor who has sniffed the brine of the -ocean from his youth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Scotland Yard.</b> See “<a href='#OLDSCOTLANDYARD'>Scotland Yard</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Soldiers.</b> An Americanism for cigar-ends, because -they are the remnants of the originals that have done -good service.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Sport.</b> An Americanism for a broken-down gambler.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Tom.</b> The name first given to gin by Thomas -Norris, who, after having long been employed in the -distillery of Messrs Hodges, opened a gin palace in -Covent Garden, and perpetuated the affectionate name -of “Old Tom Chamberlain,” his former master.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Toughs.</b> The nickname of the 103rd Foot, merited -during the Indian Mutiny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Old Woman.</b> In stage parlance an actress who plays old -women’s parts. A fine distinction is, however, drawn -between “old women” and what are called “Aristocratic -Old Women.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>On the Tapis.</b> <em>Tapis</em> is French for a carpet; expressive -also of the cloth or kind of tapestry which covered the -table in the Council Chamber when French was the -language spoken at the English Court.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>On the Tenterhooks.</b> To have one’s curiosity fully -aroused; on the tiptop of expectation. The phrase -has been derived from the mode of tentering or -stretching cloth upon hooks after it is woven.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>On the Tiptoe of Expectation.</b> A phrase derived from -the crowds awaiting a public procession. As soon as -the music is heard everyone stands on tiptoe, and -looks in the direction whence the sounds proceed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oof.</b> A slang term for “money”; derived from the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>legendary “Oof Bird,” which from the Latin, <em>ovum</em>, an -egg, traces its origin to the goose with the golden eggs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Olive Branches.</b> A man’s children are so designated from -the Biblical simile in Psalm cxxviii. 3: “Thy wife shall -be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy -children like olive plants round about thy table.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Olla Podrida.</b> A Spanish term for a mixture of meat and -vegetables collected in a common pot for cooking as -required. In a literary sense it signifies a miscellany -of short productions. The French equivalent for the -term is <em>pot-pourri</em>, which is also employed figuratively.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Omnibus.</b> The dative Latin plural of <em>omnes</em>, all. In a -public vehicle of this kind there is room for many, -without class distinction.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>One-horse.</b> A term used adjectively for anything mean or -insignificant. This figure of speech is derived from -agriculture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oneida.</b> Indian for “people of the beacon stone.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ONTARIO'></a><b>Ontario.</b> From the Indian <em>Onontae</em>, which expresses “the -village on the mountain,” whence the tribe of the -Onondagas derive their name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>On this Side of Jordan.</b> An Americanism for “in this -life” or “in this world.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Opal.</b> From the Sanskrit <em>opula</em>, through the Latin <em>opalus</em>, -a precious stone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oporto.</b> Portuguese for “the harbour.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orange Lilies.</b> The 35th Foot, so called on account of -the facings on their uniform.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ORANGEMEN'></a><b>Orangemen.</b> The Protestants in the northern provinces -of Ireland, so called on account of their adherence -to William III., Prince of Orange, in opposition to -the “Jacobites” or the adherents of the Stuart king, -James II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orange Peel.</b> One of the nicknames of Sir Robert Peel, -owing to his strong anti-Catholic spirit. See “<a href='#ORANGEMEN'>Orangemen</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span><b>Orange River.</b> This, the largest river in South Africa, -received its name from the colour of its waters when -in flood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orange River Free State.</b> This name was given by the -“Boers” to what is now British territory in South Africa -because its early settlers were also emigrants from the -principality of Orange in Holland. Its new title is -the Orange River Colony.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orange Street.</b> In compliment to William III., Prince of -Orange.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orator Henley.</b> The sobriquet of John Henley, an -English divine who in 1726 attracted large and -fashionable congregations in a so-called “Oratory” or -chapel in Newport Market.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oratorio.</b> A term derived from the fact that the first -sacred musical dramas or cantatas were performed in -the Church of the Oratorians, which religious Order -was founded by St Philip Nero at Rome in 1540.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orchard Street.</b> Off Portman Square, after Orchard Portman, -one of the country seats of the Portmans in -Somersetshire. At Westminster, from the ancient -orchard belonging to the Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orchestra.</b> A Greek term applied to the place in the -theatre allotted to the chorus of the dancers. Among -the moderns it expresses the place assigned to the -instrumentalists.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orchid.</b> From the Greek <em>orchis</em>, a testicle, which the root -of this plant resembles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oregon.</b> From the Spanish <em>Oregano</em>, “wild majorum,” -which grows abundantly in this state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orellana.</b> The original name of the “Amazon” River, -after its navigator.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oriel College.</b> This college at Oxford was built in 1326 -by Adam de Brome, the Almoner of Edward II., and -called by him St Mary’s College. A few years later -Edward III. added to its revenues a rich messuage hard -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>by known as “Le Oriel,” from which circumstance the -foundation received the name which it now bears.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orinoco.</b> Indian for “coiling snake.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orion Horne.</b> One of the sobriquets of Richard Horne, -author of “Orion,” which acquired an exceptional -notoriety on account of its being published at the low -price of one farthing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orkney Isles.</b> Under the name of <em>Orcades</em> these are -mentioned by the ancient geographers. <em>Orkney</em> is -Gaelic for “Isle of Whales.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orleans.</b> A corruption of <em>Aureliani</em>, after the Roman -Emperor Aurelian.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orloff Diamond.</b> This gem, weighing 194 carats, and -purchased by Catherine II. of Russia in 1775, preserves -the family name of that Empress.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orme Square.</b> After the name of a printseller of Bond -Street who bought the land and built upon it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Orrery.</b> After the Earl of Orrery, who first caused one to -be made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Osnaburg Street.</b> Named in compliment to Frederick, -Duke of York and Albany, the last sovereign-bishop -of Osnaburg in Hanover.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ossulton Street.</b> See “<a href='#LISSONGROVE'>Lisson Grove</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ostend.</b> Literally the east end of Flanders in Belgium.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ostler.</b> From the French <em>hostelier</em>, an innkeeper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oswestry.</b> A corruption of Oswaldstry, the “place of -Oswald,” where Oswald, King of Northumbria, was -slain in 642. Evidence of this is afforded by the -original name of Oswald’s Well, which yields a spring -of pure water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ottawa.</b> Expresses the Indian for “traders.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ottoman Empire.</b> That of the Turks, founded by Othman -I. at the commencement of the fourteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ouida.</b> The pseudonym of Louise de la Ramée. This -was suggested to her at the very commencement of -her literary career by the infantile perversion of Louise -into “Ouida.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span><b>Ouse.</b> From the Celtic <em>uisg</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Out of Collar.</b> Out of harness and the working habit. -A horse has the collar slipped over its neck when -put to work.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Out of Sorts.</b> A technical phrase in the printing trade. -“Sorts” are the different sizes and kinds of type used -by a compositor. At times he runs short of “sorts,” -so that the composition of the particular work in hand -has to be suspended until the required sorts are -obtained, either by distributing old matter put up in -paper or sending to the typefounder’s for a new -supply. Hence a person indisposed for work confesses -to being “out of sorts.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ovidius Naso.</b> See “<a href='#NASO'>Naso</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oxford.</b> Cited in Domesday Book as <em>Oxeneford</em>. Literally -a ford for the passage of oxen across the River -Isis.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oxford Blues.</b> The Royal Horse Guards, from their dark -blue uniforms and the circumstance that this regiment -of horse was first raised by Aubrey, Earl of Oxford, -soon after the Restoration.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oxford Movement.</b> The great Catholic revival in England, -which, midway in the last century, resulted in the -passing over of many of the most eminent Oxford -scholars to the Church of Rome.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oxford Street.</b> After Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford -and Mortimer, landlord of the estate north of this -principal thoroughfare.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oyez, Oyez.</b> The old French ceremonial exclamation -(“Hear ye, hear ye!”) to enjoin silence. This -obtained in our own country when French was the -language of the Court. In modern times it has been -corrupted by Court criers and town bellmen into -“O yes, O yes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Oyster Part.</b> In theatrical parlance a part which contains -only one line or speech; like an oyster, the actor -opens his mouth but once.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span> - <h3 class='c008'>P</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c009'><b>Pacha.</b> See “<a href='#PASHA'>Pasha</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pacific Ocean.</b> So called by Magellan, who, after a -tempestuous passage through the straits which bear -his name, enjoyed a cruise of three months and twenty-one -days across this ocean in continuous fine weather, -and with the advantage of favourable winds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pack Horse.</b> An inn sign denoting that the establishment -provided accommodation for “Packmen,” and also -that pack horses were let out on hire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Packmen.</b> The old name for commercial travellers, whose -goods or samples were carried in packs or sacks fastened -to the saddle of a pack horse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paddington.</b> The ancient description of this parish was -“Padynton,” the settlement of the Pædings. Another -branch of the same family gave its name to “Padendene”--<em>i.e.</em> -the wooded valley of the Pædings in Surrey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paddington Street.</b> Originally a narrow lane leading -northward on to the common known as Paddington -Fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paddle your own Canoe.</b> Originally a Western phrase -for self-reliance. A canoe is an Indian boat affording -room for one person. If he cannot paddle it himself -no one else is in a position to help him. The expression -became extremely popular in England through -a song of this title thirty years ago.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PADDY'></a><b>Paddy.</b> The common name for an Irishman, being short -for “Pat,” after St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pagan.</b> This term had at first not the slightest connection -with religion. Derived from the Latin <em>pagus</em>, the -country, a <em>paganus</em> denoted a peasant or villager. -Removed from the refinement of the cities such a one -had, of course, very little acquaintance with the complicated -system of Roman mythology. On this account -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>only could it be said that those who remained unconverted -to Christianity were Pagans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Page Green.</b> See “<a href='#SEVENSISTERS'>Seven Sisters’ Road</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Painted Hall.</b> The picture gallery of Greenwich Hospital -received this name on account of its superbly painted -ceiling.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Painter.</b> The rope by which the “Jolly Boat” or any -other is attached to a vessel, so called from the Latin -<em>panther</em>, through the French <em>pantier</em>, a drag net.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paint the Town.</b> An Americanism for a night’s drunken -frolic; the allusion is to a drunkard’s red nose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palace Car.</b> An Americanism for a “Pullman” or Saloon -car.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palaver.</b> From the Portuguese <em>palavra</em>, “a talk.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pale Faces.</b> The name popularly bestowed upon the -whites by the North American Indians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palestine.</b> From the Hebrew <em>Palæstina</em>, “the land of -strangers.” This was the ancient <em>Philistia</em>, the country -of the Philistines, a term derived like that of Palestine -from the root <em>phalash</em>, to emigrate or wander.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pall Mall.</b> From a species of croquet, called <em>Paille Maille</em>, -introduced by Charles II. after his involuntary exile -in France, and played by him and his courtiers here -when the thoroughfare was open to St James’s Park.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palmer.</b> The name bestowed upon a “Pilgrim” returning -from the Holy Land who carried a palm branch, -usually affixed to his head-gear, as a proof that he had -actually accomplished his self-imposed task. On -arriving at the place whence he had set out he repaired -to the church or chapel, and offered the palm to the -parish priest, who laid it on the altar on his behalf.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palmetto City.</b> Augusta, the capital of the Palmetto -State.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palmetto State.</b> South Carolina, from the palmetto-tree -in her arms. During the Civil War the soldiers of -this state bore the name of “Palmetto Boys.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span><b>Palm it off.</b> A phrase derived from the usual procedure -of a conjurer, who is an adept at concealing in the palm -of his hand that which he pretends to have “passed” -elsewhere.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palm Oil.</b> A bribe placed in the hand of a servant makes -him the more willing to throw open the apartment of -the great man to whom one wishes to gain access.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palm Sunday.</b> From the palms distributed to the congregation -by the Catholic Church in commemoration -of Christ’s entry into the city of Jerusalem, when the -populace strewed palm branches and leaves in His -path.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palmy Days of the Drama.</b> The days of our greatest exponents -of the Drama, so called because, had such -celebrated histriones as Garrick, Mrs Siddons, the -Keans, and the Kembles lived in the time of the -Romans, they would have been awarded a palm branch -in recognition of their genius.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Palsgrave Place.</b> In honour of Frederick, King of Bohemia, -Palsgrave of the Rhine, married to the Princess -Elizabeth, daughter of James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pam.</b> The popular name of Lord Palmerston.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pamphlet.</b> After Pamphilia, a Greek lady who kept a -commonplace book for the collection of anecdotes and -literary memoranda.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Panama.</b> Expresses the Carribean for “mud fish,” with -which the shores of this isthmus abound.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Panama Hat.</b> A corruption of “Palmata Hat,” from the -primitive head covering in equatorial South America -made out of the large leaf of the <em>Cardulavia palmata</em> -tree.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pancake Tuesday.</b> From the pancakes eaten on this day. -The custom arose in Catholic days with a view to using -up the eggs and lard that were interdicted during Lent; -also because pancakes were an excellent stay to the -appetite while the faithful had to wait long hours in -church to be <em>shrived</em> by the priest in the confessional.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span><b>Pancras Road.</b> From Old St Pancras parish church. -New St Pancras church is situated in the Euston Road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Panel Den.</b> An Americanism for a brothel, in which the -rooms are panelled off into small compartments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pan-Handle State.</b> West Virginia, on account of its shape, -rising up like a wedge between Pennsylvania and -Ohio.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PANORAMA'></a><b>Panorama.</b> Expresses the Greek for “a view of the -whole,” as would be obtained from a monument or a -natural eminence. This is the correct description of -a picture exhibited in a circular building, where the -spectators are placed in the centre; not at all of an old -form of picture entertainment at one end of a hall, which -approximates to a <em>Diorama</em>, because conformably to <em>di</em>, -through, it is viewed through the darkness.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PANTALOON'></a><b>Pantaloon.</b> One of the characters of the Italian comedy or -“Pantomime,” so called because he was typical of the -Venetians, wearing, like them, originally a close-fitting -garment made all in one piece, known as a <em>pantaleone</em>. -The Venetians were nicknamed <em>Pantaleone</em> (“all -lion”) from their common patron, St Mark, whose -symbol was a lion; hence the application of the term -pantaloons to tight-fitting knickerbockers or trousers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pantaloonery.</b> An Americanism for trouser material. See -“<a href='#PANTALOON'>Pantaloon</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pantechnicon.</b> A Greek word compounded out of <em>pan</em>, -all, and <em>techne</em>, art. The large vehicle of this name -was first used exclusively for the conveyance of -pictures and art treasures to exhibitions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pantheism.</b> From the Greek <em>pan</em>, all, and <em>theos</em>, God; the -religion which recognises the Spirit of God moving -throughout all the processes, works, and glories of His -creation. The single doctrine expressed by Pantheism -is that “God is everything, and everything is God.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pantheon.</b> The Roman temple erected in honour of the -gods collectively, so called from the Greek <em>pan</em>, all, -and <em>theos</em>, god.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span><b>Pantomime.</b> In the modern sense a pantomime is an -entertainment in which current events or fashionable -foibles are introduced by way of burlesque. Formerly -it denoted a performance of Italian comedy in which -the action took place in dumb show, so called from -the Greek <em>pantomimos</em>, an imitator of all or everything. -The Roman <em>mimes</em> or <em>mimi</em> were not theatrical performers, -but mutes at funerals, whose function it was -to imitate the characteristic actions of the deceased--<em>e.g.</em> -the virtue of generosity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Panton Street.</b> After a noted gamester, Colonel Thomas -Panton, whose daughter became connected by marriage -with the family of the ground landlord, Lord -Arundel of Wardour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pants.</b> Short for “pantaloons,” an Americanism for -trousers. See “<a href='#PANTALOON'>Pantaloon</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Panyer Alley.</b> This was an alley behind an ancient -church facing Cheapside, where the bakers stood with -their bread paniers. The word “panier” is French -for a bread basket.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pan’s Pipes.</b> The primitive reed instrument named after -Pan, the god of shepherds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pansy.</b> From the French “penseé,” which in the Language -of Flowers means “thoughts.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Papa.</b> See “<a href='#POPE'>Pope</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Papal Bull.</b> So called on account of the <em>bulla</em>, a seal -embellished with the symbol of St Peter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paper.</b> From the Greek <em>papyros</em>, the Egyptian plant out of -the reeds of which the earliest writing material was made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paper King.</b> John Law, the projector of the Mississippi -Scheme, whose prospectus promised fortunes that were -never realised by the luckless speculators.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Papua.</b> Expresses the Portuguese for “frizzled.” This -name was bestowed upon the natives of New Guinea -on account of their enormous heads of frizzled hair.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parachute.</b> From the Greek <em>para</em>, “beyond,” and the -French <em>chute</em>, “a fall.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span><b>Paraquay.</b> Expresses the Brazilian for the country of the -<em>Para</em>, or “great river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parasol.</b> This term is now obsolete, having been superseded -by “Sunshade.” Derived through the Italian <em>parasole</em>, -from the Greek <em>para</em>, beyond, and <em>sol</em>, the sun, its -meaning was synonymous with that of its modern -substitute.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parchment.</b> From the Greek <em>pergamenos</em>, through the -French <em>parchemin</em>, so called after Pergamos, the city -of Asia Minor where, consequent upon Ptolemy’s -prohibition of the exportation of the Egyptian papyrus, -dried goatskins were first utilised for a writing -material.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paris.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Lutetia Parisiorum</em>, a name -signifying the collection of mud huts inhabited by the -<em>Parisii</em>, a Gallic tribe conquered by them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paris Garden.</b> A notorious bear-baiting establishment in -South London for several centuries, so called after -Robert de Paris in the reign of Richard I. The entrance -thereto is fixed by what bears the name of -Bear Garden at the corner of Sumner Street, Borough.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Park Lane.</b> Originally a narrow lane skirting the east -side of Hyde Park; it is now one of the most fashionable -streets in the West End of London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Park Street.</b> Leads westward from Camden Town to -Regent’s Park.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parker Street.</b> In honour of Archbishop Parker, who -founded two fellowships and five scholarships at -Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in addition to presenting -it with a valuable library of ancient manuscripts. -This street was at one time called Bennet -Street, after the original name of the college, from -the adjacent church of St Benedict.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PARLIAMENT'></a><b>Parliament.</b> From the French <em>parlerment</em>, founded on the -Latin verb <em>parler</em>, to speak. See “<a href='#PARLOUR'>Parlour</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parliamentarians.</b> The forces under the Parliament of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>the Commonwealth under Cromwell during the Civil -War with Charles I. and the Royalists.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parliamentary Whip.</b> One whose duty it is to hunt up -Members of the House of Commons when questions -of grave import are being put to the vote.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='DUNCES'></a><b>Parliament of Dunces.</b> That convened at Coventry by -Henry IV. in 1404 because it did not number among -its members a single lawyer. Sir Edward Coke styled -this the “Unlearned” and also the “Lawless -Parliament.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PARLOUR'></a><b>Parlour.</b> Originally the apartment reserved for visitors -where conversation could be indulged undisturbed. -See “<a href='#PARLIAMENT'>Parliament</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parnellites.</b> The Home Rule party in Ireland during the -lifetime of their political leader, Charles Stewart -Parnell.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Parry Islands.</b> Discovered by Rear-Admiral Sir William -Parry in the course of his search for the North-West -Passage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PARSEES'></a><b>Parsees.</b> The modern designation of the Zoroastrians or -Fire Worshippers in Persia and India. The Parsees -were the original inhabitants of Persia, a wild Ayrian -family called the <em>Parsa</em>, meaning “The Tigers.” By -the Greeks the territory they overran was styled -<em>Perseus</em>, on account of their chief stronghold, <em>Persipolis</em>, -“the city of the Parsa,” the ruins of which may yet be -seen. The modern Parsees are therefore descendants -of those who refused to embrace Mohammedanism.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PARSONSGREEN'></a><b>Parsons Green.</b> Prior to the year 1740 the parsonage of -Fulham Parish Church stood facing this green. On -its roof was a cross which bore the name of “Parson’s -Cross,” afterwards corrupted into “Percy Cross.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Partridge Day.</b> The first of September, when partridge -shooting commences.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PASHA'></a><b>Pasha.</b> A Western corruption of the Turkish “Pashaw,” -from the Persian <em>bâshâ</em>, a governor or ruler of a -province under the <em>Shah</em> or King.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span><b>Passenger Pigeon.</b> So called on account of its migratory -habits. This species is found chiefly in America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passing Bell.</b> That rung at the parish church to announce -publicly that the soul of a parishioner has just passed -away.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passion Flower.</b> The traditional reverence for this -favourite flower is due to a fancied resemblance of -its tints and various parts to the instruments of -Christ’s Passion; also because it remains open for -three days, corresponding to the period between the -Last Supper and the Resurrection.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PASSIONISTS'></a><b>Passionists.</b> A missionary Order founded by St Francis -de Paulo, otherwise “St Paul of the Cross,” for the -preaching of “Christ’s Passion and Him Crucified.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passion Play.</b> An alfresco sacred drama based upon the -incidents of Christ’s Passion and Death; that performed -every tenth year at Oberammergau is world -famous.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passion Sunday.</b> Although this should properly be the -first day of what is called Passion Week, Palm Sunday -is in a sense a feast day, in allusion to the triumphant -entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The Sunday previous -is therefore set apart for a general commemoration of -the Passion--all crosses, statues, and paintings in the -churches being draped in purple, with a view to concentrating -the attention of the worshippers on the -sufferings of the Redeemer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passion Week.</b> The week in which Good Friday occurs, -in commemoration of Christ’s Passion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passive Resister.</b> One who in our own day passively -resists the imposition of the Education Rate by -allowing his goods to be seized or going to prison -instead of resorting to active measures of violence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Passover.</b> The great Jewish festival commemorative of -the Destroying Angel having passed over or spared -the houses of the Israelites whose doorposts were -sprinkled with the blood of the lamb slain overnight -<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>by Divine command. The Hebrew term for this -festival is <em>Pesach</em>, whence “Pasch” has been derived.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pastoral Letter.</b> One addressed by a bishop to his -flock. As his title implies, he is an overseer, and his -crook is symbolical of a shepherd.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pat.</b> See “<a href='#PADDY'>Paddy</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Patagonia.</b> This name, from the Spanish <em>patagon</em>, a -large, clumsy foot, was given by Magellan to the -country because, seeing the impressions of the great -shoes worn by the natives, he imagined them to be -giants.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paternoster Row.</b> Two reasons are assigned for this -designation. The Row was the locale of the makers -of “Pater Nosters,” or rosary beads, so called from the -name of the first large bead, and the sellers of religious -texts and prayer-books. Also because on great -festival days the monks went in solemn procession to -St Paul’s, the recital of the Pater Noster being commenced -at the eastern corner of the lane, outside the -churchyard, and concluded at the western extremity, -where the Ave Maria was then taken up. See “<a href='#AMENCORNER'>Amen Corner</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pathfinder.</b> The surname of General John Charles -Fremont, the leader of four exploring expeditions across -the Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Patricians.</b> See “<a href='#PLEBEIANS'>Plebeians</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paul’s Chain.</b> This lane, on the south side of the Paul’s -Churchyard, formerly had a chain drawn across it -during divine service; hence its name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Paul Veronese.</b> The better-known name of the celebrated -Italian painter Paulo Cagliari, who was born -at Verona.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PAWN'></a><b>Pawn.</b> In relation to the game of chess. The ordinary -piece or “man” bears this name from the French -<em>peon</em>, a walker or foot soldier, the superior pieces -being kings, queens, knights, castles, and bishops. -An article left in the charge of a pawnbroker is called -a pawn, from the French <em>pan</em>, a pledge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span><b>Pawnbroker.</b> See “<a href='#PAWN'>Pawn</a>” and “<a href='#BROKER'>Broker</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peabody Buildings.</b> After George Peabody, the American -philanthropist, who left a huge fortune in trust for the -building of “model dwellings” for the poorer classes. -His statue, at the back of the Royal Exchange, was -unveiled 23rd July 1869.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peach.</b> A schoolboy term for to inform against another. -In allusion to the fruit of this name, it means to turn -soft-hearted, and betray. In American the word is -used to denote a pretty woman or anything soft and -beautiful.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PEACOCK'></a><b>Peacock.</b> An inn sign dating from the Crusades, when, -the flesh of the peacock being deemed incorruptible, -this bird was adopted by many a knight as a crest, -typical of the Resurrection. “By the peacock” was a -common oath in those days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pearl Bible.</b> So called from the name of the printing -type employed in its composition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peckham.</b> A corruption of <em>Beckham</em>, a home or settlement -among the becks or brooks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peckham Rye.</b> In its application to common, the word -“Rye” comes from the Anglo-Saxon <em>ree</em>, a watercourse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peculiar People.</b> Originally those who believed that -disease was the direct consequence of sin, and that by -prayer alone could it be removed. See “<a href='#FAITHHEALERS'>Faith Healers</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pedlar.</b> An itinerant trader, so called in conformity with -the Latin <em>pedes</em>, the feet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pedro the Cruel.</b> The surname of the King of Castile -and Leon, who, midway in the fourteenth century, -murdered his two brothers and poisoned his queen. -How he meted out punishment to those outside his -own family may be guessed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peeler.</b> The old name for a policeman, after Sir Robert -Peel, to whom the introduction of the modern system -of Watch and Ward was due.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span><b>Peep O’Day Boys.</b> Irish insurrectionists who broke into -the houses of the people at peep of day in search of -arms. They were not averse to carrying off other -plunder at the same time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peewit.</b> This bird is so called from its characteristic notes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PEGAWAY'></a><b>Peg Away.</b> Originally a camping phrase. When a tent -is being put up it is necessary to secure its ropes to -the ground on all sides before the work can be left, -lest the whole structure, caught by the wind, should -be blown down.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pekin.</b> Chinese for “northern capital.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pelican State.</b> Louisiana, from the pelican in her arms.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pembroke.</b> Called by the Welsh “Penbroshire,” signifying -the <em>pen</em> or head of the <em>bro</em> or country; literally the -Land’s End.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pembroke College.</b> Founded at Cambridge in 1348 by -the widow of Aylmar de Valence, Earl of Pembroke.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peninsula State.</b> Florida.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penitentiary.</b> The modern name for a “Magdalen Hospital,” -designed as a home or refuge for fallen women who -are penitent. This term was adopted also by the -Quakers of Philadelphia in 1786 for a prison.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penknife.</b> A small pocket-knife intended primarily for -cutting quill pens. Though quills are no longer in -fashion, save among lawyers and bankers, and the -penknife is serviceable only for trimming one’s finger -nails, its original name survives.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pennsylvania.</b> From the Latin <em>sylva</em>, a wood; expresses -the colony in the wood founded by William Penn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penny.</b> From the Danish <em>pennig</em> and German <em>pfennig</em>, a -copper coin of full value. This was originally nicked -across to admit of being broken into halves and -quarters.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PENNYBLOOD'></a><b>Penny Blood.</b> The modern substitute for the “Penny -Dreadful.” The term “Blood” is short for a blood-curdling -relation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span><a id='PENNYGAFF'></a><b>Penny Gaff.</b> The term applied to a low-class theatre, in -allusion to the first Drury Lane Theatre, built on the -site of a famous cockpit. <em>Gaff</em> was but another name -for a cockpit, expressing as it did in various languages -the iron hook, fork, or spur with which the cocks -were goaded when they showed a reluctance to fight.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penny Wedding.</b> One to which all the villagers are -invited, each contributing his or her quota to the expenses -of the feast amounting to less than a shilling, -while children uniformly bring a penny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pennyweight.</b> Anciently, before standard weights came -into use, the weight of a Norman silver penny.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penrith.</b> A corruption of “Perith,” from Perith Hill, at -the foot of which the town is situated. The name is -Celtic for “red hill,” in allusion to the red stone -quarried on the spot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pensioner Parliament.</b> That of Charles II., which, though -it lasted sixteen years and a half, was more remarkable -for the bestowal of pensions upon the adherents of -the King than for the framing of new laws.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pentateuch.</b> A Greek word compounded out of <em>penta</em>, five, -and <em>teuchos</em>, an implement, tool. This name was -given to the first five books collectively of the Old -Testament, its second portion being applicable in the -sense of an instrument of direct communication between -God and His people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pentecost.</b> From the Greek <em>pentekoste</em>, the fiftieth day; -relative to the gift of the Law to the Israelites fifty -days after their deliverance out of the Land of -Bondage. This great festival, corresponding to the -Whitsuntide of the Christians, is celebrated by the -Jews on the fiftieth day after the “Passover.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penton Street.</b> See “<a href='#PENTONVILLE'>Pentonville</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PENTONVILLE'></a><b>Pentonville.</b> Prior to 1773 the whole of this neighbourhood -north of the New Road was open fields. It was then -acquired for building purposes by Henry Penton, M.P., -one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and received its -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>name from “Penton Villa,” his residence, on the site -of what is now Penton Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Penzance.</b> Expresses the Celtic for “Saint’s Headland,” in -allusion to St Michael’s Mount.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>People’s Friend.</b> The surname of Dr William Gordon of -Hull, merited by his kindly disposition and unfailing -generosity. When he died in 1849 the whole town -followed his body to the grave, and the name by which -he had always been known was subsequently chiselled -on his tombstone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Percy Cross.</b> See “<a href='#PARSONSGREEN'>Parsons Green</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pere La Chaise.</b> This, the principal cemetery of Paris, -originally constituted the land attached to a beautiful -mansion built by a grocer named Regnault. After -his death the property passed into the hands of a lady, -who made it over to the Jesuits of the Rue St Antoine. -Thenceforth the Maison Regnault became the recognised -seat of the Jesuits. In 1705 Pere La Chaise, -the confessor of Louis XIV., was made Superior to the -Order, and by the King’s desire the house received -his name. The eventual suppression of the Order -caused the property to be sold and the land converted -into a cemetery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Perfectionists.</b> An American sect of religionists who, -relying on the gift of the Spirit, dispense with civil -laws so far as their own community is concerned.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peripatetics.</b> The school of philosophy founded by -Aristotle, who taught his disciples in the colonnade -or covered walk (styled the <em>peripatos</em>, from <em>peripatem</em>, -to walk) in the garden of Lyceus at Athens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pernambuco.</b> Expresses the Spanish for “the mouth of -hell,” so called on account of the violent surf, which is -such an impediment to the safe navigation of the -mouth of its chief river, the San Francisco.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Persia.</b> The country of the <em>Parsa</em>. See “<a href='#PARSEES'>Parsees</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peru.</b> From its principal waterway, the Rio Paro, on the -banks of which the ancient city of Paruru is situated. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>All these names are modifications of the native <em>Para</em>, -water or river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Perugino.</b> See “<a href='#ILPERUGINO'>Il Perugino</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PETER'></a><b>Peter.</b> A word employed in America for running up the -prices at an auction. It is derived from the Dutch -<em>pethur</em>, to run, to hurry. The common name for a -confederate of the auctioneer at a mock auction is a -“Peter Funk,” that of the fictitious person to whom -the goods are knocked down.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peter Boat.</b> One built alike at both ends, so that it can -be run out quickly. See “<a href='#PETER'>Peter</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peterborough.</b> From the great Benedictine monastery -built and dedicated to St Peter by Oswy, King of -Northumbria, in the seventh century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peterhouse College.</b> Founded at Cambridge in connection -with a hospital dedicated to St Peter by Hugh -de Balsham in 1280.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peterloo Massacre.</b> The name given to the dispersal of -Lancashire operatives assembled to discuss Parliamentary -reform in St Peter’s Field, Manchester, by an -armed force, 10th July 1819. In this melee many -were wounded and several killed. The term was a -fanciful one, suggested by the battle of Waterloo of -five years previous to this event.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Peter’s Pence.</b> An annual contribution throughout the -Roman Catholic world for the upkeep of the vast -establishment of the Vatican and the Papal Court. -Since the loss of the Papal States in Italy this constitutes -the sole revenue of the Pope. Anciently it -was a tax of a silver penny in respect of every member -of a household.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Petrel.</b> See “<a href='#STORMYPETREL'>Stormy Petrel</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Petticoat.</b> A smaller or shorter coat, which was the -ancient description of a woman’s outer garment; derived -from the Norman <em>cotte</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Petticoat Lane.</b> Another name for “Rag Fair,” the old -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>clothes mart of the Jews in the East End. Its modern -name is Middlesex Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PETTY'></a><b>Petty.</b> Provincial for an out-house, because its accommodation -is restricted to one person; also called a -“Privy,” short for private.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PETTYSESSIONS'></a><b>Petty Sessions.</b> A criminal court for the disposal of petty -or lesser felonies, as distinguished from the usual -“Quarter Sessions,” where all graver charges, short -of those meriting capital punishment, are dealt with.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Phaeton.</b> A name derived from the Phaeton of ancient -mythology, who, having received permission to drive -the sun car of Helios, his father, for a day, had the -ill fortune to cause it to be overturned, and thereby -almost set the world on fire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pharmacist.</b> An Americanism for a chemist; derived, of -course, from “Pharmaceutist,” one who keeps a <em>pharmacy</em> -or drug store.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pharisees.</b> Those of the Jews who affected a greater -degree of holiness than their neighbours, and were -consequently regarded as a separate people. The -word is from the Hebrew <em>pharash</em>, “separated.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philadelphia.</b> Expresses the Greek for “city of brotherly -love.” This name was happily chosen by William -Penn for the capital of his Quaker colony in the New -World.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philippe Egalité.</b> See “<a href='#EGALITE'>Egalité</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philippi.</b> A ruined city of Macedonia, named after -Philip II. of Macedon, who conquered it. It was to -the <em>Philippians</em>, the people of this city, that St Paul -addressed one of his Epistles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philippic.</b> A powerful invective or denunciation. So -called from a famous oration of Demosthenes against -Philip of Macedon with a view of arousing the Athenians -to repel his ambitious designs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philippine Islands.</b> Discovered by Magellan in 1521, he -named them in honour of Philip II. of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philistines.</b> The inhabitants of ancient Philistia, or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>“Palestine.” Because these were continually at war -with the Jews, the term has been applied by university -students to the citizens generally, and to the -preservers of law and order more particularly. “A -battle with the Philistines” is but another name for -“a town row.” By the people of Norfolk too, policemen -and bailiffs, likewise earwigs and such tiny -tormentors, are called Philistines.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Philistinism.</b> The name given to that cynicism which -sneers at religion. This arose out of the scorn with -which the Philistines of Palestine regarded the rites -and ceremonies of the Israelites.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Phiz.</b> Slang for the face; derived from “Physiogomy.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Phœnicia.</b> Called by the Greeks <em>Phoinike</em>, from <em>phoinos</em>, -purple, which colour was discovered by the Tyrians -and manufactured by them for the supply of all the -then known Eastern nations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Photograph.</b> From the two Greek words <em>photos</em>, light, -and <em>graphein</em>, to write. Accordingly a picture obtained -by the action of light and transferred to paper -chemically prepared.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Phyrric Dance.</b> The famous war dance of the ancient -Greeks, so called after Phyrrichos, a flautist of great -skill and renown.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pianoforte.</b> A modern development of the old harpsichord -and clavichord, so called because it was the -first musical instrument which, by means of pedals, -admitted the alternations of <em>piano</em>, soft, and <em>forte</em>, -loud.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Piccadilly.</b> After “Piccadilla Hall,” a once famous mart -for the sale of “piccadilly lace,” having <em>pica</em>, or spearlike -points. Of this <em>pica</em>, the word <em>piccadilly</em> expressed -the diminutive. So fashionable was this lace during -the time of Elizabeth that when in the succeeding -reign of James I. the high ruff came into vogue, it -bore the name of a <em>piccadilly</em>, though shorn of its lace -edging. “Piccadilla Hall” must have stood somewhere -<span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>about the modern circus of the same name, -since there were no houses further afield.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pickaninny.</b> From the Spanish <em><a id='corr277.3'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='sic'>pegueno</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_277.3'><ins class='correction' title='sic'>pegueno</ins></a></span> nino</em>, a little child.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pick-me-up.</b> A stimulating beverage or a medicinal -tonic as a remedy for languor or lowness of spirits.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pick up.</b> An Americanism for a cold dinner composed -of the fragments of the previous day’s joint. Sometimes -such a one is called a “Pick-up Dinner.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Picts.</b> The Lowlanders of Scotland, called by the Romans -<em>picti</em>, or painted men, because, they stained their skins -with woad.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pie Corner.</b> It has been considered curious that the -Great Fire of London should have broken out in -“Pudding Lane” and ended at Pie Corner. Scarcely -less curious was it that this Pie Corner was an eating-house. -Its sign was “The Pie,” a corruption of -“Magpie.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Piedmont.</b> Expresses the French for “mountain foot.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pierrot.</b> French for “Little Peter.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pig and Whistle.</b> A tavern sign corrupted from “Piggen -Wassail.” Piggen expressed the Anglo-Saxon for a -milking pail, of which <em>pig</em> was the diminutive. When -a large party frequented the alehouse the liquor was -set before them in a <em>piggen</em>, each helping himself from -it with his <em>pig</em>, or mug. <a id='WASSAIL'></a>“Wassail” was, of course, -the Anglo-Saxon <em>Was hæl</em> (“Be in health”). See -“<a href='#HAIL'>Hail</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pigeon English.</b> That employed by the Chinese in their -commercial relations with Europeans. The word -<em>pigeon</em> is a native corruption of “business,” which it -seems impossible for a Chinaman to pronounce -correctly. Their business English is therefore a -jargon of many languages heard by him in the “Open -Ports.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pig in a Poke.</b> See “<a href='#BUYAPIG'>Buy a Pig in a Poke</a>” and “<a href='#CATOUTOFBAG'>Let the Cat out of the Bag</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Piggott Diamond.</b> One of the smaller diamonds of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>celebrity, weighing 82¼ carats. This was brought to -England from India by Lord Piggott in 1818, when -it passed into the hands of Messrs Rundell & Bridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pigtails.</b> The European nickname for the Chinese on -account of their shaven heads and braided pigtails.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pikes.</b> The name given in California to the poor southern -whites, most of whom came from Pike County, -Missouri. See “<a href='#PUKES'>Pukes</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pilgrim.</b> From the Italian <em>pellegrino</em>, “a visitor to foreign -lands.” Since the days of Peter the Hermit and the -Crusades this term has been confined to one who -travels on foot to worship at a holy shrine, whether -he be a Christian, Mohammedan, or Buddhist. See -“Palmer.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pillow Lace.</b> So called because produced by twisted -threads around rows of pins arranged on a cushion -or pillow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pilot Jack.</b> The name given to the “Union Jack” when -flown from the mast-head in the merchant service as a -signal for a pilot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pimlico.</b> This was originally a district of tea gardens for -holiday folk, with a <em>specialité</em> for nut-brown ales. It -received its name from Ben Pimlico, the owner of a -noted resort in Hoxton on the site of what is now the -Britannia Theatre. The nut-brown ale was first -popularised by this worthy, who could not have regarded -the application of his name to ales purveyed -elsewhere with much favour. From “Pimlico Ales,” -the neighbourhood itself soon came to be known as -Pimlico.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pimlico Walk.</b> It is hard to believe that this was once a -regular holiday promenade for the citizens of London. -On Sundays and on week-day evenings it was thronged, -skirting as it did the famous tea gardens of Ben -Pimlico, in whose retired arbours courting couples -softly murmured “sweet nothings.” This resort was to -Londoners of a bygone day what Rosherville is in our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>own time. From a tea garden it developed into what -was styled a “saloon,” and eventually into a regular -theatre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pinafore.</b> Literally an apron pinned on the bosom and at -the hips of the wearer. The modern example of a -pinafore with armholes is pinned or buttoned behind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pinchbeck.</b> A mixture of copper, zinc, and tin, out of -which metal watch cases and cheap jewellery were -formerly made. So called after its inventor, Christopher -Pinchbeck of Fleet Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pindaric Verse.</b> A style of verse, irregular in regard to -metre, imitative of the Odes of Pindar, the Roman -poet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pine-tree State.</b> Maine, from the pine-tree distinguished -in her arms, symbolical of her glorious forests.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pin Money.</b> The allowance made by a husband to his -wife in order to purchase pins for the current year. -Such articles were at one time neither abundant nor -cheap.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pin your Faith on it.</b> An expression derived from the -days of feudalism, when all the dependents of a baron -or feudal lord displayed his badge pinned on the sleeve. -Sometimes while on a predatory expedition of their -own these vassals exchanged the badge for another -to prevent recognition. This gave rise to the saying: -“You may wear the badge, but I cannot pin my faith -on your sleeve. I require some further evidence -whence you came.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pipeclay.</b> The fine white clay out of which clay pipes are -made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pistol.</b> From <em>Pistoja</em> in Italy, where this kind of small -firearm was first introduced in 1545.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pit.</b> The floor of a theatre bears this name because the -original Drury Lane Theatre was built by Killigrew on -the site of the famous cockpit in Drury Lane.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pitcairn Island.</b> Discovered by Captain Cartaret in 1767, -and named by him after one of his officers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span><b>Pitchfork.</b> A fork for pitching hay; also one for determining -the correct pitch of a musical note.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PITTDIAMOND'></a><b>Pitt Diamond.</b> After Thomas Pitt, grandfather of the -first Lord Chatham, who, while Governor of Fort St -George in India, purchased it for £24,000. On -coming to England he sold this gem, weighing 136¾ -carats in its cut state, to the Duke of Orleans, Regent -of France, for £130,000, on which account it bears -the name also of the “Regent Diamond.” It decorated -the sword hilt of Napoleon I., and after the battle -of Waterloo passed into the hands of the Prussians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pittsburg.</b> This city was built on the site of the French -Fort Duquesne. When, after a sanguinary engagement, -it was taken from the allied French and Indians in -1758 by General Forbes, he gave it the name of Fort -Pitt, after the English statesman, William Pitt, Earl of -Chatham.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pius X.</b> The Vatican Journal <em>Voce Della Verita</em> recently -gave an authorised explanation as to why the present -Pope chose to be styled “Pius the Tenth.” It said: -“The Holy Father preferred a name that would emphasise -the undying struggle of the Holy See against -the Revolution. From the very beginning <em>Pius</em> has -been the name of predilection assumed by our most -illustrious Pontiffs. His present Holiness, whose -Pontificate opens under a hostile Government, and at -a time when both Pope and State are the victims of -imperious revolution, was determined to adopt the -title of ‘Pius the Tenth.’”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plain.</b> The name given to the Girondist party on the -floor of the French House of Assembly during the -Revolution, as opposed to the “Mountain” party.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plantagenet.</b> The family name of the House of Anjou, -which succeeded to the throne of England at the -extinction of the Norman dynasty. It was assumed -by Fulke Martel, the first of this line, as a perpetual -reminder of the incident of having allowed himself to -be scourged by two attendants with branches of the -<em>genista</em>, or broom plant, while on a pilgrimage to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>Holy Sepulchre, as an atonement for his murder of the -Earl of Brittany.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Platonic Affection.</b> The kind of mutual esteem between -persons of opposite sexes free from carnal desires or -love in an earthly sense, as advocated by Plato and his -school of philosophers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Platonists.</b> The disciples of Plato. See “<a href='#ACADEMY'>Academy</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Play Fast and Loose.</b> An expression derived from a -very old cheating game called “Pricking the Belt,” -which in the modified form of “Prick the Garter,” -may yet be met with at fairs and race meetings. The -victim was invited to stick a skewer through a folded -belt so as to pin it to the table; whereupon the other, -taking the two ends, proved that the belt had not been -made fast at all; hence to “play fast and loose with -a man.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Playhouse Yard.</b> Marks the site of the “Fortune Theatre,” -the second regular playhouse opened in the city of -London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Please the Pigs.</b> A corruption of “Please the Pixies,” or -woodland fairies, still common in many rural districts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PLEBEIANS'></a><b>Plebeians.</b> The ordinary citizens among the Romans, so -called from <em>plebs</em>, the people, as distinguished from -the “Patricians,” or fathers of the State.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plough Monday.</b> The first Monday after the Epiphany, -when, the Christmas festivities having come to an end, -farm labourers were supposed to return to the plough. -Instead of which they dragged a plough round the -parish, begging for “plough money” from door to -door, and spent the evening at the alehouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PLUMEANDFEATHERS'></a><b>Plume and Feathers.</b> An inn sign, corrupted from “The -Plume of Feathers,” in allusion to the plume of ostrich -feathers adopted as his crest by Edward the Black -Prince. See “<a href='#ICHDIEN'>Ich Dien</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plunger.</b> A gambler who plunges into bets without considering -the risks he incurs. Recklessness is his -characteristic. To retrieve his losses he plays for -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>high stakes, which make or break him in a very short -time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plymouth.</b> The seaport town at the mouth of the Plym.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Plymouth Brethren.</b> A sect which sprang into existence -at Plymouth in 1830. It has extended far and wide, -both on the Continent of Europe and in America. Its -chief tenet is the utter rejection of priestly or ministerial -organisation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pocket Borough.</b> An old Parliamentary term for a borough -in which the votes at an election could generally be -commanded by one influential person.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poet Laureate.</b> The officially appointed poet of any -nation, so called from the Roman custom of crowning -a favourite poet with laurel, symbolical of Apollo, the -god of poetry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pogrom.</b> Expresses the Slavonic for “devastation” or -“desolation.” The word is allied to <em>grom</em>, thunder, -thunder clash, and <em>gromit</em>, to thunder, batter down, as -with a thunderbolt; utterly overthrow, destroy without -mercy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pointer.</b> This dog is so called on account of its remarkable -instinct for pointing out or indicating to sportsmen -the presence of game.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Point Lace.</b> So called because it is worked with the -point of a needle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poke Bonnet.</b> One which poked out beyond the face -on all sides. See “<a href='#KISSMEQUICK'>Kiss-me-Quick</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poland.</b> From the Slavonic <em>poln</em>, “a country of plains.” -Its original settlers were a tribe called the <em>Polnali</em>, -“men of the plains.” When this country was an -independent kingdom it bore the name of “Polska,” -and its people “Polacks.” Shakespeare mentions -“the sledded Polacks on the ice” in <em>Hamlet</em> -Act i. sc. i.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poland Street.</b> From the Polish refugees who congregated -in it soon after this street was built.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span><b>Police.</b> The appropriate designation of civil guardians of -the peace, from the Greek <em>polis</em>, city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Polka.</b> Originally a Bohemian dance, so called from the -native word <em>pulka</em>, a half, on account of the half step -peculiar to it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Polynesia.</b> Greek for “many islands.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Polytechnic.</b> An institute or academy of the Arts, so -called from the Greek <em>polys</em>, many, and <em>techne</em>, art.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pompeii.</b> So called by the Romans in honour of Pompeius -Magnus, or Pompey the Great.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pomeranian.</b> A valuable breed of dog from Pomerania -in Prussia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pomeroy.</b> From <em>pomme roi</em>; expresses the French for -“King’s Apple.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pommery.</b> After Madame Pommery, mother of the -Duchess de Polignac, and owner of the estate near -Rheims where this fine brand of champagne is -produced.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pompadour.</b> Both the puce colour and the dress material -of this name were first popularised by Madame le -Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pompadours.</b> The nickname of the 56th Foot on account -of their claret or Pompadour facings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pontac.</b> From the town of the same name in the south -of France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pontefract.</b> Literally “broken bridge.” The popular -corruption of this name is “Pomfret.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pontiff.</b> The Pope of Rome bears this name conformably -to the Latin <em>pons</em>, bridge, and <em>facere</em>, to make, because -the earliest bridge over the Tiber was constructed at -the sole cost of the High Priest of the Romans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pontius Pilate’s Bodyguard.</b> The first regiment of -Foot, the oldest in the service.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poole.</b> From the pool or inlet of the sea on which this -Dorsetshire port is situated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span><a id='POPE'></a><b>Pope.</b> From the Greek <em>papas</em>, and Latin <em>papa</em>, father.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poplar.</b> From the poplar-trees formerly abounding in this -district.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poppin’s Court.</b> A corruption of “Poppingay Court”; -originally, in the reign of Elizabeth, “Poppingay -Alley,” so called because it marked the site of an -ancient inn or mansion owned by the Abbots of -Cirencester, and displaying the sign of “the Poppinjaye” -or parrot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pop the Question.</b> A corruption of “Propose the -question of marriage.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Porkopolis.</b> The nickname of Chicago and Cincinnati, -both world-renowned cities in relation to the pork-packing -industry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Port.</b> The native wine of Portugal, shipped from Oporto.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Porte.</b> The official designation of the Government of -Turkey, because anciently justice was administered at -the <em>porta</em>, or gate, of the Sultan’s palace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PORTER'></a><b>Porter.</b> Another name for “Entire,” which was first -retailed at “The Blue Last” in Curtain Road, -Finsbury. Finding that it was in great request by -the porters who frequented that house of call, the -publican dropped the name of “Entire” and called -it “Porter.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portland Place.</b> After William Bentinck, second Duke of -Portland, the owner of the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portman Square.</b> After Edward Berkeley Portman, Viscount -Portman of Bryanstone, Dorsetshire, the great -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portmanteau.</b> From the French <em>porter</em>, to carry, and -<em>manteau</em>, a cloak; literally a receptacle for a cloak on a -journey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Porto Rico.</b> Express the Spanish for “rich port.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portsmouth.</b> The seaport town built at the mouth of the -harbour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portsoken Ward.</b> One of the wards of the city of London, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>so called because anciently the thirteen knights styled -the “English Knighten Guild,” claimed the <em>soken</em>, or -franchise, at the <em>porta</em>, or gate, to their ward in return -for services rendered to King Edgar by their ancestors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portugal.</b> From the ancient name of the capital city, -<em>Portus Cale</em>, “the gate of Gaul.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portugal Street.</b> In compliment to Catherine of Braganza, -queen of Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portuguese Hymn.</b> The “Adesta Fidelis,” so called from -the erroneous assumption of the Duke of Leeds that it -was part of the regular service in Catholic Portugal, -since he first heard it sung in the private chapel of the -Portuguese Ambassador in London.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Portway.</b> The name given to that portion of a great -Roman highway in this country wherever it was -crossed by an arch or within sight of a walled city; -from <em>porta</em>, gate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poser.</b> A corruption of “Opposer”; derived from collegiate -argumentative examinations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poses Plastiques.</b> French for “statuesque attitudes.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poster.</b> So called because auction, play, and other public -<a id='corr285.22'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='announcments'>announcements</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_285.22'><ins class='correction' title='announcments'>announcements</ins></a></span> were first exhibited on the posts separating -the roadway from the side walk. Being stuck on -these posts, the bills were said to be “posted.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Post Paper.</b> So called from the original watermark, a -post horn, which it bore.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pot Boilers.</b> Specifically pictures painted by a poor artist -for ready sale to a dealer in order to “Keep the pot -boiling.” The term is also employed by authors and -journalists in the same sense.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pothooks.</b> The nickname of the 77th Foot, owing to the -fancied resemblance of these two figures to pothooks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pot Luck.</b> Anything ready at hand for a meal. The -allusion is to the primitive stock pot, into which meat -and vegetables were thrown at any time for boiling up -as required.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span><b>Potomac.</b> Indian for “place of the burning pine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Poultry.</b> Where the scorchers and stuffers of poultry in -connection with the old Stocks Market on the site of -the Mansion House had their shops.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pouter Pigeon.</b> So called on account of its pouting or -bulging breast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Powis Place.</b> Marks the site of the town house of William -Herbert, Marquis of Powis, <em>temp.</em> Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prairie State.</b> Illinois, which for the most part consists of -prairie lands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Praise-God Barebone.</b> A fanatical leader of the time of -the Commonwealth, and a prominent member of the -“Barebone Parliament,” who was addicted to praising -God and damning his neighbours. This kind of -hypocrisy was characteristic of the Puritans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pratt Street.</b> After one of the family names of the Earl -of Brecknock, Marquis of Camden, landlord of the -estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PRESBYTERIANS'></a><b>Presbyterians.</b> From the Greek <em>presbuteros</em>, an elder. -The National Church of Scotland is governed not by -prelates, as in England, but by elders, equal in office -and power.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Press Yard.</b> The open courtyard between the Sessions -House and Newgate Prison. Those who refused to -plead when put upon their trial were pressed to death -with heavy weights.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Preston.</b> A corruption of “Priests’ Town,” so called on -account of its many ancient monastic establishments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pretoria.</b> In honour of Pretorius, the first President of -the Boer Republic in South Africa.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PRETTYKETTLE'></a><b>Pretty Kettle of Fish.</b> Save that the second word should -be “Kiddle,” expressive of a basket placed in a river -for catching fish, this expression is very old. During -the time of the Plantagenets the warder of the Tower -claimed the right of trapping fish outside Traitors’ -Gate in this way for his own benefit; but the citizens -of London systematically made a raid upon his kiddles, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>and destroyed them. “A pretty kiddle of fish -indeed!” he was wont to exclaim to the Beefeaters -on discovering the damage done to his preserves.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PRIMITIVEMETHODISTS'></a><b>Primitive Methodists.</b> The original Methodists, those -who resort to open-air preaching and singing, after -the style of Wesley and Whitfield. On account of their -“Camp Meetings” they are styled also Ranters.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Primrose.</b> So far from expressing the first or spring rose, -the term is a corruption of the Italian <em>primerola</em>, the -first spring flower.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Primrose Day.</b> The 19th of April bears this name because -it is the anniversary of the death of Lord Beaconsfield, -1881. When the body of this great statesman was -laid to rest his coffin was adorned by a wreath sent by -Queen Victoria, and superscribed “His favourite -flower.” This gave rise to the formation of the -Primrose League and the annual decoration of the -Beaconsfield Statue at Westminster with a wreath of -primroses on this day.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prince of Wales’s Feathers.</b> See “<a href='#PLUMEANDFEATHERS'>Plume and Feathers</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prince of Wales Island.</b> Named in compliment to the -Prince Regent, afterwards George IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Princes Street.</b> Laid out on the site of the old Westminster -Mews, and so named on account of its proximity to -King Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Printer’s Devil.</b> When Caxton introduced printing into -England many people regarded it as an invention of -the devil. This idea was also fostered by his boys, -whose hands and faces were besmeared with ink. They -were accordingly called “Imps” and “Devils.” Since -his day the boys engaged in feeding the printing press -have not improved in their personal appearance. -Young devils they are, and young devils they will -remain until the end of time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Printing House Square.</b> This, the courtyard of <em>The Times</em> -office, was formerly covered by the King’s Printing -House, where King James’s Bible was printed, and -which for centuries had the monopoly of turning out -Bibles for the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span><b>Priory.</b> This term denoted a lesser house or branch -establishment of an abbey, under the control of a -Prior or Prioress, who had the prior claim to election -as Abbot or Abbess of the mother community.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Private Boxes.</b> The idea of these adjuncts to a theatre -auditorium was derived from Spain, where plays were -formerly performed in a public square, the ordinary -spectators being accommodated on the ground, while -the grandees looked on from the windows of the -houses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Privy.</b> See “<a href='#PETTY'>Petty</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pro-Cathedral.</b> The beautiful Catholic Church in High -Street, Kensington, erected as a provisional cathedral -at the time when the present Westminster Cathedral -was first mooted.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Profile.</b> The outline of a side view, so called from the -Italian <em>profilo</em>, and Latin <em>filum</em>, a thread.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Protectionist.</b> One who advocates the protection of home -industries by levying imposts on foreign merchandise.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Protestants.</b> Those who, with the Lutherans of Germany, -protested against the decree of the Emperor Charles V. -This decree was ostensibly to invoke the aid of the -German princes against the Turks, but really to restore -peace and order after the disturbances caused by -Martin Luther’s opposition to the Church of Rome. -From this protest the Reformers received the name -of “Protestants.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prussia.</b> A Western corruption of <em>Porussia</em>, which expresses -the Slavonic for “near Russia.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prussian Blue.</b> After its inventor, Diesbach of Berlin, -in 1710.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Prussic Acid.</b> Originally the acid of “Prussian Blue,” but -nowadays obtained from cyanide of iron.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pye Street</b> (Old and New). See “<a href='#NEWWAY'>New Way</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pymmes Park.</b> This new suburban “lung” at Edmonton -comprised the grounds in connection with the lordly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>mansion built by William Pymme, which was mentioned -in 1593 as the residence of the great Lord Burleigh, -and in 1612 as that of Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pythagoreans.</b> The school of philosophy founded by -Pythagoras.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Public-house.</b> A house of public resort for refreshment -and conviviality. It may be either an inn or a tavern -in the modern sense.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pudding.</b> From Stow’s description of “Pudding Lane” it -would seem that the puddings of his day were scarcely -edible productions. The word is derived from the -Celtic <em>poten</em>, a bag, and was applied originally in the -sense of a modern hog’s pudding or black pudding--to -wit, a sausage.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pudding Lane.</b> Whether or not the Great Fire of London -broke out in the house of the King’s baker, as generally -stated, the lane did not receive its name from the -royal bakery. Old Stow tells us it was so called -“because the butchers of Eastcheap have their scalding-house -for hogs there, and their puddings with other -filth of beasts are voided down that way to their dung -boats on the Thames.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pudding-time.</b> The old name for “dinner-time,” because, -as still is the custom in some parts of the country, the -pudding was served before the meat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pueblo Indian.</b> One who in the western states has been -brought under Catholic influences, and lives in a village, -where he subsists by agriculture. The word <em>Pueblo</em> is -Spanish for village.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PUKES'></a><b>Pukes.</b> A corruption of Pikes, generally applied to the -natives of Missouri, who originally settled in Pike -County of that state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pullman Car.</b> After its inventor, Pullman of Chicago.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Pull up Stakes.</b> An Americanism for to pack up one’s -belongings and remove elsewhere. The expression -has, of course, reference to dismantling a tent among -a mining community.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span><b>Pumps.</b> Dancing shoes bear this name in allusion to -the fashionable assemblies in the pump-room at the -Western Spas when Beau Nash, styled “King of Bath,” -presided over the ceremonies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punch.</b> From the Hindoo <em>panch</em>, five, this beverage -being composed of five ingredients: spirit, sugar, -lemon juice, spice, and water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punch and Judy.</b> A hybrid form of entertainment evolved -out of an old mystery play, <em>Pontius cum Judæis</em> -(“Pontius Pilate and the Jews”).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punic Wars.</b> Those waged between Rome and Carthage. -By the Romans the Carthaginians were called the -<em>Puni</em>, a corruption of <em>Phœni</em>, in allusion to their -descent from the Phœnicians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punitive Expedition.</b> A petty war with the set purpose of -inflicting a well-merited punishment upon a rebellious -tribe. The word “punitive” is derived from the Latin -<em>pœna</em>, penalty.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punjab.</b> Expresses the Persian for “five rivers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Punkah.</b> From the Hindoo <em>pankha</em>, a fan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Puritans.</b> Those who affected a greater degree of holiness -or purity than their neighbours. They were to the -Anglicans and Roman Catholics of the time of Charles -I. and the Commonwealth what the Pharisees were to -the Jews.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Purple.</b> This dye, in which the people of Tyre excelled, -was discovered in the following manner:--One day a -favourite dog of Hercules of Tyre ate a species of fish -known to the ancients by the name of <em>purpura</em>, and -on returning to his master his lips were found to be -tinged with the colour, which, after a few experiments, -Hercules successfully imitated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='PURSESTRINGS'></a><b>Purse Strings.</b> In the days of our grandfathers, when hasp -and clasp purses were unknown, the only kind of purse -was a small money bag secured round its mouth by a -tape or string. To “tighten one’s purse strings” was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>therefore to be proof against almsgiving or money-lending.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Putney.</b> Described in ancient documents as <em>Puttaney</em>, or -“Putta’s Isle.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>Q</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Quack.</b> The name borne by an itinerant trader, who makes -a great noise in open market, quacking like a duck in -his efforts to dispose of wares that are not genuine; -hence anyone nowadays who follows a profession -which he does not rightly understand. A “Quack -Doctor” was formerly styled a <em>Quack Salver</em>, from the -salves, lotions, and medicines he dispensed to the -crowd at the street corners.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quadragesima Sunday.</b> The first Sunday of Lent, expressing -in round numbers forty days before Easter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quadrant.</b> The Piccadilly end of Regent Street, so called -because it describes a quarter of a circle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quadrille.</b> Expresses the French for “a little square,” in -allusion to the positions taken up by the dancers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quadroon.</b> A Mulatto being half-blooded, like a mule, the -offspring of such a woman by a white man is black-blooded -to the degree of one-fourth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quaker City.</b> Philadelphia, the seat of the Quaker colony -founded by William Penn.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quaker Poet.</b> The sobriquet of Bernard Barton.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quakers.</b> The origin of this designation of the “Society -of Friends” is thus given by George Fox, the founder -of the sect in his <em>Journal</em>: “Justice Bennet of Derby -was the first to call us ‘Quakers,’ because I bade him -quake and tremble at the word of the Lord.” This -occurred in 1650.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quarantine.</b> Agreeably to the French <em>quarantaine</em>, the -period of a ship’s detention outside a port in the -circumstances of infectious disease should be forty -days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span><b>Quarter Sessions.</b> See “<a href='#PETTYSESSIONS'>Petty Sessions</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quarto.</b> In the printing and stationery trades this term -expresses a sheet of paper which, when folded into -quarters, makes four leaves or eight pages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quassia.</b> A tonic obtained from the bark of a tree of -South America, the virtues of which were discovered -by a Negro of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quatemala.</b> When the Indians who accompanied -Alvarado into this region discovered the ruins of -an ancient palace of the kings beside an old worm-eaten -tree they assumed this to be the centre of the -country, and gave it the name of <em>Quahtemali</em>, “a -decayed log of wood.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quebec.</b> Indian for “take care of the rock.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen Anne’s Bounty.</b> A perpetual fund raised by the -augmentation of the tithes and first-fruits at the -instance of Queen Anne for the benefit of the poor -clergy whose incomes are insufficient for their proper -maintenance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen Anne’s Square.</b> Like the gate and the street -further west of the same name, this was built during -the reign of Queen Anne.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen Charlotte Island.</b> In honour of Queen Charlotte, -the consort of George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen City of the Lakes.</b> Buffalo, in the state of New -York, situated at the junction of the Erie Canal with -Lake Erie.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen City of the Mountains.</b> Knoxville (Tennessee), -admirably situated on the hills overlooking the Upper -Tennessee River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen City of the Plains.</b> Regina, in the north-western -territory.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen City of the West.</b> Cincinnati (Ohio), so called in -virtue of its fine situation, beautiful parks, and noble -architectural features. Also styled “The Queen City” -and “Queen of the West.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span><b>Queen Elizabeth’s Walk.</b> In compliment to Queen -Elizabeth, who often visited the Earl of Leicester when -he resided in this portion of Stoke Newington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queenhithe.</b> So called because the tolls collected at this -<em>hithe</em>, or wharf, were appropriated by Eleanor, Queen of -Henry II., for her pin money.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen of Hearts.</b> Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, the -daughter of James I., who by her amiable disposition -endeared herself to all hearts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen of Watering-places.</b> Scarborough.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s College.</b> At Oxford, founded by Robert de -Eglesfield, the confessor of Philippa, queen of -Edward III., in her honour. At Cambridge, founded -by Margaret of Anjou, queen of Henry VI.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s Hall.</b> Built on the site of the Langham Hall, -and opened in 1893, this high-class concert hall was -named after the late Queen Victoria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s Head Street.</b> From the ancient inn, “The -Queen’s Head,” now modernised, at its juncture with -Essex Road. Queen Elizabeth is said to have slept at -this hostelry on several occasions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queensland.</b> This portion of Australia received its name -in honour of Queen Victoria, when in 1859 it became -an independent colony.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s Square.</b> After Queen Anne, in whose reign it -was laid out.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen Street.</b> In Cheapside, from a permanent wooden -balcony situated between Bow Church and this corner -for the accommodation of the reigning queen and her -ladies when jousts and tournaments were held here. -In Mayfair, after the queen of Charles II., in whose -reign it was built.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s Tobacco Pipe.</b> The name given to the furnace -at the London Docks where contraband tobacco was -formerly consumed. This custom obtained down to -within the last few years of the reign of Queen -Victoria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span><b>Queenstown.</b> Originally styled “The Cove of Cork,” this -Irish seaport received its present name on the occasion -of the visit of Queen Victoria in 1850.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen’s Weather.</b> Throughout the long reign of the late -Queen Victoria it was remarkable that, whenever she -appeared abroad on the occasion of a public function, -glorious weather favoured her invariably; hence the -expression “Queen’s Weather” came to be applied to -a fine day for a summer outing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queen Victoria Street.</b> A modern thoroughfare, named -after the late Queen Victoria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Queue.</b> Expresses the French for a tail, like that of a -periwig or peruke. In the sense of a line of people -waiting outside the doors of a theatre the term has -latterly become popular on both sides of the English -Channel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quick Lunch.</b> An American stand-up luncheon served -with expedition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='QUICKSILVER'></a><b>Quicksilver.</b> Living or moving silver. <em>Quick</em> is old -English for “living”; hence “The Quick and the -Dead.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quidnunc.</b> One who is always inquiring after news. -“What news?” is the literal interpretation of the term. -As a personal designation, it originated in the name of -the chief character in Murphy’s farce, “The Upholsterer, -or What News?” A kind of political -Paul Pry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quid of Tobacco.</b> A corruption of “Cud,” because it is -used for chewing. The allusion is to the cud chewed -by ruminating animals.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quids.</b> The slang term for cash, properly restricted to -gold. A sovereign is called a “Quid” in allusion to -the Latin phrase, <em>Quid pro quo</em>, something of equal -value, which change for a sovereign truly is.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quill-driver.</b> The popular designation of a clerk. Quill -pens having been supplanted by those of steel, it is -scarcely appropriate in our time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span><b>Quinquagesima Sunday.</b> The name given in the Church -calendar to the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday or -the commencement of Lent; approximately fifty days -before Easter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quit Rent.</b> A rental anciently paid by a tenant to a -baron with a view of being relieved or quit of feudal -service.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Quod.</b> The slang term for prison; also “Quad.” See -“<a href='#INQUAD'>In Quad</a>.”</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div><span class='large'>R</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rabbi.</b> The title of a Jewish expounder of the Law. The -word is Greek for “My Master,” through the Hebrew -<em>rabi</em>, from the root <em>rab</em>, lord, chief.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RACK'></a><b>Rack.</b> From the Saxon <em>wrocan</em> and German <em>recken</em>, to -stretch. The word is therefore correctly applied to -the instrument of torture of former days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rack Rent.</b> A term expressing the actual full annual value -of land as paid from the earliest times, not modified -by circumstances. See “<a href='#RACK'>Rack</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Radcliffe Library.</b> Founded at Oxford by the celebrated -physician, Dr John Radcliffe, in Radcliffe Square, also -named after him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Radicals.</b> That advanced section of the Liberal party, -whose set purpose it is to root out the evils, according -to their view, of our constitutional system which are -systematically maintained by the Conservatives. The -term first came into notice in 1818, when a strenuous -effort was made to institute a radical change in the -Parliamentary representation of the country. This -paved the way for the Reform Act of 1832.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Radnor.</b> The modern form of <em>Rhiadnwr-Gwy</em>, signifying -“The Cataract of the Wye.” This is in reference to the -beautiful cascade, with a fall of seventy feet, called -“The Water-break-its-Neck,” the great natural feature -in the vicinity of the county town.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span><b>Rag.</b> Theatrical slang for the curtain, having originally -reference to the green baize. Also military slang for -the national flag, and the members’ colloquial term for -the Army and Navy Club.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rag Fair.</b> The name given to the old clothes mart in -Petticoat Lane, now Middlesex Street, Aldgate, on -Sunday mornings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ragged Regiment.</b> Dilapidated waxen effigies of several -English monarchs and persons of note that were borne -through the streets at the obsequies of the subjects -represented. They are located in Islip’s Chapel, -Westminster Abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RAGGING'></a><b>Ragging.</b> In military parlance this word expresses the -system of persecution by which an unpopular man -suffers indignities at the hands of his comrades. It -has the same meaning as the North Country “Rag,” -to enrage or make angry, and “Bullyrag,” to administer -a severe scolding. The latter, however, of which the -former is an abbreviation, has not been derived from -the Dutch <em>bulderen</em>, to scold or bully, as is generally -supposed, but from the custom of the Spanish bullfighters -of waving a red cloak in front of the bull in -order to excite him to fury. This is the <em>rag</em> referred -to. The corresponding United States term for -“ragging” is “Hazing.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rag Money.</b> American slang for paper money.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rag Time.</b> An Americanism for a dancing frolic of the -“go-as-you-please” order, in which musical time and -rhythm are, as it were, torn into shreds; a ragged, loose, -disconnected, unconventional time. The term has -been well explained by an authoritative writer in <em>The -Referee</em> as follows:--“Rag time is the outcome of -‘Rag Speech,’ a speech that casts tradition, balance, -beauty, elegance, and refinement to the winds, and -that believes that more effect can be made by punching -certain syllables into the brain of the listener. -Technically speaking, ‘Rag Time’ shifts the strong -accent from the first to the second beat of the bar. -Against this there is a cross-rhythm with a kind of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>halting contrapuntal ornamentation in the accompaniment, -which sometimes brings a stress on to the fourth -beat of the bar. The result of this irregularity and -false quantity is to destroy the rhythm to an extent that -often makes it difficult to say whether the music is in -duple or triple measure. The musical consequence is -the breaking down of symmetrical form, and the -tendency is to reduce the organised structure to its -component parts.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Railroad City.</b> Indianapolis, a junction of the great trunk -lines.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Railway King.</b> The sobriquet of George Hudson, Chairman -of the Midland Railway Company, who amassed -a huge fortune by successful speculations in the early -days of railway enterprise.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rains Cats and Dogs.</b> This expression is traceable to -two distinct sources--popular superstition and -Scandinavian mythology. Witches who rode the -storm on broomsticks were believed to have the power -of transforming themselves into cats at will, while the -dog or wolf is represented as the attendant of Odin, -the Storm King of the northern nations.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rainy Day Smith.</b> John Thomas Smith, the antiquary, -whose chatty volume, “A Book for a Rainy Day,” -brought him more money and reputation than all his -other works put together.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RAISEYOURSCREW'></a><b>Raise your Screw.</b> This expression arose out of the -custom of masters paying their employées’ wages -screwed up in a tiny paper of uniform size. The -more money it contained the less tightly the paper -could be screwed; hence an advance of wages implied -metaphorically giving the screw one turn backwards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rake the Pot.</b> An American gambling phrase meaning -to seize the stakes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ram and Teazle.</b> A tavern sign common to the woollen -manufacturing districts, this being the device of the -Clothworkers’ Company.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span><b>Ranch.</b> From the Spanish <em>rancho</em>, a hut of posts, covered -with branches or thatch, in which herdsman or farm -labourers in the western states of North America -lodge by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rand.</b> Expresses the Dutch, specifically in South Africa, -for a mining district.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ranelagh Gardens.</b> This fashionable public resort, now -built over, occupied the site of Ranelagh House and -its grounds, owned by an Irish peer, whose title it bore.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ranters.</b> Another name for the “Primitive Methodists.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rape.</b> The name given to a division under the Danes -of the county of Sussex, from the Norse <em>repp</em>, a -district.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rapier.</b> This species of sword being eminently adapted -for rapid thrusting and withdrawing, its name, from -the Latin <em>rapere</em>, to snatch away, is appropriate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rappahannock.</b> Indian for “quick-rising waters.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rapparee.</b> The name given to an Irish plunderer, because -he was armed with a <em>rapera</em>, or half pike.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rascal.</b> From the French <em>racaille</em>, “the scum of the -people.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ratcliff Highway.</b> Originally a manor belonging to the -parish of Stepney, this highway for sailors ashore, -where they found lodgings and entertainment of a low -class in days prior to the provision of “Seamen’s -Homes,” received its name from the multitudes of -water rats that congregated on the Thames wall by -night. On account of the evil reputation which this -neighbourhood bore in former days, its name was -changed to “St George’s in the East.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rathbone Place.</b> After Captain Rathbone, its builder, -in 1718.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RATHOLE'></a><b>Rat Hole.</b> A printers’ term for a non-society house. -Since rats are known to desert a sinking ship, so a -journeyman who refuses to take advantage of a trades -union is stigmatised as a “Rat,” because he forsakes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>the general cause of his craft. Hence also the term -“Rattening,” by which is meant the taking away of or -destroying a workman’s tools consequent upon his -desertion of the union or accepting work in a house -opposed to its principles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rationalism.</b> The kind of religion (if it deserved such -a name) set up during the French Revolution, when -Reason took the place of Faith. The worship of the -“Goddess of Reason,” in the person of an actress -installed in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, was a fitting -illustration of the unreasoning tenet that public worship -was opposed to the natural instincts of mankind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rattening.</b> See “<a href='#RATHOLE'>Rat Hole</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ray Street.</b> After the victim of an old-time Clerkenwell -sensation, Miss Ray, who, on becoming the mistress -of Lord Sandwich, was shot by her jilted lover, -Hackman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ready.</b> Short for ready money, cash always on hand, -in readiness for emergencies.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rechabites.</b> The name borne by total abstainers in the -United States, after the followers of Jonadab, the son -of Rechab, who lived in tents and abstained from the -use of wine.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Reckon without your Host.</b> When putting up at an inn -the cost is often greater than the traveller anticipates; -therefore it is always wise to be well prepared with -funds, lest, when the host presents his bill, discomfiture -may arise.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Recluse.</b> From the Latin <em>reclusus</em>, shut up; one who -voluntarily cuts himself off from communion with his -fellow-men, a solitary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rector.</b> A clergyman who enjoys a living in his own -right, as distinguished from a “Vicar,” who holds the -appointment at the pleasure of the Lord of the Manor. -The former also receives the tithes direct, whereas -the latter passes them on to a layman, a college, or -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>a chapter, by whom he is paid a proportion thereout -as a stipend.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Cent.</b> An Americanism for a copper coin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='REDCROSSSTREET'></a><b>Redcross Street.</b> From the red stone cross anciently set -up by the Knights Hospitallers to define the limits -of the land belonging to them in the direction adjacent -to that of the Knights Templars, indicated by a white -cross of stone in what is now “Whitecross Street.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Dragon.</b> An inn sign, complimenting Henry VII., -whose device it was.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Redemptorists.</b> Also called “Redemptorist Fathers.” See -“Liguorians.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Eye.</b> The Far West term for fiery new whisky, which -is well calculated to make the eyes of the toper look -red.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red-hot Time.</b> An Americanism for a jolly time, because -the proceedings were conducted with the utmost -warmth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red-Letter Day.</b> A phrase used to express a pleasurable -event in one’s past life. This had its origin in the old -calendars and almanacks, in which high Church -festivals were printed in red ink, and all the other -days in black.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Lion Court.</b> After an ancient tavern, “The Red -Lion.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Lion Square.</b> After a famous old coaching-house, -“The Red Lion.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Republicans.</b> The extreme Republican party of the -French Revolution, which adopted the red cap, the -Roman symbol of Liberty. The lower orders of the -people, to whom the cap meant everything, were likewise -only too ready to follow the behest of their leaders, -and steep their hands in the blood of the aristocrats.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Skins.</b> The name first given by the white settlers to -the Indians of North America.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Rose.</b> An inn sign, in compliment to the Lancastrians -during the Wars of the Roses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span><b>Red Sea.</b> Three reasons are assigned for the name of this -sea: the red sandstone which forms its bottom, the -red rocks which in some parts border its shores, and -the colouring imparted to its waters by coral reefs, -animaculæ, and sea-weed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Red Tape.</b> That leisurely officialism which refers a matter -from one department to another, until at length the -highest authority is reached to take it in hand. The -term has been derived from the red tape with which -all legal and official documents are tied together.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='REEL'></a><b>Reel.</b> A whirling dance by a single person, peculiar to -the Scots, so called in allusion to the winding of -cotton on a reel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Reformed Presbytery.</b> See “<a href='#MACMILLANITES'>Macmillanites</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Reform School.</b> An Americanism for an institution for -the reformation of juvenile offenders.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Refresher.</b> The legal term for an extra fee paid to a -barrister by a client while the latter’s case is pending, -in order to refresh the former’s memory concerning -the interests at stake.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regent Diamond.</b> See “<a href='#PITTDIAMOND'>Pitt Diamond</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regent’s Park.</b> Part of the general scheme of John Nash, -the royal architect, when he projected the building of -Regent Street, was to provide a magnificent palace for -his patron, the Prince Regent, in the park named after -him. This was not realised, and the site of the -intended palace was appropriated to the Zoological -Gardens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regent Street.</b> In honour of the Prince Regent, afterwards -George IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regiomontanus.</b> The name assumed by Johann Müller, -a celebrated German mathematician of the fifteenth -century, being a Latinised rendering of “Konigsberg,” -his native place.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regius Professor.</b> The professorial chair in various -departments of learning at Oxford and Cambridge -Universities founded by Henry VIII.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span><b>Regular Brick.</b> See “<a href='#HESABRICK'>He’s a Brick</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='REGULARCLERGY'></a><b>Regular Clergy.</b> Those who in the Catholic Church are -attached to monasteries and friaries, living by rule; -in contradistinction to the “Secular Clergy,” who are -appointed to parochial work by a bishop, and move -among the people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Regular Zantippe.</b> See “<a href='#ZANTIPPE'>Zantippe</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rehan.</b> See “<a href='#ADAREHAN'>Ada Rehan</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rendezvous.</b> Literally an individual haunt or resort, and -in no sense a place of public meeting. The word is -French for “betake yourself.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Republican Marriage.</b> The name given by the Red -Republicans during the French Revolution to their -atrocious procedure, instigated by Jean Baptiste -Carrier, of tying a young man and woman together -and drowning them.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Resurrection Men.</b> Body snatchers, who “resurrected,” as -the Americans say, bodies from the graves in order to -sell them to the medical faculty for dissection. Since -the general institution of public hospitals, the last -refuge of so many “unknowns,” whose dead bodies -are never claimed, the demand for subjects snatched -from the grave has entirely ceased.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Revolver.</b> The modern type of pistol, in which the breach -which contains the cartridges revolves. In the earlier -stage of this invention it was the barrel that revolved.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rheims.</b> The capital of the <em>Remi</em>, a Gallic people referred -to by Cæsar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhine.</b> From the Celtic <em>rhe</em>, “rapid.” This name was -given by the Swiss to rivers generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhinoceros.</b> Greek for “nose-horned.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhode Island.</b> A corruption of “rood,” red, the name -given to it by the Dutch settlers on account of its -reddish appearance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhodes.</b> From the Greek <em>rhodon</em>, a rose; expresses “the -isle of roses.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span><b>Rhododendron.</b> From the two Greek words <em>rhodon</em>, rose, -and <em>dendron</em>, tree.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhody.</b> The American designation of Rhode Island on -account of its limited area; also called “Little -Rhody.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rhone.</b> Derived from the same root as “Rhine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ribbonmen.</b> The name borne by the members of a -Catholic political association in Ireland early in the -last century on account of the distinctive badge or -ribbon worn in the button-hole. The Ribbonmen were -violently opposed to the “Orangemen.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ribston Pippins.</b> The name given to a fine species of -Normandy apple grown at Ribstone, Yorkshire, from -pips originally planted on his estate by Sir Henry -Goodriche.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RICHMOND'></a><b>Richmond.</b> When Edward I. built himself a sumptuous -palace on the south bank of the Thames he gave it -the name of <em>Sheen</em>, the Saxon for “resplendent.” -This being consumed by fire in 1479, Henry VI., rebuilt -it, and then called it Richmond, after the beautiful seat -in Yorkshire whence he took the title of his earldom. -<em>Richmond</em> signifies a rich prospect from the hill occupied -by its ancient castle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RIDING'></a><b>Riding.</b> A Danish division of the county of Yorkshire -corresponding to the Lincolnshire <em>Trithing</em>, of which -it is a corruption, signifying a third part.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Riff-raff.</b> Expresses the Anglo-Saxon, from the Danish -<em>rip-raps</em>, for “sweepings”; hence the scum of society.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Right off the Reel.</b> To do a thing without stopping until -it is finished. The allusion is to unwinding the entire -length of cotton off a reel or bobbin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Right Foot Foremost.</b> A phrase derived from the old -Roman superstition that if a visitor crossed the threshold -with the left foot foremost he would be certain to -bring ill luck upon the household.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rile.</b> A provincial corruption of “Rail,” to anger or -tease.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span><b>Ring.</b> A professional term for a charmed circle--<em>e.g.</em> “The -Dramatic Ring.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ring him up.</b> A telephone phrase, really borrowed from -the theatrical profession, in which the prompter’s -“Ring up” and “Ring down”--<em>i.e.</em> the curtain--have -obtained favour since the “Palmy Days of the Drama.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rink.</b> An American variant of “Ring.” In the sense -of a skating rink the term has become popular in -England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rio de Janeiro.</b> This city takes its name from the river -discovered by Alfonso de Sousa on the Feast of St -Januarius, on which it stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rio de la Plata.</b> Spanish for “river of silver.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rio Grande.</b> Spanish for “great river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rip.</b> A corruption of “Rep.” See “<a href='#OLDREP'>Old Rep</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ritualists.</b> The extreme High Church party, who for -many years past have revived the ancient ritual to -such a degree that they may be said to be Roman -Catholics in everything save in name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Riviera.</b> Literally “coast,” “sea-shore.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.</b> An expression derived from -the following circumstance:--By Royal Letters Patent, -dated 17th December 1540, the abbey church of St -Peter, Westminster, was constituted a cathedral, with a -resident bishop. Ten years afterwards this order was -revoked, the diocese of Westminster being united to -that of St Paul’s Cathedral, and its revenues were -granted towards the repairs of the city fane; hence -what was taken away from St Peter’s went to benefit -St Paul’s.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Robert.</b> The generic name for a policeman, after Sir -Robert Peel, who introduced the modern constabulary -system.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Robert Street.</b> In the Adelphi, after the Christian name of -one of the three brothers Adam, its builders. In -Camden Town, after one of the family names of the -Marquis of Camden, the ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span><b>Robert the Devil.</b> The surname of the first Duke of -Normandy, the father of William the Conqueror, -merited by his outrageous cruelty and daring in war.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Robin Hood.</b> The proper name of this renowned leader -of the Sherwood Foresters was Robert Fitzooth. The -first he euphonised into <em>Robin</em> and the second into -<em>Hood</em>, leaving out the <em>Fitz</em>, which is Norman for “son,” -altogether, since having been declared an outlaw, he -was not unwilling to renounce his claims to Norman -descent. Whether or not he was really Earl of Huntingdon, -as some historians assert, cannot be proved.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Robinson.</b> The French popular name for an umbrella, in -allusion to Robinson Crusoe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rob Roy.</b> The popular name of the Scottish outlaw -Robert Macgregor, meaning simply “Robert the -Red” on account of his beard.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rochester.</b> From <em>Hrofoceaster</em>, after Hrop, a Saxon chieftain, -who built a castle on the site of a <em>castra</em>, or Roman -encampment.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rochester Row.</b> A name which recalls the fact that, prior -to the time of George III., the Deanery of Westminster -was included in the Bishopric of Rochester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rock Day.</b> Another ancient name for “Distaffs’ Day,” -7th January, the word <em>rock</em> being the Anglo-Saxon for -a distaff.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ROGATIONDAYS'></a><b>Rogation Days.</b> So called from the Latin <em>rogare</em>, to beseech, -and also from the Greek <em>litaneia</em>, supplication. These -being the three days preceding the Feast of the Ascension, -the Litany of the Saints is chanted by way of -preparation and supplication for the joyful event.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rogation Sunday.</b> That which ushers in the “Rogation -Days.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roger de Coverley.</b> The correct description of this surname -is Roger de Cowley, or Roger of Cowley, near -Oxford. The dance of this name was invented by an -ancestor of the country squire, Sir Roger de Coverley, -mentioned by Addison in <em>The Spectator</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span><b>Rogues’ Gallery.</b> The name given to the collection of -criminals’ photographs in the State Prison of New York.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roland for an Oliver.</b> See “<a href='#GAVEHIM'>Gave him a Roland for an Oliver</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ROLLCALL'></a><b>Roll Call.</b> The list of names called out in the army. The -term “Roll” is a survival of those far-off days when -not only a list, but writing of all kinds, was set forth on -one long roll of paper. We still speak of a “Burgess -Roll,” while to belong to any society is said to be -“enrolled” among its members; hence also the phrase -“Roll of Honour.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rolls Chapel.</b> This ancient edifice, now incorporated in the -New Record Office, was built by Henry III. for a -number of Jewish rabbis who, had been converted to -Christianity. Into it Edward III. caused all the accumulated -rolls or records to be stored, and there they -remained in the custody of the Master of the Rolls, -until in more modern days they were overhauled and -catalogued.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roman Catholic Church.</b> The ancient original fold of -“The Holy Catholic Church,” which acknowledges -the authority of the Pope of Rome. The recognised -head of the English Catholic Church is the King, represented -by the Archbishop of Canterbury, just as -that of “The Greek Catholic Church” in Russia is -the Czar, represented by the Metropolitan of St -Petersburg.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rome.</b> After Romulus, its mythical founder.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Romeo Coates.</b> Robert Coates was a fashionable amateur -actor during the early part of the last century; surnamed -Romeo Coates on account of his very many -appearances in the character of the ill-fated hero in -<em>Romeo and Juliet</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Romford.</b> The ford over the Bourne, anciently called the -Rom, this being the Roman highway between London -and Colchester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Romney Street.</b> After Charles Marsham, Earl of Romney, -the owner of the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span><b>Rood Lane.</b> From an ancient holy rood or cross, on -which was a figure of the dying Saviour, that stood in -this thoroughfare as a boundary mark of the landed -property of the nuns of St Helen’s. See “<a href='#MINCINGLANE'>Mincing Lane</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rosary.</b> A string of beads, and also the prayers said in -connection therewith, so called because the Virgin -appeared in a vision to St Dominic, who instituted this -Catholic devotion, holding out to him a garland of red -and white roses. The ancient rosaries, or “pater-nosters” -as they were called, bore an impression of -a rose on each bead.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rose.</b> An inn and tavern sign which, as a painted device, -red or white, displayed a partisanship for the Lancastrians -or the Yorkists. After the union of the two -royal houses nothing was easier to quench the former -partiality for either the red or white rose than to exhibit -in place of the coloured design the name of “The -Rose,” as a general compliment to the Crown.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rose and Crown.</b> This inn and tavern sign symbolised -the cessation of the Wars of the Roses by the marriage -of Henry VII. to Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rosebery Avenue.</b> After Lord Rosebery, the erstwhile -leader of the Liberal party in our time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rosoman Street.</b> Perpetuates the memory of Mr Rosoman, -who converted Sadler’s Musick House into a regular -theatre in 1765.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rosslyn Hill Park.</b> From Rosslyn House, the residence -of Alexander Wedderburn, Earl of Rosslyn, and Lord -Chancellor of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rotherhithe.</b> Properly <em>Roth-hithe</em>, the Anglo-Saxon for -“red haven.” See “<a href='#RUTLAND'>Rutland</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rotten Row.</b> This name is a survival of the days when -French was the language of the Court. Properly -<em>route du roi</em>, it is literally “route of the King,” and -meant the King’s drive across the park.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rouge et Noir.</b> French for “red and black,” the alternate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>colour of the diamonds that distinguish the spaces on -the gaming-table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roughriders.</b> The name borne by expert horsemen in -Natal, who dispense with saddles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roulette.</b> Expresses the French for “a little wheel.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roumania.</b> As its name implies, this was anciently a -Roman province.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roumelia.</b> A Turkish corruption of Roumania, “the -country of the Romans.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roundheads.</b> The Parliamentary soldiers under Cromwell, -so called from the custom of the Puritans of cropping -the hair close to the head, as opposed to that of the -Cavaliers, who wore it long.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rouser.</b> An Americanism for what we in this country -style a “Pick-me-up.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rout.</b> A fashionable assembly, so called from the German -<em>rotte</em> and Celtic “rhauter,” a crowd. The name is -now never heard, but what are called “Rout Seats,” -generally requisitioned for such gatherings, are still let -out on hire.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rowton Houses.</b> The name given to large blocks of -tenements exclusively designed for the accommodation -of unmarried clerks and others employed in the city. -The foundation of the late Lord Rowton.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roxburgh.</b> From the Celtic <em>ross</em>, a headland, the castle -on the promontory.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Roxburghe.</b> A superior style of bookbinding, so called -from that uniformly adopted by the Roxburghe Club, -a society established for printing rare books, and -named after John, Duke of Roxburghe, a famous -collector of works of art and literature.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Royalists.</b> The adherents of Charles I. in the Civil War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Royal Maunds.</b> The name given to doles of money -corresponding to the years of life attained by the -reigning monarch to the poor on “Maundy Thursday.” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>This custom has been in vogue ever since the time of -Edward III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Royal Oak.</b> An inn sign which had its origin during the -Restoration period, in compliment to Charles II. See -“Oak Apple Day.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Royal Oak Day.</b> Another name for “Oak Apple Day.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rufus.</b> The surname of William II. on account of his -florid complexion; <em>rufus</em> is the Latin for “ruddy.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rugby.</b> A corruption of the Saxon <em>Rothby</em>, “red village,” -in allusion to its soil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rum.</b> A West Indian word for spirit distilled from cane -juice.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Run.</b> An Americanism used as a verb for “finance,” -whether in relation to a person or a business enterprise. -“Who’s running him?” means who is it that -keeps him going, or on his feet?</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Run Amuck.</b> To run foul of a person or thing. The -phrase is derived from the Malays, who, while under -the influence of opium, rush through the streets with -drawn daggers, crying: <em>Amog! amog!</em> (“Kill! kill!”), -and threaten the lives of everyone they encounter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Running Footman.</b> A tavern sign in Mayfair, reminiscent -of the days when running footmen, carrying a short -staff of office, preceded the carriages of the wealthy. -The object of this custom was to give timely notice of -the impending arrival of their masters. The tavern in -question, situated in Hayes’ Mews, was formerly the -regular resort of running footmen and sedan chairmen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rupert’s Land.</b> After Prince Rupert, one of the founders -of the Hudson’s Bay Company.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rupert Street.</b> After Prince Rupert, who introduced his -invention of <a id='corr309.32'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Prince Rupert’s Drops,”'>“Prince Rupert’s Drops,”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_309.32'><ins class='correction' title='Prince Rupert’s Drops,”'>“Prince Rupert’s Drops,”</ins></a></span> or glass bubblers, -into England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RUSSELLSQUARE'></a><b>Russell Square.</b> After Lord William Russell, the patriot, -whose wife, Rachel, was the daughter of Thomas -Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Marquis of Tavistock, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>Duke of Bedford, the ancestor of the present -great ground landlord. The several streets of the -same name are included in the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Russell Street.</b> In Bermondsey, after Richard Russell, -a noted benefactor to the parochial charities during -his life, and after his death in 1784. For other streets -so denominated on the Bedford estate see “<a href='#RUSSELLSQUARE'>Russell Square</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Russia.</b> The country of the <em>Russ</em>, the tribe that first -overran it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='RUTLAND'></a><b>Rutland.</b> A corruption of the Anglo-Saxon <em>Rothland</em>, -“red land,” so called on account of the colour of its -soil.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rutland Gate.</b> After the town mansion of the Dukes of -Rutland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Rye Lane.</b> Leads to “Peckham Rye.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ryot.</b> A Hindoo peasant or cultivator of the soil, so -called from the Arabic <em>raaya</em>, to pasture.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div><span class='large'>S</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SABBATARIANS'></a><b>Sabbatarians.</b> The followers of Brabourne, a Baptist -minister, who held that the real Sabbath was the -seventh day of the week, as enunciated in the Book -of Genesis. This sect arose in 1628. Also known as -“Seventh Day Baptists.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sabeans.</b> The first idolaters, worshippers of the sun, moon, -and stars as the visible representations of the Deity; -so called after Sabi, the son of Seth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sack.</b> A dry wine of great repute in Elizabethan times, -so called from the French <em>sec</em>, dry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sackville Street.</b> Built upon in 1679--that is, twenty years -after “Air Street”--this thoroughfare was named in -honour of Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset, one of -the favourites of Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sacramentarians.</b> The designation of the Calvinists, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>or those who denied the Real Presence in the -Eucharist.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sacrilege.</b> Literally the act of despoiling that which is -sacred.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sadler’s Wells Theatre.</b> Originally a “Musick House” -in connection with a Spa opened by Mr Sadler, who, -after digging for gravel in his garden in 1683, discovered -an ancient “holy well” that had been stopped -up since the Reformation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saffron Hill.</b> From the saffron which grew abundantly -in the grounds attached to Ely House, the town mansion -of the bishops of Ely.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sahara.</b> Expresses the Arabic for “desert.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sailor King.</b> William IV., who, having been bred to the -sea in his youth, worked up his way from a midshipman -to the position of Lord High Admiral. In his -case promotion was no doubt easy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Albans.</b> The scene of the martyrdom of St Alban, <span class='fss'>A.D.</span> -297, in honour of whom Offa, King of Mercia, founded -a Benedictine abbey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='UNDERSHAFT'></a><b>St Andrew Undershaft.</b> The Church of St Andrew in -Leadenhall Street, so called from the tall shaft or -Maypole which, bedecked with garlands on high festivals, -stood within a few yards of its door. Since this -shaft towered high above the steeple the church was -said to be “under the shaft.” After the Reformation the -shaft was taken down and kept in an adjacent alley, -now called “Shaft Alley.” Thirty-two years later the -popular voice declared it to be a relic of superstition, -whereupon it was “raised off the hooks,” sawn into -pieces, and burnt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Andrews.</b> After St Andrew, the patron saint of -Scotland, whose bones are enshrined in the Cathedral.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Andrew’s Hill.</b> From the church of St Andrew, at its -south-western extremity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Bees.</b> From an ancient nunnery founded in the seventh -century by an Irish saint named Bega. Partly destroyed -by the time of Henry I., it was then reconstituted -<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>as a priory by Randulp, Earl of Cumberland. This -village is known chiefly on account of its college, the -foundation of Dr Law, Bishop of Chester in 1806.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Bride Street.</b> From the neighbouring parish church -of St Bride or Bridget.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Clement Danes.</b> Dedicated to St Clement, this -parish church received the bones of Harold I. and -many of his countrymen during the Danish occupation -of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St David’s Day.</b> The birthday (1st March) of St David, -the patron saint of Wales, who when archbishop -advised his countrymen to wear a leek in their caps, -to distinguish them from their foes. In consequence -of the precaution they won a decisive victory over the -Saxons on this day, and the leek became the national -emblem.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Ethelburga’s.</b> This, one of the most ancient churches in -the city, was dedicated to St Ethelburga, the daughter -of King Ethelbert, and a paragon of all the Christian -virtues.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Ethelreda’s.</b> This beautiful city church in Ely Place, -after having gone through many vicissitudes since the -Reformation, is now once more a Roman Catholic place -of worship. St Ethelreda was the daughter of Ethelred, -King of the East Angles; her name is often -corrupted into St Audrey. See “<a href='#TAWDRY'>Tawdry</a>.”</p> -<p class='c010'><b>St George and Dragon.</b> An inn sign after the patron -saint of England.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>St George’s Hall.</b> This place of entertainment, now occupied -by Messrs Maskelyne & Devant, was opened in -1867 as St George’s Opera House, so called on account -of its location in the parish of St George, Hanover -Square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St George’s in the East.</b> The modern designation of -“Ratcliff Highway,” from the parish church dedicated -to St George, patron saint of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St George’s Square.</b> After the neighbouring church, -dedicated to St George.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span><b>St Grouse’s Day.</b> The jocular term for the twelfth of -August, when grouse shooting begins.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Helena.</b> This island was discovered on the Feast of -St Helena, 1502.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Helen’s Place.</b> From the adjacent church of St -Helen’s, dedicated to St Helena, the mother of -Constantine. Thirty years later in 1180, William Fitzwilliam, -a wealthy goldsmith, founded a priory of nuns -in connection therewith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St James’s Palace.</b> Stands on the site of an ancient -hospital for lepers dedicated to St James the Less, -Bishop of Jerusalem. The original palace was built -by Holbein for Henry VIII.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St James’s Square.</b> Like the street of the same name, -after St James’s Palace.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St John’s Gate.</b> The last vestige of the ancient priory of -St John of Jerusalem, the English seat of the Knights -Hospitallers. The gateway now forms the headquarters -of the St John’s Ambulance Association. Here -William Cave, the printer, projected and published -<em>The Gentleman’s Magazine</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St John’s Wood.</b> From the ancient “Abbey of the Holy -Virgins of St John the Baptist,” which nestled among -the now vanished woods in this neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Katherine Coleman.</b> Dedicated to St Katherine, this -city church received its second name on account of -its location in the garden of one Coleman, the builder -of the street called after him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STKATHERINECREE'></a><b>St Katherine Cree.</b> Originally a chapel dedicated to -St Katherine in the parish of Holy Trinity (in the -Minories). This on the abolition of the neighbouring -benefices of Christ Church, St Mary Magdalen, and -St Michael was made into a separate parish of -Christ Church, and, while retaining the old name, came -to be known as “St Katherine Christi,” of which -“Cree” is a corruption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Katherine’s Docks.</b> From an ancient hospital of St -<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>Katherine, displaced when these docks were constructed -in 1828.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Kitt’s Island.</b> Discovered by Columbus, it was named -by him after St Christopher, his patron saint.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Lawrence.</b> The gulf of this name was first entered, and -the navigation of the great river embarked upon, on -the Feast of St Lawrence, 1500.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Lawrence Jewry.</b> The church dedicated to St Lawrence -in the Jewry. See “<a href='#OLDJEWRY'>Old Jewry</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Leger Stakes.</b> See “<a href='#DONCASTER'>Doncaster St Leger</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Lubbock.</b> The popular nickname of Lord Avebury, -formerly Sir John Lubbock, to whom our countrymen -are indebted for the introduction of legalised Bank -Holidays.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Margaret Pattens.</b> This church received its name -from the gilt spots, or <em>patines</em>, with which its roof was -anciently decorated. A <em>paten</em> is the circular gold dish -which covers the chalice at the altar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Martin’s Lane.</b> From the parish church of St Martin -in the Fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Martin’s-le-Grand.</b> The official designation of the -buildings collectively comprised in the headquarters of -the General Post Office. This is because the original -edifice occupies the site of an ancient college church -dedicated to St Martin-le-Grand, the foundation of -Within, King of Kent in 750, and invested with the -privilege of sanctuary under a charter of William the -Conqueror.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Mary-Axe.</b> From a vanished church of St Mary that -stood opposite to a shop which had an axe for its -sign. Originally “St Mary-by-the-Axe.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Mary-le-Bow.</b> See “<a href='#BOWCHURCH'>Bow Church</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Mary Woolnoth.</b> Dedicated to the Virgin; this church -was so called because it stood <em>nough</em>, or nigh, to the -ancient wool beam or staple.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Michael’s Mount.</b> Anciently the seat of a religious -<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>house, to the monks of which, as tradition states, St -Michael once appeared on the crag, where in later -years a castle was built, the exact spot being indicated -by a stone lantern, since known as “St Michael’s -Chair.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Olave’s.</b> A corruption of “St Olafs,” this church -having been dedicated to Olaf, King of Norway, who -Christianised his country, and at the invitation of -Ethelred came over to England to render aid in the -work of expelling the Danes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Pancras.</b> This parish takes its name from the ancient -church in Old St Pancras Road dedicated to the boy -saint who was martyred by Diocletian. A representation -of this youth being attacked by wild dogs may -be seen on the stone bridge over the Regent’s Canal, -which serves as a boundary mark to the parish.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Partridge’s Day.</b> A popular nickname for “Partridge -Day.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Paul of the Cross.</b> See “<a href='#PASSIONISTS'>Passionists</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Petersburg.</b> Founded by Peter the Great, and dedicated -to St Peter, whose church is situated within the -citadel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Sepulchre’s.</b> The foundation of this church was the -outcome of the Crusades, in honour of the Holy -Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Appropriately enough, the -bell of the modern edifice gave warning to the unhappy -inmates of the condemned cell in Newgate -Prison over the way of their approaching last hour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Sophia.</b> This beautiful mosque at Constantinople, -although originally a Christian cathedral, so far from -having been dedicated to any St Sophia, was called -<em>Hagia Sopia</em>, “Holy Wisdom”--<em>i.e.</em> the eternal wisdom -of <em>God</em> manifested in the Second Person of the Trinity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>St Stephen’s.</b> The House of Commons bears this name -because, in the absence of a separate building, its -members held their sittings in the Chapel of St -Stephen’s, Westminster Abbey, until that edifice was -burned down, 16th October 1834.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span><b>St Swithin’s Day.</b> The day of the attempted reinterment -(15th July) of the body of St Swithin, preceptor of -King Ethelwulf and Bishop of Rochester, whose death -took place 2nd July 862. Not regarding himself -worthy to be “laid” within the sacred edifice, he -requested that he might be buried just outside the -door in the churchyard, so that the faithful would -walk over his grave. Although they acceded to this -last wish, the monks decided afterwards to lay him -inside the church; but their design was frustrated for -forty successive days by a pouring rain, until at last -they desisted from the attempt. This circumstance -gave rise to the saying that “If it rains on St Swithin’s -day it will rain for forty days.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='VALENTINES'></a><b>St Valentine’s Day.</b> The connection between St Valentine -and the poetical epistles that were formerly interchanged -between young lovers on the 14th of February -is somewhat remote. On this day the good Christian -Bishop was beheaded at Rome in the year 278. Long -before this, however, Roman youths and maidens had -followed the custom of selecting a lover for the year -by shaking up the names of their favourites, written -on separate tablets, in a box. This arose out of the -old notion that birds begin to pair on the 14th of -February. The martyrdom of Bishop Valentine on -this day therefore actuated the Christians to style -their selected lover their Valentine, and the presents -they exchanged in modern times bore the same name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salic Law.</b> The ancient Frankish law by which females -were excluded from the throne. This was originally -confined to what were called “Salic Lands,” either, as -some say, from the <em>salle</em>, or hall of the owner, or, -according to others, from the Salian Franks, those -bordering on the Sale or Yssel River; the enactment -eventually applied to the heritage of the Frankish -kingdom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salisbury Square.</b> This, like the street and court of the -same name, marks the site of the town mansion and -grounds of the bishops of Salisbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span><b>Salop.</b> See “<a href='#SHROPSHIRE'>Shropshire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salt Lake City.</b> The hot-bed of the Mormons, founded -on the borders of the Great Salt Lake, so called on -account of the saline character of its waters.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salutation.</b> An inn sign in honour of the Salutation of -the Virgin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salviati.</b> See “<a href='#DELSALVIATI'>Del Salviati</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Salzburg.</b> The fortified town on the Salza River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Samaria.</b> After Shemer, the owner of the hill which, as -we are told in 1 Kings xvi. 24, Omri bought for two -talents of silver, “and built on the hill, and called the -name of the city which he built, after the name of -Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sambo.</b> The generic name of a North American Negro; -derived from the native <em>Zambo</em>, the offspring of a black -and a Mulatto.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sanci Diamond.</b> One of the great gems of the world, -weighing 106 carats, originally the property of a French -nobleman of this name, and purchased in 1835 by the -Czar of Russia for half-a-million roubles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandbaggers.</b> A modern street terror in American cities -while the police are looking the other way, so called -because they stun their victims with elongated bags of -hard, wet sand, and then rob them at leisure.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandhillers.</b> A name given in America to the descendants -of the white labourers, who, ousted from their employment -when slavery came in, sought the sand-hills amid -the pine forests of Georgia and South Carolina.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SANDOWGIRL'></a><b>Sandow Girl.</b> A physical culture girl trained at the Academy -of Eugene Sandow, or at home by means of appliances -advertised in connection therewith. Also known -as the “Symmetrion Girl” from the name on the -familiar posters. The Sandow or Symmetrion Girls -proved a great attraction in the Athletic Scene of <em>The -Dairymaids</em> at the Apollo Theatre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandwich.</b> The sand village.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandwiches.</b> After John Montague, Earl of Sandwich, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>whose chief claim to celebrity lay in the fact that he -was an inveterate gamester. It is on record that he -often remained engrossed in play for thirty hours at a -stretch without partaking of a meal. From time to -time, however, he would ask the waiter to bring him -a slice of meat between two pieces of bread, as a stay -to the appetite. The waiter called this improvised -meal a “Sandwich,” and by that name it has ever -since been known.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandwich Islands.</b> Named by Captain Cook in honour of -Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, at the -time when they were discovered by him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sandy.</b> The nickname of a Scotsman, being short for -Alexander, the most common Christian name to be -met with in North Britain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>San Francisco.</b> Dedicated to St Francis, this Spanish-American -city really received its name from a coast -settlement of missionaries styled “San Francisco de -Costa Dolores” as far back as September 1776.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sankey’s Horse.</b> The regimental nickname of the 39th -Foot. This was merited in India, when they were -called upon to do temporary service on horseback -under Colonel Sankey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sansculottes.</b> The lowest orders of the people during the -French Revolution. This, literally “without breeches,” -was the scornful title at first bestowed by the aristocrats -upon the Democratic party on account of their neglectful -attire. A little while later the Red Republicans -accepted it with pride as the password for patriotism.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>San Salvador.</b> This being the first land sighted in the -New World by Columbus, he honoured it with the name -of the “Holy Saviour,” as a perpetual expression of -thanksgiving.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sans Souci.</b> This, the French for “free and easy,” or -“without care,” was the name borne by a famous -place of amusement originally built by Dibdin as a -bijou theatre in Leicester Square.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Santa Fe.</b> Spanish for “Holy Faith.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span><b>Santa Cruz.</b> Spanish for “Holy Cross.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Santiago.</b> From the cathedral (in the city of Spain so -named) containing the bones of St Jago, or James the -Less, the national patron saint.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saraband.</b> After Zarabanda, a celebrated dancer of Seville, -who invented it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saracens.</b> From the Arabic <em>sharkeyn</em>, “eastern people”; -originally the designation of the Bedouins of Eastern -Arabia. By the Crusaders it was applied to the -Mohammedans generally. See “<a href='#MOORS'>Moors</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saracen’s Head.</b> An inn sign of the time of the Crusades. -Lest it might be thought that this was complimentary -to the enemies of Christianity, mention may be made -of the fact that the head of the Saracen was represented -as severed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saragossa.</b> A corruption of the Roman name <em>Cæsarea -Augusta</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saratoga.</b> Indian for “miraculous waters from the rock,” -touching the famous mineral springs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saratoga Trunk.</b> The popular type of travelling trunk in -the United States, so called because it was first used -by visitors to Saratoga Springs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sarcophagus.</b> A Greek compound of <em>sarkos</em>, flesh, and -<em>phargo</em>, to eat. The term was originally applied to a -receptacle for the dead, because the early examples -were made out of a kind of limestone which was -thought to possess the property of consuming a corpse -in a very short time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sardines.</b> From Sardinia, in the waters of which island -the true species of this fish abound.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SARDINIA'></a><b>Sardinia.</b> Called <em>Sandaliotis</em> by the Greeks on account of -its resemblance to a human footprint; this name was -changed by the Romans to <em>Sardo</em>. At a later period -the island was called <em>Sardonion</em>, from a poisonous -herb, transplanted from Sardis in Asia Minor, which -brought about a twitching of the muscles of the face -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>resembling laughter; hence the phrase to “Smile -sardonically.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sardinia Street.</b> From the Sardinian Chapel built in 1648 -in connection with the residence of the Sardinian -Ambassador at the time when the island of Sardinia -was nominally a kingdom, but really in the possession -of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sardonic Smile.</b> See “<a href='#SARDINIA'>Sardinia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sarsenet.</b> A fine silk originally of Saracenic manufacture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saturday.</b> This, the seventh day of the week, was dedicated -by the Romans to Saturn. As, however, all the -other week-days were named by the people of Northern -Europe in accordance with Scandinavian mythology, -one must incline to the opinion that this was named -after Sæter, a water deity. Its Anglo-Saxon designation -was <em>Sæterdæg</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saturnalia.</b> The great winter festival of the Romans in -honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saunders Blue.</b> An easy corruption of the French <em>Cendres -bleus</em>, “blue ashes,” calcined bluestone being the substance -from which this pigment is obtained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sauterne.</b> A French wine produced at the place of the -name, in the department of Gironde.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saved my Bacon.</b> This expression originated during the -Civil War, when housewives took extraordinary measures -to save the bacon stored up for winter consumption -from the greedy appetites of soldiers on the march.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Savile Row.</b> After Dorothy Savile, who, marrying into the -Burlington family, received this portion of the estate -as her separate property.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Savoy.</b> A cabbage originally introduced from the French -department of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Savoy Street.</b> From the Savoy Chapel, the original of -which, prior to its destruction by fire, 7th July 1864, -was the only remaining portion of the ancient Savoy -Palace built by Peter of Savoy, uncle to the queen <a id='corr320.36'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='of of'>of</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_320.36'><ins class='correction' title='of of'>of</ins></a></span> -Henry III., in 1249.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span><b>Sawney.</b> A variant of “Sandy.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saxons.</b> From the <em>seax</em>, the short crooked knife with -which this tribe were armed. <em>Sahs</em> is the Old German -for knife. Since the days of Daniel O’Connell Irish -patriots have been fond of referring to the English -people as Saxons, the natural enemies of the Celts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>S’Blood.</b> A trooper’s corruption of “His Blood,” or the -precious blood of the Redeemer. This species of profanity -survives in the vulgar swear-word “Bloody.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SCALES'></a><b>Scales of Justice.</b> The ancient Egyptians believed that -the good deeds of a soul after death would be weighed -against his evil deeds. The Koran likewise teaches -that the merits and demerits of departed souls are -balanced in the scales of the Archangel Gabriel; -hence the phrase now popular all the civilised world -over.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scalper.</b> An Americanism for one who speculates in railroad -tickets, and consequently obtains them at a -reduction of their top prices.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scaramouch.</b> A character in the old Italian comedy, the -prototype of the modern clown, so called from -<em>scaramuccia</em>, a skirmish.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scarborough.</b> The fortified scar or precipitous cliff, so -called on account of the castle built about 1136.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scarborough Warning.</b> A warning given too late to be -taken advantage of. In 1557 Thomas Stafford seized -Scarborough Castle before the townsfolk had the least -intelligence of his approach. After taking possession -he advised them to fly from the town and leave their -belongings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scarlet.</b> From the Persian <em>sakarlat</em>, “bright red.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SCAVENGERSDAUGHTER'></a><b>Scavenger’s Daughter.</b> A corruption of Skevington’s -Daughter, this instrument of torture being the invention -of William Skevington, Lieutenant of the -Tower, <em>temp.</em> Henry VIII. He called it his daughter -because it emanated from his own brain. Those -who were fated to suffer by it sadly consented, as -the saying was, to “Kiss the Scavenger’s Daughter.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span><b>Schaffhausen.</b> Literal German for “sheep-houses” or -pens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Schiedam.</b> Another name for Hollands, or Dutch gin, from -the place where this native spirit is distilled.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Schooner.</b> This kind of vessel received its name from the -exclamation of a spectator at the time when its earliest -example was launched: “Look, she schoons!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Schottische.</b> Expresses the German for a Scottish dance, -a variation of the polka, in three-quarter time. The -Scots, however, repudiate its invention. It is not -improbable that a Scotsman, sojourning in the Fatherland, -blundered into this step through his inability to -dance the polka correctly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scilly Isles.</b> After the name of one of the smallest, in -proximity to a very dangerous rock similar to that of -Scylla in Sicily which, according to Homer, was the -abode of a monster so denominated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scissors-tail.</b> A South American bird which in the course -of its flights opens and shuts its tail for the purpose of -entrapping the flies that constitute its prey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scorching.</b> A bicycling term which, curiously enough, only -came into vogue after the possibility of realising it -had been removed. In the days of the old “Bone-shaker,” -before rubber tyres were heard of, there would -have been great likelihood of setting the wooden -machine on fire by furious riding on the part of an -expert.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scotch Reel.</b> See “<a href='#REEL'>Reel</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scot-free.</b> A phrase derived from the old legal exaction -“Scot and Lot,” the former being derived from the -Anglo-Saxon <em>sceat</em>, pay, and the latter meaning a tribute -allotted to every man according to his means. It was -rare indeed that anyone got off “Scot-free” in ancient -times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SCOTIA'></a><b>Scotia.</b> From the Celtic <em>scot</em>, wanderer, with the suffix <em>ia</em>, -country; the ancient designation of the Highlands, -now, with the Lowlands, called “Scotland.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span><b>Scotists.</b> Those who accepted the doctrine of John Duns -Scotus relative to the Immaculate Conception, in -opposition to the “Thomists.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scotland.</b> See “<a href='#SCOTIA'>Scotia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='OLDSCOTLANDYARD'></a><b>Scotland Yard.</b> On the site of the original Scotland Yard -stood an ancient palace appropriated to the Scottish -kings, who were required to pay homage once a year -to the English sovereign at Westminster Abbey. The -last Scottish monarch so accommodated was Margaret, -the sister of Henry VII.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scots.</b> See “<a href='#SCOTIA'>Scotia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scottish Covenanters.</b> See “<a href='#COVENANTERS'>Covenanters</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scottish Hogarth.</b> The surname of David Allan of Alloa, -whose portraits and historical paintings occupy a high -position in the esteem of his countrymen.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scottish Presbyterians.</b> The successors of the Scottish -Covenanters, and founders of the Established Church of -Scotland. See “<a href='#PRESBYTERIANS'>Presbyterians</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scowerers.</b> Eighteenth-century rakes who scoured the -streets of London by night, overturning the “Old -Charlies” in their boxes, and molesting peaceable -citizens.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scratched Horse.</b> One that has its name struck out of the -final list of runners in a race. Those who have -backed their money on it swear a little, but no one -else cares a jot for their discomfiture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Screw.</b> Colloquial for “wages.” See “<a href='#RAISEYOURSCREW'>Raise your Screw</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Screwed.</b> Drunk. This is simply a play on the word -“Tight.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Screw of Tobacco.</b> So called because it is screwed up -in a paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scriptures.</b> Expresses the plural of the Latin <em>scriptura</em>, -a writing, from the verb <em>scribere</em>, to write. The Bible -is a collection of books or writings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scroll of Fame.</b> The word “Scroll” is a corruption of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>“Roll,” relative to paper, although from “scroll” we -have derived the term “Schedule.” See “<a href='#ROLLCALL'>Roll Call</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Scullery.</b> The annexe to a kitchen, where the dishes and -pots are washed up, so called from the Norman-French -<em>esculle</em>, a porringer or dish. The man-servant -or boy whose work lay in the scullery was in former -days called a “Scullion.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>S’Death.</b> A softened form of the profane oath “His -Blood,” in reference to the Saviour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sea of Marmora.</b> From the Latin <em>marmor</em>, marble, -which for centuries has been quarried on a small -island at its western extremity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sebastopol.</b> From the Greek <em>Sebastopolis</em>, “august city.”</p> - -<p class='c015'>Secretary Bird. A South African bird distinguished by a -tuft of feathers on each side of its head which form -a fanciful resemblance to quill pens stuck behind the -ear.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sectarians.</b> The general name for Dissenters attached to -any one of the numerous sects or denominations outside -the Established Church.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Secular Clergy.</b> See “<a href='#REGULARCLERGY'>Regular Clergy</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Secularist.</b> From the Latin <em>seculum</em>, an age, a generation; -one who advocates the happiness or well-being of the -community during the present life, leaving the future -completely out of count.</p> - -<p class='c015'>Sedan-chairs. First made at Sedan, France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>See how it pans out.</b> Originally a miners’ phrase in -the Far West. To separate the gold grains from the -earth in which they are found a pan of water is brought -into service; when the pan is shaken the gold collects -at the bottom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Seekers.</b> The original designation of the Quakers, because -they sought the truth with the solicitude of Nicodemus, -the Jewish ruler (John iii. 1-21).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Seething Lane.</b> A corruption of Sidon Lane, after the -name of the first builder on the land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span><b>Selkirk’s Island.</b> Also called the isle of “Juan Fernandez.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Seltzer Water.</b> A corrupted spelling of “Seltsers,” the -name of a village near Limburg in Prussia famous for -its mineral springs.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Senate.</b> The Upper House of the United States Congress. -The term properly implies an elder, from the Latin -<em>senis</em>, an old man.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Senegambia.</b> The territory situated between the Senegal -and Gambia Rivers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sent to Coventry.</b> As its name implies, Coventry was in -olden times a great centre of religious life, touching -the number of its conventual establishments. Soldiers -sent to the garrison there soon discovered that no -woman would speak to them. Hence to be sent to -Coventry was a great hardship, since it meant being -cut off from “life” in every form, and female intercourse -particularly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Separatists.</b> Another name for the Home Rulers during the -lifetime of Mr Parnell. It implied virtual separation -from English rule.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sepia.</b> Greek for “cuttle-fish,” from the inky secretion -under the glands of which this pigment is obtained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>September.</b> The seventh month of the Roman year, -counting from March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Serjeants’ Inn.</b> Anciently the inn or mansion of the -“Freres Serjens,” a brotherhood of Servitors to the -Knights Templars hard by. It was these who performed -the ordinary household duties in the Temple.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Serle Street.</b> After Henry Serle of Lincoln’s Inn, the -owner of considerable property in this neighbourhood -when the parish of St Clement Danes was very different -to what it is now.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SERMONLANE'></a><b>Sermon Lane.</b> Anciently “Sheremoniers’ Lane,” so -called from the money shearers or clippers’ office -adjacent to the first London Mint.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span><b>Serpentine.</b> An artificial winding lake formed out of the -pools and the Tyburn in Hyde Park in 1733. See -“<a href='#BAYSWATER'>Bayswater</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SERVIA'></a><b>Servia.</b> The country of the <em>Suevi</em>, a people driven by the -Romans into that portion of Germany now called -“Suabia,” until after further migrations northward -they settled in Sweden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Servites.</b> This religious Order grew out of the pious -example of seven Florentine merchants who in 1283 -assembled each evening for devotional exercises in -a lady chapel and styled themselves “The Religious -Servants of the Holy Virgin.” The London house of -the Community is in the Fulham Road.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Set her Cap at him.</b> With the coquetry peculiar to her -sex, a female always put on her most becoming cap to -attract the male visitor whom she favoured. Now that -caps are no longer worn she resorts to other devices, -but the old expression survives.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Set the Thames on fire.</b> A “temse” was the old name -for a sieve, agreeably to the French <em>tamis</em> and the -Italian <em>tamiso</em>, which terms express the same implement. -A sifter would require to work very hard -indeed to ignite his sieve. Accordingly a bystander -often said to him touching his apparent laziness: -“You’ll never set the temse on fire!” Its punning</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Seven Dials.</b> A once notorious thieves’ neighbourhood, -which received its name from a stone column presenting -seven dials or faces, from which the same number -of streets radiated. This, originally set up to mark the -limits of St Giles’s and St Martin’s parishes, was -removed in 1763, owing to the erroneous idea that -a large sum of money lay buried beneath it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SEVENSISTERS'></a><b>Seven Sisters’ Road.</b> This long road, extending from -Holloway to Tottenham, received its name from seven -trees planted in Page Green in the latter parish by the -Sisters Page. Local tradition has it that one of these -was a cripple, and the tree planted by her grew up -deformed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span><b>Seventh Day Baptists.</b> See “<a href='#SABBATARIANS'>Sabbatarians</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Saxagesima Sunday.</b> Approximately the sixtieth day before -Easter.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Seymour Place.</b> After one of the family names of the -Portmans, owners of the estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Seymour Street.</b> Far removed from Seymour Place, this -has no connection with the Portman family, having -received its name from the first builder on the land.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shadwell.</b> A corruption of <a id='corr327.9'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='St Chad’s Well,”'>“St Chad’s Well,”</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_327.9'><ins class='correction' title='St Chad’s Well,”'>“St Chad’s Well,”</ins></a></span> a reputed -holy well discovered hereabouts in ancient days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shaft Alley.</b> See “<a href='#UNDERSHAFT'>St Andrew Undershaft</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shaftesbury Avenue.</b> After Anthony Ashley Cooper, -seventh Earl of Shaftsbury, who performed the opening -ceremony of this new thoroughfare shortly before his -death in 1885.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shah Diamond.</b> A gem weighing 86 carats, long the -property of Chosroes I., Shah of Persia, who, dying in -579, presented it to a Khan of the Tartars, from whom -it descended to Ivan III., the grandfather of Ivan the -Terrible, the first Czar of Russia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shakers.</b> An American sect, first heard of in 1774, at -Albany in the state of New York, so called from the -convulsive movements of the hands and arms as part -of their peculiar form of worship. Its founder was -Ann Lee, self-styled “Mother Ann,” of Manchester, -who, receiving little encouragement for her religious -tenets in her native land, emigrated with a few -disciples to the New World.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shalloon.</b> Originally manufactured at Chalons in France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shanty.</b> This term for a hut or cabin first obtained -currency in Canada, having been derived from the -French settlers, who gave the name <em>chantier</em> to a hut -erected in a dockyard under construction.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shattered Prices.</b> An Americanism for “reduced prices.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>“She” Bible.</b> See “‘He’ Bible.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sheen.</b> See “<a href='#RICHMOND'>Richmond</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span><b>Sheet Anchor.</b> A corruption of “Shote Anchor,” an -extra heavy one, that can be expeditiously shot out for -the greater security of a vessel under stress of weather. -To act as a sheet anchor to a man is to be his -mainstay or chief dependence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sheffield.</b> From the River Sheaf, on the confluence of -which and the Don the town stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shekel Day.</b> The day (27th May) set apart every year -throughout the Jewish world for the collection of a -shekel--a shilling, franc mark, half rouble, or “quarter,” -according to the currency of the individual country--in -support of the Zionist Movement for the re-colonisation -of Palestine. The word “shekel” is from -the Hebrew <em>shekal</em>, to weigh.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shepherdess Walk.</b> A name reminiscent of the days when -the entire district between Finsbury and “Merrie -Islington” was open fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shepherd’s Bush.</b> Pleasantly pastoral as the name is, this -district is now wholly built over. A “Shepherd’s bush” -was a hillock covered with soft vegetation on which he -reclined while tending his flocks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shepherd’s Market.</b> The site of a former weekly market, -the land of which, like that of Market Street and -Shepherd Street, was owned by a person of this name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shepperton.</b> A corruption of “Shepherd’s Town”; -whether derived from the name of the landowner, or -because the district was originally given up to sheep-folds, -is not known.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sherbet.</b> The national beverage in Arabia, so called from -<em>shariba</em>, to drink, because it is taken at a single -draught; hence the same name applied to effervescing -liquors in this country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sherry.</b> An English corruption of “Sherris,” a dry wine -exported from Xeres in Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sherry Cobbler.</b> An American drink which, in addition -to the ordinary ingredients of a “Cobbler,” contains a -dash of sherry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span><b>Shetland Isles.</b> Anciently described as <em>Hyaltland</em>, the -Norse for “Viking Land,” the name was softened into -Zetland, and finally as we now have it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>She Wolf of France.</b> A name that will ever cling to the -memory of Isabella, the queen of Edward II., whom -she caused to be murdered most foully through the -instrumentality of her paramour, the Earl of Mortimer. -This monster of iniquity lies buried in Christ Church, -Newgate Street.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shift.</b> An old name for a chemise, denoting a shift or -change of linen; also an industrial term for a change of -men at certain hours, so that work can be carried on -uninterruptedly by day and night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shillelagh.</b> A oaken sapling fashioned into a cudgel -for self-defence, so called from a wood in Ireland -celebrated for its oaks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shilling.</b> This silver coin was of considerable value to -our ancestors, who always sounded it as a test of its -genuineness. Hence, as the “ringing coin,” the -Anglo-Saxons gave it the name of <em>scilling</em>, which, like -the modern German <em>schilling</em>, is derived from the verb -<em>schallen</em>, to sound.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shinplaster.</b> An Americanism for a bank-note. During -the Civil War paper money was so much depreciated -in value that its possessors could not easily negotiate -it at any price. Finding this to be his own case, an -old soldier philosophically used his bank-notes as -plasters for a wounded shin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ship.</b> A tavern sign commemorative of the circumnavigation -of the globe by Sir Francis Drake; also a technical -term in the printing trade for the compositors working -together in a particular room or department, being -an <a id='corr329.33'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='abbrevation'>abbreviation</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_329.33'><ins class='correction' title='abbrevation'>abbreviation</ins></a></span> of “Companionship.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shire.</b> A portion of land scired or sheared off under the -Saxon Heptarchy for the creation of an earldom.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shoe Lane.</b> This name has no connection with shoemakers, -or cordwainers as they were anciently called. -As an offshoot of Fleet Street, the great thoroughfare -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>of taverns, this was anciently “Show Lane,” lined -with booths and shows like a country fair.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shooter.</b> An Americanism for a revolver.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shooters’ Hill.</b> A corruption of “Suitors’ Hall,” so -called from the suitors or place hunters who came this -way when Henry VIII. had his Court at Greenwich.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shooting Iron.</b> A Far West term for a rifle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shop.</b> Theatrical slang for an engagement.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shop-lifting.</b> This phrase for abstracting goods from a -shop counter had its origin in the printer’s technical -term “Lifting.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shoreditch.</b> All other suggested derivations notwithstanding, -this district really received its name from the -manor of Sir John Soerditch, a wealthy citizen, and a -favourite of Edward the Black Prince, by whose side -he fought at Crecy and Poitiers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Show.</b> Theatrical slang for a performance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shrewsbury.</b> See “<a href='#SHROPSHIRE'>Shropshire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SHROPSHIRE'></a><b>Shropshire.</b> This name expresses in a roundabout way -the shire of Shrewsbury, the Anglo-Saxon <em>Scrobbesburgh</em> -that grew up around an ancient castle among -the scrubs or shrubs, softened by the Normans into -<em>Sloppesbury</em>, which lent its name to what is now -“Salop,” and finally corrupted into Shrewsbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Shrove Tuesday.</b> A corruption of “Shrive Tuesday” when -all good Catholics confessed their sins in preparation -for receiving the blest ashes on the following morning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Siberia.</b> The country ruled from the ancient town of -Sibir, the capital of the Tartars, and which contained -the palace of the renowned Kutsheen Khan, the ruins -of which are still visible.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sicily.</b> From the <em>Siculi</em>, a tribe who became masters of -the island, expelling the <em>Sicanii</em>, its ancient inhabitants.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Sick.</b> A word uniformly used throughout the United -States in the place of “ill,” as in our own country. -This is not an Americanism, but good honest English, -having been introduced to the New World by the -Pilgrim Fathers who sailed in the <em>Mayflower</em>. Both -<span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>in the Bible and in Shakespeare sick, not ill, is -employed. This is one of the few instances in which -the Americans have preserved a word true to its -original meaning.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sidmouth Street.</b> After Lord Sidmouth, a popular -Minister at the accession of George IV., when this -street was first built upon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Side Walk.</b> An Americanism for the English “pavement” -and the Scottish “causeway.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Siedlitz Powders.</b> From Siedlitz in Bohemia, whence, like -the celebrated mineral waters of the same name, they -are obtained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sienna.</b> A pigment obtained from the native <em>Terra di -Sienna</em> in Italy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sign on.</b> An industrial phrase for signing one’s name in a -book on arriving to commence the day’s work. The -like procedure at the day’s close is styled “Sign off.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Silhouette.</b> After Etienne de Silhouette, Comptroller of -Finance under Louis XV., who was the first to have -his features outlined from a side view on black paper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sillery.</b> A champagne produced from the extensive vineyards -of the Marquis de Sillery.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Silver Captain.</b> The sobriquet of Admiral Sir Henry -Digby from the large haul he on 15th October -1799 made by the capture of a Spanish treasure -ship laden with dollars, his own share of the prize -money amounting to £40,730, 18s. This he attributed -to a fortunate dream, in which he repeatedly -heard a voice exclaim: “Digby! Digby! steer to the -northward!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Silver-tongued Sylvester.</b> John Sylvester, the translator of -Du Barta’s “Divine Week and Works,” so styled on -account of his harmonious verse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Simple Life.</b> A term which has come into vogue, both in -England and America, since the publication of the Rev. -Charles Wagner’s remarkable book “The Simple Life,” -in advocacy of plain living, three or four years ago.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span><b>Single-speech Hamilton.</b> The sobriquet of William -Gerard Hamilton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in -Ireland. He delivered on 13th November 1775 a speech -which electrified the House, but after that memorable -first effort he never spoke again.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sing Small.</b> A corruption of “Sink Small,” meaning to -be lowered in the estimation of those to whom one -has made a vain boast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sinking Fund.</b> One that provides for the annual reduction -of a National Debt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sinner-saved Huntingdon.</b> William Huntingdon, the -theologian and preacher, who, having led a wild life -in his youth, made amends for these delinquencies in -the full vigour of manhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sirree.</b> A vulgar American corruption of “Sir,” corresponding -to the old English “Sirrah.” Originating -at New York, it is now quite a common thing for -people in the States generally to answer: “Yes, sirree,” -and “No, sirree.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sise Lane.</b> A corruption of St Osyth’s Lane, after an -ancient church in it, now removed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sixteen String Jack.</b> Jack Rann, the highwayman, hanged -in 1791, so called from the sixteen tags he wore on -the knees of his breeches.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Six-shooter.</b> An Americanism for a six-chambered revolver.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Skagerrack.</b> Expresses the crooked strait between the -<em>Skagen</em>, the plural of the Gothic <em>skaga</em>, a promontory, -between Jutland and Norway.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Skald.</b> An ancient northern bard or minstrel. The word -is Scandinavian for “poet.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Skied.</b> An artists’ term for a picture hung on the highest -row, just under the ceiling, at any exhibition, where no -one can look at it closely.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Skinner Street.</b> Stands on land belonging to the Skinners’ -Company.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span><b>Skylarking.</b> Originally an American seaman’s term for -rough sport among the ship’s rigging and tops.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sky Parlor.</b> An Americanism for an attic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sky Pilot.</b> An American naval expression for a ship’s -chaplain. The allusion is obvious.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sky-scraper.</b> The name given in the United States to a -building of lofty proportions, often running to as many -as thirty storeys. Viewing these from Brooklyn -Bridge it would really seem as if the New Yorkers -were anxious to scour the heavens out of their top -windows.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sky Sign.</b> A structure on the roof of a house of business -for the purposes of a bold advertisement. This -Transatlantic innovation has within the last few years -been interdicted by order of the London County -Council.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Slacker.</b> An Eton term for one who never takes part in -games; he cannot be coerced, and declines to exert -himself in any way.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Slate Club.</b> Originally a parochial thrift society whose -members met in the schoolroom, their contributions -being <em>pro tem</em> entered on slates, conveniently at hand.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Slick into it.</b> To do a thing right away, never pausing -until it is finished. As a variant of “Polish it off” -this expression is rightly employed, slick being derived -from the German <em>schlicht</em>, polished, clean.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SLING'></a><b>Sling.</b> An American mixed drink, so called on account of -the different ingredients slung into it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SLINGYOURHOOK'></a><b>Sling your Hook.</b> Originally an abbreviated angler’s -phrase: “Sling your hook a little farther along, and -then we shall both have more room.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Slipper.</b> A shoe into which the foot is easily slipped, more -particularly among the Orientals, who dispense with the -back leather clasping the heel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SLOANESQUARE'></a><b>Sloane Square.</b> After Sir Hans Sloane, the original owner -of the estate, whose daughter became by marriage the -first Countess of Cadogan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span><b>Slope.</b> To run away with expedition, as it were down the -slope of a hill.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Smile.</b> An Americanism for a “drink.” Unlike the -common run of Americanisms, there is warranty for -the term. When drinking their native beverage, -“pulque,” the Mexicans look at one another, and -smile. This custom has obtained with them ever -since Montezuma gulped down this tipple offered to -him by the hand of his daughter. See “<a href='#COCKTAIL'>Cocktail</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Smithfield.</b> A corruption of “Smoothfield,” a fine tract -of meadow land on which mediæval tournaments were -held, likewise horse races.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Smith of Antwerp.</b> Quentin Matsys, the celebrated -painter, who began life as a blacksmith.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Smalls.</b> In theatrical parlance “the small towns.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Smart Set.</b> Originally an Americanism for the exclusive -fashionable set of Boston society. The term has -latterly travelled over to these shores, and the Smart -Set of West End London does not appear to be beloved -by Father Bernard Vaughan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Snapshot.</b> An Americanism for a photograph taken -instantaneously with a portable camera. “Snap” is, -however, a good old English word. We speak of a -person being “snapped off” by disease--<em>i.e.</em> carried off -suddenly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sneesh-box.</b> Scottish for a snuff-box.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Snob.</b> This term arose out of the expressions on the part -of the vulgar whenever a conceited person who aped -gentility was encountered: “He’s a nob,” “He’s not -a nob,” or “He wants to make people believe he’s a -nob,” until they resulted in the simple exclamation -“Snob.” Such a word having once been established -as the antithesis of “Nob,” a shoemaker merited the -description of a Snob because his work was confined -to the pedal extremities instead of the person’s head.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Snow Hill.</b> A corruption of “Snore Hill,” so called -because travellers by the stage-coach from Guildford -<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>were generally snoring by the time they reach their -destination at the hill foot, “The Saracen’s Head.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soaker.</b> Both in England and America this term denotes -a habitual drunkard, soaked in liquor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soane Museum.</b> This magnificent but little known collection -of works of Art was acquired by Sir John Soane, -the antiquary, at his residence in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, -where, subject to certain seasonal restrictions, it may -be visited by anyone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sociable.</b> An open carriage with two seats, thus admitting -of its riders being face to face.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Socialists.</b> A term of wide meaning, but according to its -modern acceptation synonymous with “Levellers,” the -adopted name of the malcontents of the time of Charles -I., who sought to reduce society to a common level.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Society Islands.</b> Named by Captain Cook in compliment -to the Royal Society.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Society of Jesus.</b> See “<a href='#JESUITS'>Jesuits</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Socinians.</b> The followers of Lælius Socinus, an Italian -theologian of the sixteenth century. They held the -same views as the modern “Unitarians.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SOCKBUSKIN'></a><b>Sock and Buskin.</b> The drama, alluding to the low and -high shoe or sandal worn respectively by comic and -tragic actors in the theatre of the ancients. The <em>soccus</em> -was a simple shoe, whereas the <em>brossquin</em>, a term remotely -derived from the Greek <em>bursa</em>, a hide, extended -to the knee, and was, moreover, two or three inches -thick in the sole to increase the height of the performer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sod.</b> A north country term for a mean, ignorant fellow, -no better than a lout or clodhopper, in allusion to the -sod of agriculture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soft Soap.</b> Flattery, because, unlike the ordinary kind, -soft soap is easily rubbed in.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soho.</b> A name pleasantly recalling the days when, prior -to the sixteenth century, the whole of London westward -of Drury Lane was open country. <em>So ho</em> was the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>cry of the huntsmen when a hare broke cover, expressing -the Norman-French for “See! Hie! (after him).”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soirée.</b> A sociable evening party, so called from the -French <em>soir</em>, evening.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soldier of Fortune.</b> A soldier without fortune who seeks -to make one by enlisting in any service which holds -out the prospect of good pay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Solid Straight.</b> Another name for a “Straight Drink.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Somerset.</b> Described in Anglo-Saxon days as <em>Suthmorset</em>, -the “South Moor Settlement.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Somerset House.</b> Covers the site of the palatial residence -of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, the Lord -Protector of Edward VI. On the sequestration of his -estates in 1552 this passed to the Crown, and became -a virtual royal residence. Here the body of James I. -lay in state; here too the queens of Charles I. and -Charles II. took up their abode. The present edifice -dates from 1766.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Somers Town.</b> From Lord Somers, the owner of the -estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sorbonne.</b> After its founder Robert de Sorbon, a canon -of Cambrai in 1252.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Souchong.</b> A species of black tea called by the Chinese -<em>se-ou-chong</em>, “small, good quality.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Soudan.</b> Properly “Suden,” from the Arabic <em>Belad-ez-Suden</em>, -“district of the blacks.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Southampton.</b> The south town on the Ant or Hantone. -See “<a href='#HAMPSHIRE'>Hampshire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Southampton Buildings.</b> Marks the site of Southampton -House, in which lived and died the last Earl of Southhampton, -Lord Treasurer of Charles II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Southampton Street.</b> After one of the family titles of the -Duke of Bedford, the great ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>South Audley Street.</b> See “<a href='#AUDLEYSTREET'>Audley Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Southgate.</b> See “<a href='#NEWSOUTHGATE'>New Southgate</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span><a id='SOUTHWARK'></a><b>Southwark.</b> A name which points to the Danish rule in -England. The earliest London bridge of wood having -been built in 1014, or two years before Canute seized upon -the throne, this monarch took up his residence on -the south bank of the Thames, and holding his Court -there, styled it <em>Sydrike</em>, the Norse for “South Kingdom.” -His successors also affected the Surrey side; -as we know, Hardicanute died of a surfeit at Lambeth. -By the Anglo-Saxons under Edward the Confessor -the Danish <em>Sydrike</em> was rendered <em>Suthwerk</em>, or South -Fortification, whence we have derived the name in its -present form.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Southwick Crescent.</b> After Southwick Park, the country -seat of the Thistlewaytes, at one time joint lessees of -the manor of Paddington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sovereign.</b> So called because when first struck, in the reign -of Henry VIII., this gold coin had upon it a representation -of that sovereign in his royal robes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sovereign Pontiff.</b> The superior title of the Pope. See -“Pontiff.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spa.</b> From the town of the same name (which expresses -the Flemish for “fountain”) in Belgium, the fashionable -Continental resort during the seventeenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spa Fields.</b> From an ancient public resort known as -the “London Spa,” in connection with a medicinal -well discovered during the thirteenth century. An -account of the “Spa Fields Chapel,” originally a -theatre, purchased by the Countess of Huntingdon, the -name has survived to our own time.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spagnoletto.</b> See “<a href='#LOSPAGNOLETTO'>Lo Spagnoletto</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SPAIN'></a><b>Spain.</b> Called by the <a id='corr337.31'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Cathaginians'>Carthaginians</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_337.31'><ins class='correction' title='Cathaginians'>Carthaginians</ins></a></span> “Hispania,” from the -Punic <em>span</em>, rabbit, on account of the wild rabbits -which abounded in the peninsula. See “<a href='#IBERIA'>Iberia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spaniards.</b> This famous “house of call” for pedestrians -across Highgate Heath was originally the private residence -of the Spanish Ambassador to the Court of -James I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span><b>Spaniel.</b> From <em>Hispaniola</em>, the old name of Hayti Island, -in the West Indies, whence this breed of Spanish dog -was introduced to Europe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spanish Main.</b> The ancient designation of the waters -around the West Indian Islands in the Caribbean Sea -that rightly belonged to Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spanish Place.</b> From the residence of the Spanish -Ambassador during the eighteenth century. The -private chapel attached to this mansion formed the -nucleus of the present Catholic church.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sparking.</b> An Americanism for “courting.” There may -be warranty for this in relation to “the spark of -affection.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spa Road.</b> From a long-forgotten spa or mineral well in -this portion of Bermondsey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spa Water.</b> Natural mineral waters drawn from a “Spa” -or well.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Speaker.</b> The official designation of the President of -the House of Commons, to whom technically, the -Members address themselves, though as a matter of -fact, they address the country at large through the -medium of the Press. Since he never speaks himself, -except to rule a point of order, his title is a -misnomer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spencer.</b> A short overjacket introduced by the Earl of -Spencer. This nobleman made a wager that he would -set a new fashion by appearing abroad in any style of -garment, however hideous it might be. He won his -bet, for “Spencers” became popular.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Specs.</b> Short for “spectacles.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spelling Bee.</b> The name given to a competitive examination, -in spelling in American schools, and later -introduced in the cities as a fashionable pastime. -From the States it reached England about a quarter of -a century ago. The term “Bee” is essentially Transatlantic, -being employed in the sense of a “hive” for -any assemblage of workers--<em>e.g.</em> “a Sewing Bee.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span><b>Spindle City.</b> Lowell in Massachusetts, so called on account -of its numerous cotton factories.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spinet.</b> An early form of pianoforte, so called because it -was played upon exclusively by unmarried females, as -a relaxation from the labours of the spindle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spinster.</b> A maiden lady, so called from the distaff or -spindle, the regular occupation of an unmarried female.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spiritualist.</b> One who cherishes a belief in the power of -communicating with departed spirits through the instrumentality -of a Medium.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spitalfields.</b> The derivation of this name is generally -given as from an ancient priory of “St Mary of the -Spittle.” This is wrong. There may have been such -a priory, but if so, like the present parish church, its -designation arose out of the “spital,” or hospital in -the sense of an almshouse, founded in the fields for -the poor by Walter Brune and his wife during the -reign of Richard Cœur de Lion.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spithead.</b> This famous roadstead, so eminently adapted -for naval reviews, received its name from being -situated at the head of the “spit” or sandbank which -extends along the coast for three miles.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spitzbergen.</b> Danish for “sharp-pointed mountains,” -relative to the mountain peaks in these islands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spook.</b> Expresses the Dutch for “ghost.” Introduced -to the United States by the early settlers of New -York, this term has obtained currency on both sides -of the Atlantic in connection with Spiritualism.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spooning.</b> This word is a play on “billing and cooing.” -Courting couples in the act of whispering “soft -nothings” have their mouths in such close contact -that it resembles the manner of a mother bird feeding -her young brood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sporting Women.</b> An Americanism for “gay women.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spouting.</b> Colloquial for public speaking, because the -orator indulges in a constant flow of rhetoric, like water -issuing from a pump spout.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span><b>Sprat Day.</b> 9th November, the opening of the London -sprat-selling season.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spread Eagle.</b> An inn sign adopted from the arms of -Germany, indicative of the fact that the wines of that -country were to be had on the premises.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spreads himself.</b> Said of one in America who makes an -ostentatious display of self-conceit. The allusion is -to a peacock spreading its tail feathers to their utmost -capacity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spring Gardens.</b> So called because at this north-eastern -entrance to St James’s Park unwitting pedestrians -were suddenly drenched by a spray of water through -stepping on a hidden spring. This was considered -fine sport for the gallants who looked on during the -Restoration period.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Spring Heel Jack.</b> The sobriquet of the eccentric -Marquis of Waterford, who about a century ago -cultivated the habit of frightening people after nightfall -by springing upon them out of obscure corners and -alleys. It was said that terror of the streets had steel -springs fitted to his heels for the purpose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Square Meal.</b> An Americanism for a full meal, which can -only be enjoyed at the table, in contradistinction to a -snack at a luncheon bar.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Squatter.</b> Literally one who squats down on land to -which he has no legal title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Squaw.</b> <a id='corr340.27'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Alonquin'>Algonquin</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_340.27'><ins class='correction' title='Alonquin'>Algonquin</ins></a></span> for an Indian woman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stafford.</b> The county town of the shire derived this name -from the ancient mode of fording the River Sow, upon -which it stands, by means of staves or stilts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stage-coach.</b> So called from the stages or degrees of the -whole journey, at each of which the coach pulled up -to change horses and refresh the travellers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Staines.</b> From the Saxon <em>stane</em>, stone, the boundary mark -set up beside the Thames, bearing date 1280, and the -inscription: “God preserve the City of London.” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>This defined the western limits of jurisdiction claimed -by the Thames Conservancy or Water Board.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stand Sam.</b> An Americanism for to “stand treat,” which -originated among the soldiers during the Civil War. -When billeted upon the people they demanded liquor -by wholesale, saying that “Uncle Sam” would pay for -it, and it was everyone’s duty to stand Sam. See -“Uncle Sam.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stanhope.</b> An open carriage named in compliment to the -Earl of Stanhope, author and politician.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stanhope Gate.</b> This entrance to Hyde Park, in Park -Lane, received its name from Philip Stanhope, Earl of -Chesterfield, residing at Chesterfield House close by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Staples Inn.</b> Properly “Staplers’ Inn,” the ancient Hall -of the Woolstaplers, styled Merchants of the Staple.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Star and Garter.</b> An inn or tavern sign commemorative -of the institution of the Order of the Garter by -Edward III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Star Chamber.</b> This historic court received its name not -from the stars decorating the ceiling, as generally -stated, but because it was the ancient depository of the -<em>Starra</em>, or Jewish records, at the order of Richard I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Start your Boots.</b> An Americanism for “Be off!” -“Walk away.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Starvation Dundas.</b> The sobriquet of Henry Dundas, -created Lord Melville, owing to his constant repetition -of the word “Starvation” in the course of a debate on -American affairs in 1775.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>State of Spain.</b> New Jersey. After the battle of -Waterloo Joseph Bonaparte, the brother of -Napoleon I., fled to New Jersey, and, settling on an -estate at Borderstown, gathered so many Frenchmen -and Spaniards around him that the Philadelphians -regarded the people of this state generally as Spaniards -and foreigners. At this time Joseph Bonaparte was -nominally King of Naples and of Spain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stationer.</b> This term was not derived from “Stationery,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>since the latter grew out of the former. Ancient so-called -booksellers were of two kinds: the itinerants, -and the stallholders in open market. Both dealt in -such books as were known at the time--hornbooks and -the like--but principally in writing materials, and as the -stationery booksellers had a more varied assortment -than the pedlars, pen, ink, and paper eventually -received the name of “stationery,” and their vendors -that of “stationers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Steelyard.</b> The name given to a weighing machine on -which a single weight is moved along a graduated -beam. This has no reference to a “yard” measure, -but to the ancient Steelyard near London Bridge, -where the German merchants of old landed, weighed, -and sold their fine steel.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Steeplechase.</b> This term originated in a race by a party of -unsuccessful fox hunters, who agreed to run a race to -the village church, the steeple of which was visible a -couple of miles away, the one who touched its stones -with his whip first being declared the winner.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stepney.</b> A corruption of “Stebenhithe,” after the owner -of a hithe or wharf on this portion of the Thames bank -in Anglo-Saxon days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sterling Money.</b> That originally coined in this country by -the “Esterlings,” the name given to the people of the -Hanse Towns in the eastern portion of Germany, at -the invitation of King John. The purity of the -Esterling coinage was above reproach, whereas that of -England anterior to the mission of the Hansa merchants -to reform it had long become debased.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STERLINGSILVER'></a><b>Sterling Silver.</b> Genuine silver in its natural purity as -opposed to “German Silver,” an alloy of copper, -nickel, and zinc first made in Germany. See -“Sterling Money.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stick a Pin there.</b> An Americanism for “make a note of -it as a reminder.” Dressmakers always stick a pin to -mark the place where material is to be stitched or -taken in.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span><b>Stiletto.</b> Expresses the diminutive of the Italian <em>stilo</em>, a -dagger.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stingo.</b> See “<a href='#STINGO'>Yorkshire Stingo</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stock.</b> This flower received its name from the circumstance -that it was largely sold in the Stocks Market (so -called on account of a pair of stocks that stood there), -on part of the site of which the Mansion House was -erected in 1737.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stock Exchange.</b> For the application of the term “Stock” -to money, see “<a href='#GOVERNMENTSTOCK'>Government Stock</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stockwell.</b> From an ancient well discovered in a <em>stoke</em> or -wood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stoke Newington.</b> Expresses the new town in the -meadow adjacent to a <em>stoke</em>, or wood, in reference to -“Enfield Chase.” See “<a href='#NEWSOUTHGATE'>New Southgate</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stonecutter Street.</b> From the lapidaries who congregated -here in ancient days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stone Jug.</b> See “<a href='#INTHEJUG'>In the Jug</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stones End.</b> See “<a href='#STONYSTREET'>Stony Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stonewall Jackson.</b> This sobriquet of General Jackson -originated with General Lee during the American -Civil War. Rallying his troops after the battle of -Bull Run, he exclaimed, pointing in the direction with -his sword: “There is Jackson, standing like a stone -wall!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STONYSTREET'></a><b>Stony Street.</b> So called from the nature of this portion -of the great Roman highway to Dover, in continuation -of “Watling Street,” north of the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Store.</b> An Americanism for a shop or warehouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Storey’s Gate.</b> Marks the site of the residence of Edward -Storey, keeper of the royal aviary of Charles II. in -that portion of St James’s Park known as Birdcage -Walk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STORMYPETREL'></a><b>Stormy Petrel.</b> A sea-bird, the appearance of which is -regarded as a portent of storms. Its Italian name, -<em>Petrillo</em>, expresses the diminutive of Peter, in allusion -<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>to St Peter, who walked on the sea, because, instead of -flying in the air, this bird habitually skims on the -surface of the water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Storthing.</b> From the Norse <em>stor</em>, great, and <em>thing</em>, court, -the Norwegian and Swedish House of Assembly.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stout.</b> This black alcoholic beverage is so called because -it contains more body and nourishment than ale or -beer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stradivarius.</b> A violin made by the celebrated Antonio -Stradivari of Cremona; generally abbreviated into -“Strad.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Straight Drink.</b> An Americanism for a drink of pure, -undiluted spirit.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Strand.</b> The name given to the north bank of the -Thames (from the Norse <em>strönd</em>, shore, border) in -days when, with the exception of a few princely houses -dotted here and there, the whole of this portion of -London was open country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Straphanger.</b> A term which has come into vogue -since the introduction of electrified railways, the -trains being so crowded in the morning and -evening that straps are provided for standing -passengers to cling to <em>en route</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Strasburg.</b> This name was first heard of in the fifth -century, expressing the German for a fortified town on -the <em>strass</em> or <em>strata</em>, the great Roman highway into -Gaul.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stratford.</b> From the Latin <em>strata</em>, road, way; that portion -of the old Roman highway where the River Lea had to -be forded. In Chaucer’s time this little town, situated -a long distance out of London, was described as -“Stratford-a-te-Bow,” in allusion to “Bow Bridge.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stratford Place.</b> After Edward Stratford, the second -Lord Aldborough, who leased the ground for building -purposes from the Corporation of the City of London -in 1775.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stratton Street.</b> After Lord Berkeley of Stratton, the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>owner of the district now comprised in Mayfair, <em>temp.</em> -Charles I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Strenuous Life.</b> The antithesis of the “Simple Life.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stuarts.</b> This dynasty received its name from the fact that -Walter, the Lord High Steward of Scotland, married -the daughter of King Robert the Bruce. Since this -Walter was the sixth of his line honoured with such a -position, he was said to belong to the Stewards, which, -eventually corrupted into “Stuarts,” resulted in a -family name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stumped.</b> To have no money left. See “<a href='#STUMPUP'>Stump up</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stump Orator.</b> One who harangues a crowd from the -stump of a tree.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stump Speech.</b> A term popularised in this country -through the minstrel entertainment, being an extempore -speech delivered to the Negroes of the -southern states from the stump of a tree.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Stump the Country.</b> Colloquial for an electioneering -campaign, derived from the practice of political agents -in the United States addressing the people at large -from a convenient tree stump.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STUMPUP'></a><b>Stump up.</b> Originally an Americanism for “put down -your money.” After delivering a speech for a benevolent -object the “Stump Orator” stepped down, and -the people around laid their contributions on the tree -stump.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suabia.</b> See “<a href='#SERVIA'>Servia</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sub.</b> Short for “subsidise,” or to draw something in -advance of one’s salary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sub Rosa.</b> “Under the Rose”--<em>i.e.</em> strictly between ourselves. -It was the custom of the Teutons when they -assembled at a feast, to suspend a rose from the ceiling -as a reminder that whatever might be said concerning -their absent friends should not be repeated.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Subtle Doctor.</b> Duns Scotus, the schoolman and prince -of metaphysicians, whose subtlety of reasoning has -never been equalled in ancient or modern times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span><b>Sucked in.</b> An expression derived from “Buying a pig -in a poke.” See “<a href='#CATOUTOFBAG'>Let the Cat out of the Bag</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sucker State.</b> Illinois, so called from the Galena lead -miners, who disappeared during the winter and returned -to Galena in the spring, when the sucker-fish in the -Fevre River abounded. The people of this state are -accordingly styled “Suckers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suffolk.</b> A corruption of “South Folk,” the inhabitants of -the southern division of East Anglia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suffolk Lane.</b> From the ancient town house of the Dukes -of Suffolk.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suffolk Street.</b> From Suffolk House, the residence of the -Earls of Suffolk in former days.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suffragette.</b> If this latter-day term possesses any etymological -significance whatever, it expresses the diminutive -of one who claims the suffrage or the right, from -the Latin <em>suffragio</em>, to vote. A suffragette is, in brief, -a woman who ought to know better. Eager to take -upon herself the responsibilities of citizenship on a -common footing with the male orders of creation, she -cannot but shirk those which rightly belong to her -own state.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sulky.</b> A two-wheeled carriage for a single person, so -called from the popular idea at the time of its introduction -that anyone who wished to ride alone could not -be otherwise than morose and sulky in his disposition.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sumatra.</b> From the Arabic <em>Simatra</em>, “happy land.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sumner Street.</b> After Dr Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, -one of the last occupants of Winchester House in this -neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sun.</b> An inn sign after the heraldic device of Richard II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sunday.</b> The first day of the week, dedicated in the -Scandinavian mythology to sun-worship.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sun-down.</b> An Americanism for “sunset.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sunflower.</b> So called from the form and colour of its -flower. See “<a href='#HELIOTROPE'>Heliotrope</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span><b>Sunnites.</b> The orthodox Mohammedans, who accept the -<em>Sunna</em>, or collective traditions, equally with the Koran.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sunset Land.</b> Arizona, on account of its glorious sunsets.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Supers.</b> In theatrical parlance short for “supernumeraries,” -those who form the stage crowds, but have no -individual lines to speak.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Supper.</b> A term which has survived the changes of time. -We still invite a friend to “sup” with us, but the -repast is more or less a substantial one. Anciently -the last meal of the day consisted only of soup.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Surrey.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Suth-rey</em>, south of the -river--<em>i.e.</em> the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Surrey Street.</b> After the town mansion and grounds of the -Howards, Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel -and Surrey.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Suspenders.</b> An Americanism for trouser braces.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sussex.</b> The territory of the <em>Suth-seaxe</em>, or South Saxons, -under the Heptarchy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sutton Place.</b> After Thomas Sutton, founder of the -Charter House, whom the good folk of Hackney were -proud to number among their residents on this spot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swallow Street.</b> It is difficult to imagine that this once -merited the name of “Slough Street,” on account -of its miry condition; but such is the fact.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swan Alley.</b> From the ancient town house of the Beauchamps, -whose crest was a swan.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='SWANUPPING'></a><b>Swan-Upping.</b> The name given from time immemorial -by the Vintners’ Company to their annual up-Thames -visitation of the swans belonging to them for the -purpose of marking their bills with two nicks, by way of -distinguishing them from the royal swans, that have -five nicks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swan with two Necks.</b> An ancient London inn sign, -corrupted from “The Swan with two Nicks,” in -compliment to the Vintners’ Company. See “<a href='#SWANUPPING'>Swan-Upping</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span><b>Sweating.</b> A word used in the original Biblical sense, -and applied to the unhealthy conditions which obtain -among the denizens of the East End of London, -specifically the Jewish tailors, numbers of whom work -together in the fœtid atmosphere of a single small -room.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swedenborgians.</b> The followers of Emmanuel Swedenborg, -the Swedish mystic. Prior to 1719, when his family -became ennobled, his real name was Svedborg.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swedish Nightingale.</b> Jenny Lind Goldschmidt, the rage -of musical London, who died in 1887.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sweepstake.</b> Money staked on a race by different persons, -the fortunate winner among whom takes the whole -amount, literally at one sweep.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sweetbriar.</b> Expresses a “fragrant thorn.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sweetheart.</b> A corruption of “Sweetard,” the suffix <em>ard</em> -expressing the intensitive in many class names, such -as “Dotard,” “Bastard,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Swell.</b> Slang for one of the upper classes, no doubt -suggested by the phrase: “The bloated aristocracy.” -Also applied to an overdressed person puffed out with -the idea of his own importance.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Switches.</b> An Americanism for ladies’ hair curlers, fringes, -and other hirsute appendages.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Switzerland.</b> The English form of the Austrian Schwyz -and German Schweitz, originally the name of the -three forest cantons whose people threw off the Austrian -yoke and asserted the independence of the whole -country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Switzerland of America.</b> West Virginia, so called on -account of its mountains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Sworn Brothers.</b> An ancient legal phrase signifying that -two friends had entered into a solemn compact to lend -mutual aid and protection and share each other’s -fortunes. This custom was of Scandinavian origin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span><b>Sydenham.</b> Expresses the home or family settlement in -the south.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Symmetrion Girl.</b> See “<a href='#SANDOWGIRL'>Sandow Girl</a>.”</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div><span class='large'>T</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tabard.</b> The famous inn sign in Southwark immortalised -by Chaucer’s “Canterbury Pilgrims,” from the ancient -tunic with wide flap sleeves still worn by the heralds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tableaux Vivants.</b> French for “living pictures,” specifically -the realisation of a celebrated painting or a -scene from history by a group of persons.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Table d’Hôte.</b> Most people are under the impression -that this term means a dinner as served at a hotel. -This is erroneous. Its literal signification is “the -table of the host.” Until quite modern days a traveller -who desired to be served with a meal at an inn had to -take it with the landlord at his own table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Taboo.</b> Strictly speaking, there is no such word as -“tabooed,” yet we generally find it employed in the -place of “taboo.” The latter is the European rendering -of the Polynesian <em>tapu</em>, signifying a thing reserved -or consecrated to the use of one person. For a South -Sea Islander to exclaim <em>tapu</em> when he sees anything -that he fancies, is tantamount to saying “I claim this -thing; anyone else who touches it shall die.” Amongst -ourselves a subject which is <em>taboo</em> must not be -discussed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Taffy.</b> The generic name for a Welshman, corrupted -from Davy, which is short for David, the most common -Christian name of the country, in honour of St David.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tagus.</b> The Phœnician for “river of fish.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tailor.</b> From the French <em>tailleur</em>, based upon the verb -<em>tailler</em>, to cut.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Take a Back Seat.</b> An Americanism for “You have -outdone me; I’ll retire from the front row.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Take a Rise out of Him.</b> To take an undue advantage, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>to benefit by a mean action. This originated in -fly-fishing; when a fish sees the fly held out of the -water it rises to seize the coveted prey, and is caught -itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Takes the Cake.</b> An expression derived from the Cake -Walking competitions of the Negroes in the southern -states of the American Union. A cake is placed on -the ground, and the competitors, male and female, walk -around it in couples. Those who disport themselves -most gracefully take the cake as their prize.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Take your Hook.</b> See “<a href='#SLINGYOURHOOK'>Sling your Hook</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Talbot.</b> An inn sign in compliment to the Earls of -Shrewsbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Talbotype.</b> A process of photography, by means of the -Camera Obscura, invented by Fox Talbot in 1839.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Talking Shop.</b> The nickname for the House of Commons. -See “<a href='#PARLIAMENT'>Parliament</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tally Ho!</b> From the Norman hunting cry <em>Taillis au</em> -(“To the coppice”), raised when the stag made for its -native place of safety.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tallyman.</b> One who supplies goods on the weekly instalment -system, so called originally from the acknowledgments -for payments that he gave to his customers -having to “tally” or agree with the entries in his -book. Why such a one should be ashamed of his old-time -designation, and now style himself a “Credit -Draper,” can only be explained on the ground that the -tallyman is in bad odour with the husbands of the -guileless women whom he systematically overcharges. -See “<a href='#GOVERNMENTSTOCK'>Government Stock</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tammany Ring.</b> The name given to certain officials of -the Democratic party in New York who in 1871 were -punished for having during a long series of years -plundered the people wholesale. Tammany Hall -was the place where they held their meetings. This -was originally the headquarters of a benevolent society, -but it degenerated into a political club. By way of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span>accounting for the designation, it may be added that -Tammany or Tammenund was the name of a famous -Indian chief of the Delaware tribe, greatly beloved by -his people.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Taming the Alps.</b> A phrase which has lately come into -vogue through the popular solicitude to prevent intrepid -amateurs from climbing the Alps without the -assistance of local guides.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tantalise.</b> A word based upon the fable of Tantalus, a -son of Jupiter, who, because he betrayed his father’s -secrets, was made to stand up to his chin in water, -with branches of luscious fruit over his head, but -when he wished to drink or to eat the water and the -fruit receded from him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tapestry.</b> From the French <em>tapisserie</em>, based on the -Latin <em>tapes</em>, a carpet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tapster.</b> The old name for a tavern-keeper or his assistant, -applied in days when taps were first fitted to barrels -for drawing off liquor.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tarantella.</b> A dance invented for the purpose of inducing -perspiration as a supposed remedy for the poisonous -bite of the Tarantula spider, which received its name -from the city of Taranto in Italy, where its baneful -effects were first noted.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tarlatan.</b> From Tarare in France, the chief seat of the -manufacture.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tar Heels.</b> The nickname of the people of South Carolina, -relative to the tar industry in its lowland forests.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tarragona.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Tarraco</em>, after the -name given to the city by the Phœnicians, <em>Tarchon</em>, -“citadel.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tarred with the same Brush.</b> This expression originated -in the custom of marking the sheep of different folds -formerly with a brush dipped in tar, but nowadays -more generally in red ochre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tart.</b> A punning abbreviation of “Sweetheart.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span><b>Tasmania.</b> After Abel Jansen Tasman, the Dutch navigator, -who discovered it in 1642.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tattersall’s.</b> After Richard Tattersall, who established his -famous horse repository near Hyde Park Corner in -1786; on 10th April 1865 it was removed to its present -locale at Knightsbridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Taunton.</b> The town on the River Tone.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tavern.</b> From the Latin <em>taberna</em>, a hut of boards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tavistock.</b> The stockaded place on the Tavy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tavistock Street.</b> After the ancestor of the present great -ground landlord, Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of -Southampton, Marquis of Tavistock, and Duke of -Bedford, the father of the celebrated Rachel who -became the wife of Lord William Russell, beheaded in -1683. The square and place similarly designated are -included in the ducal estate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='TAWDRY'></a><b>Tawdry.</b> A word derived from the cheap, showy lace -anciently sold at the annual fair of St Audrey in the -Isle of Ely. This was called St Audrey’s lace, afterwards -corrupted into Tawdrey. The name of St -Audrey itself was a corruption of St Ethelreda.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tay.</b> From the Celtic <em>tain</em>, river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tearless Victory.</b> Plutarch in his “Lives” gave this name -to the great victory won by Archimandus, King of -Sparta, over the Arcadians and Argives, <span class='fss'>B.C.</span> 367, without -the loss of a single Spartan soldier.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Teetotaler.</b> This designation of a total abstainer arose -out of the stammering address at Preston in September -1833 of one Richard Turner, who concluded by -saying: “Nothing but t-t-t-t-total abstinence will do--that -or nowt!”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Teetotum.</b> A coined term for a Working Man’s Total -Abstinence Club, suggested by the word “Teetotaler.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Teignmouth.</b> Situated at the mouth, or in the estuary -of, the Teign, which name is a variant of the Celtic -<em>tain</em>, river.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span><b>Tell that to the Marines.</b> In the old days, before the -bluejackets proved themselves as good fighting men -on land as at sea, the Marines were an indispensable -adjunct to the Navy, but as time hung heavily upon -their hands they were always ready to listen to a story. -Finding that they were easily gullible, the sailors loved -to entertain them with the most extraordinary yarns, -and, while on shore, if they heard a wonderful story -themselves they made up their minds to “tell that to -the Marines.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Temple.</b> The seat of the “Knights Templars” in this country -down to the time of the dissolution of their Order by -Edward II. in 1313.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Temple Bar.</b> The ancient gateway, at the western -extremity of Fleet Street, defining the “liberty” of the -city of London on that side, and originally set up as -the ordinary entrance to the London house of the -Knights Templars. Taken down in 1878, the “Bar” -now adorns the park of Sir Henry Meux at Theobalds, -Cheshunt, Herts.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Tenement House.</b> An Americanism for a dwelling-house -let off to different families.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tennessee.</b> Indian for “river of the great bend.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tent Wine.</b> A corruption of <em>vinto tinto</em>, the Spanish for a -white wine coloured.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Terpsichorean Art.</b> After Terpsichore, one of the Nine -Muses, who presided over dancing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Terra-cotta.</b> Italian for “baked earth”--<em>i.e.</em> clay.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Texas.</b> Indian for “the place of protection,” where a -colony of French refugees were kindly received -in 1817.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='THALER'></a><b>Thaler.</b> Originally called a Joachims-Thaler, because this -German coin was struck out of silver found in the -thal, or dale, of St Joachim in France about 1518. -From this “Thaler” the term “Dollar” has been -derived.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thames.</b> To assert that this name has been derived from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span>the Latin (?) <em>Thamesis</em>, “the broad Isis,” or that it -expresses the conjunction of the Thame and the Isis, -is ridiculous. The word is wholly Celtic, from <em>tam</em>, -smooth, and <em>esis</em>, one of the many variants of the -original <em>uisg</em>, water. It is quite true that that portion -of our noble river which flows past Oxford is called -the Isis, but the name is scholastic only, and cannot -be found in any ancient charter or historical document. -<em>Thames</em> simply means smooth water, or, if we care to -admit it, “the smooth Isis.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thames Street.</b> Runs parallel to the river on the north -bank.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thanet Place.</b> This <em>cul de sac</em> at the eastern end of the -Strand received its name from the Earl of Thanet, the -owner of the land prior to 1780.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thavie’s Inn.</b> A range of modern buildings on the site of -an ancient appendage to Lincoln’s Inn, so called by -the Benchers in honour of John Thavie, an armourer, -who when he died in 1348 left a considerable amount -of property to the parish church of St Andrew.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Theobalds Road.</b> So called because James I. was wont -to pass along it on the way to his favourite hunting-seat -at Theobalds in Hertfordshire. See “<a href='#KINGSGATESTREET'>Kingsgate Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thespian Art.</b> After Thespis, the Father of the Greek -Drama.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thirteen Cantons.</b> A tavern sign <a id='corr354.27'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='off,'>off</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_354.27'><ins class='correction' title='off,'>off</ins></a></span> -Golden Square, complimentary to the Cantons of Switzerland, at a -time when Soho was as much a Swiss colony as it is -now French.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thomas Street.</b> In honour of Thomas Guy, the founder -of the Hospital, also named after him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thomists.</b> Those who accepted the teaching of St Thomas -Aquinas, in opposition to that of John Duns Scotus -relative to the Immaculate Conception.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Threadneedle Street.</b> A corruption of, first, “Thridneedle,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>and later “Three-Needle” Street, so called from the -arms of the Needlemakers’ Company.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Three Chairmen.</b> A tavern sign in Mayfair, this house -being the regular resort of gentlemen’s servants in the -days when sedan-chairs were fashionable.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='THREEEXES'></a><b>Three Exes.</b> The nickname of the 30th Regiment of -Foot (XXX).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Three Kings.</b> An inn sign derived from the Magi or -Three Wise Men who came to adore the new-born -Saviour at Bethlehem.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Three Men Wine.</b> The name borne by a very bad wine -which requires two men to hold the victim, while a -third pours it down his throat.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Three Nuns.</b> A tavern sign in Aldgate, reminiscent of the -neighbouring priory of the Nuns of St Clare in ancient -times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Three Suns.</b> An inn sign derived from the device of -Edward IV. as King of England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Throgmorton Street.</b> After the wealthy London banker, -Sir Nicholas Throgmorton.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Throw up the Sponge.</b> Originally a boxing expression. -When a prize-fighter had been badly bruised in the -first round he often declined the sponge offered to -him by his second, or, in a sudden fit, threw it up in -the air, declaring he had had enough of it; hence to -“throw up the sponge” is to acknowledge oneself -beaten.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thundering Legion.</b> The name ever afterwards borne -by that Roman legion which, <span class='fss'>A.D.</span> 179, overthrew the -power of the Alemanni by defeating them during a -thunderstorm, which was thought to have been sent to -them in answer to the prayers of the Christians.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thurlow Place.</b> After Lord Chancellor Thurlow, whose -residence was in Great Ormond Street, close by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Thursday.</b> The day of Thor, the God of Thunder, in the -Scandinavian mythology.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span><a id='TIEDHOUSE'></a><b>Tied House.</b> A public-house owned or financed by a firm -of brewers, with the result that the nominal landlord -is not allowed to replenish his stock from any other -brewer.</p> -<p class='c010'><b>Tierra del Fuego.</b> Spanish for “land of fire,” so called -from a volcano on the largest island which throws up -flame and smoke visible a very great distance out at -sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tight.</b> Intoxicated, because a person in this state generally -clutches tight hold of a street lamppost or a convenient -railing when unable to walk home after a -debauch.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tighten your Purse Strings.</b> See “<a href='#PURSESTRINGS'>Purse Strings</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tilbury.</b> The ancient form of the name of the village two -miles west of Tilbury Fort was <em>Tillaburgh</em>, after one -Tilla, a Saxon, of whom, however, nothing is now -known. A small two-wheeled gig without a cover is -called a Tilbury, after a London sportsman who -introduced it nearly a century ago.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tinker.</b> A corruption of “tinner,” or tin-worker. This -has given rise to the verb “to tinker,” which meant -originally to hammer lightly at a thing after the style -a tinman, without being able to repair it in a -thoroughly workman-like manner.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='TINTORETTO'></a><b>Tintoretto.</b> The better known name of the famous Italian -painter, Jacopo Robusti, because his father was a -<em>tintore</em>, or dyer.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tobacco.</b> From <em>tobaco</em>, the inhaling tube of the North -American Indians. By the Spaniards alone has the -original spelling of the name, now given universally to -the fragrant weed itself, been preserved.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tobago Island.</b> So called by Columbus on account of its -resemblance to the inhaling tube of the Indians, the -<em>tobaco</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toddy.</b> From the Hindoo <em>taudi</em>, a stimulating beverage -made from the juice of various palm-trees.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='TOFF'></a><b>Toff.</b> A vulgar corruption of the University term “Tuft,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>a young nobleman who pays high fees and is distinguished -by a golden tuft or tassel on his cap.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toggery.</b> A term derived from the same source as -“Togs.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Togs.</b> Slang for clothes, but originally derived from <em>toga</em>, -the characteristic male garment of the Romans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tokay.</b> An excellent white wine produced in the district -of the same name in Upper Hungary.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tokenhouse Yard.</b> Marks the site of the ancient Token-House, -which came into existence through the insufficiency -of small copper coinage. A number of -Nuremberg “tokens” having been introduced into this -country, tradesmen imported large quantities of them -for purposes of small (halfpenny and farthing) change, -but instead of being kept in circulation such tokens -were afterwards exchanged by the inhabitants of the -city for their face value at the Token-House. About -the same time various municipalities throughout the -country manufactured their own tokens. The London -Token-House was swept away by the Great Fire and -never rebuilt.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toledo.</b> From the Hebrew <em>H’toledoth</em>, “generations,” -“families,” relative to the Jewish founders of the city.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tom Folio.</b> The sobriquet of Thomas Rawlinson, the -bibliomaniac.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tommy Atkins.</b> This general designation of an English -soldier arose out of the hypothetical name, “Thomas -Atkins,” which at one time figured in the Paymaster-General’s -monthly statement of accounts sent to the -War Office. So much money claimed by “Thomas -Atkins” meant, of course, the regular pay for the rank -and file.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tom Tidler’s Ground.</b> A corruption of “Tom the Idler’s -Ground.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tontine.</b> The name given to a system of reducing -the State Loans in France in 1653 after Lorenzo -Tonti, a Neapolitan protegé of Cardinal Mazarin, its -<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>projector. According to this system, when one subscriber -dies, the money accredited to him passes to -the others, until the last survivor inherits the whole -amount.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tooley Street.</b> Originally “St Olaff Street” after the -parish church dedicated to St Olaff or Olave. This -thoroughfare was in the time of the Commonwealth -known as “St Tulie Street,” of which its modern -name is an easy corruption.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toothpicks.</b> A nickname borne by the people of Arkansas -on account of the Bowie Knives carried by the early -settlers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Topaz.</b> From <em>topazios</em>, after <em>Topazos</em>, the Greek name of -an island in the Red Sea where this gem was anciently</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tories.</b> Originally, during the Restoration period, the -nickname <a id='corr358.15'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='betowed'>bestowed</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_358.15'><ins class='correction' title='betowed'>bestowed</ins></a></span> by the Protestants on their religious -and political opponents. This was in derisive allusion -to a band of outlaws that infested the bog districts of -Ireland, the word <em>toree</em> being Gaelic for a robber.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toronto.</b> Indian for “oak-trees beside the lake.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Torquatus.</b> See “<a href='#MANLIUSTORQUATUS'>Manlius Torquatus</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Torres Strait.</b> After the Spanish navigator, L. N. de -Torres, who discovered it in 1606.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Torrington Square.</b> After the family name of the first -wife of John, the sixth Duke of Bedford, the ancestor -of the great ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tothill Street.</b> A name which recalls the ancient manor -of Tothill, properly Toothill--<em>i.e.</em> beacon hill. Wherever -<em>toot</em> or <em>tot</em> appears in a place-name, it points to the -one-time existence of a beacon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Totnes.</b> A corruption of “Toot Ness,” the beacon on the -headland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tottenham.</b> From “Totham,” a corruption of <em>Toot ham</em>, -the house or hamlet by the beacon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tottenham Court Road.</b> So called ever since the days of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>Elizabeth because it then led to “Tottenham Court.” -This was an ancient manor, originally belonging to -St Paul’s, and held in the reign of Henry III. by -William de Tottenhall.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Touched him on the Raw.</b> Reminded him of something -which hurt his feelings. This expression arose -out of an ostler’s solicitude to avoid a sore place on a -horse while grooming him.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Toulon.</b> The <em>Telonium</em> of the Romans, so called after -Telo Martius, the tribune who colonised it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tractarians.</b> Those Oxford men who assisted Dr Pusey -with the composition of the famous “Tracts for the -Times,” as well as those who accepted the opinions -expressed therein.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trafalgar Square.</b> From the Nelson Column, set up in -1843, two years before the square itself was laid out as -it now exists.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Traitors’ Gate.</b> The riverside entrance to the Tower of -London reserved for State prisoners convicted of high -treason.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tramway.</b> An abbreviation of “Outram way,” after -Benjamin Outram of Derbyshire, who was the first -to place his sleepers end to end the whole length -of the rails, instead of crosswise, as on our railways. -Long before this, however, the word “Tram” had been -applied to a coal waggon or truck in the colliery -districts, while the rails on which a vehicle ran bore the -name of a “Tramroad.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Transformation Scene.</b> So called because in the good old -days of Pantomine the Fairy Queen was at this -juncture of the entertainment supposed to transform -the chief characters of the “opening” into Clown, -Pantaloon, Harlequin, Columbine, and Policeman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Transvaal.</b> Expresses the territory beyond the Vaal -River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Transylvania.</b> From the Latin <em>trans</em>, beyond, and <em>sylva</em>, -wood; this name was given by the Hungarians to the -country beyond their wooded frontier.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span><b>Trappists.</b> A strict Order of Cistercian Monks, so called -from their original home at La Trappe in Normandy, -established during the twelfth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Treacle Bible.</b> A rare version of the Scriptures, so called -on account of the rendering of the passage (Jeremiah -viii. 22): “Is there no balm in Gilead?” as “There is -no more traicle at Gilead.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trent.</b> Celtic for “winding river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tried in the Balance and Found Wanting.</b> An expression -founded on the belief of the ancient Egyptians -that the souls of men were weighed after death.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trilbies.</b> Colloquial for feet, because Trilby in the novel -and the play named after the heroine appears in bare -feet.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trilby.</b> A soft felt hat of the kind popularised by the -heroine of the famous Haymarket Theatre play, -<em>Trilby</em>, founded upon the late George du Maurier’s -equally famous novel of the same title.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trinidad Island.</b> The name given to it by Columbus as an -emblem of the Trinity, relative to its three mountain -peaks which, when seen from afar, he at first imagined -rose from three different islands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trinitarians.</b> Those who accept the doctrine of the Holy -Trinity as opposed to the Unitarians; also the -original designation of the “Crutched Friars,” or Friars -of the Holy Trinity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trinity House.</b> This had its origin in an ancient guild -incorporated in 1529 under the title of “The Master-Wardens -and Assistants of the Guild, or Fraternity, or -Brotherhood, of the Most Glorious and Undivisible -Trinity, and St Clement, in the parish of Deptford, -Stroud, in the County of Kent.” The present building -dates from 1795.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trinity Sunday.</b> That which follows Whitsunday, pursuant -to the good old Catholic custom of allowing religious -exercises, specifically the partaking of the Holy Communion, -to be performed within the octave, or eight -days, of a great feast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span><b>Tristan d’Acunha.</b> After the Portuguese navigator who -discovered this island in 1651.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trithing.</b> See “<a href='#RIDING'>Riding</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trump Street.</b> After the makers of trumpets, who, in the -days of public pageants and processions, here had -their workshops.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Trust.</b> Another word for a “Combine” or “Corner,” -with this difference that its members are pledged to -stand by one another, and faithfully maintain the -high prices their action has brought about.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tudors.</b> This royal house received its name from Owen -Tudor, a Welsh soldier, who while stationed at Windsor, -contracted a secret marriage with Catherine, the -widowed queen of Henry V.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tuesday.</b> In the Scandinavian mythology the day set -apart for the worship of <em>Tiw</em>, the God of War.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tuft.</b> See “<a href='#TOFF'>Toff</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tulle.</b> From the French town of the same name, where this -fabric was first made.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tumble to it.</b> This phrase is a vulgar perversion of -“stumble upon it”--<em>i.e.</em> the meaning or comprehension -of a thing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tunis.</b> Anciently <em>Tunentum</em>, after the <em>Tunes</em>, who peopled -the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turin.</b> Called by the Romans <em>Augusta Taurisonum</em>, the -capital of the <em>Taurini</em>.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turkestan.</b> Conformably to the Persian <em>stan</em>, the country -of the Turks.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turkey.</b> From “Turkia,” the Celtic suffix expressing the -country of the Turks. The bird of this name was -long thought to be a native of Turkey; it was, however, -introduced to Europe from North America early in -the sixteenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turnagain Lane.</b> So called because it ends at a high -brick wall, and the pedestrian has no alternative but to -retrace his steps.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span><b>Turnmill Street.</b> A name which recalls the days when an -old mill, whose sails turned with the wind, stood in -the pleasant meadow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turpentine State.</b> North Carolina, from the turpentine -found in its great pine forests.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Turquoise.</b> From Turkey, the country where this precious -stone was first found.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tuscany.</b> The territory of the Etruscans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tweed.</b> It is perfectly true that this cloth is fabricated in -the vicinity of the River Tweed, but the name is -really a corruption of “Twill,” which word, in an -invoice sent to James Locke in London, being blotted, -looked like “tweed,” and the customer thought the -cloth might as well be called by that name as by its -original.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Twelfth Night.</b> That which brought the Christmas holidays -and festivities to a close in former days. In the -morning the people went to church to celebrate the -Feast of the Epiphany, afterwards they gave themselves -up right merrily to indoor amusements.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Twickenham.</b> When Pope resided in this pretty up-river -village its name was “Twitnam” for short, but it -meant the same as of yore, a hamlet located between -two rivulets of the Thames. The word is Anglo-Saxon, -cognate with the modern German <em>zwischen</em>, -between, and <em>heim</em>, a home.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Twill.</b> From the German <em>zwillich</em>, “trellis work,” so -called from the diagonal ribs distinguished on the surface -of this cloth.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Two Fours.</b> The 44th Regiment of Foot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Two Sevens.</b> The 77th Regiment of Foot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Two Twos.</b> The 22nd Regiment of Foot.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tyburn.</b> A corruption of <em>Twa-burne</em>, “two streams,” the -one from Bayswater, the other from Kilburn, which -met on the spot where the public executions formerly -took place and the Marble Arch now stands.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Tyne.</b> Another variant of the Celtic <em>tain</em>, river.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span><span class='large'>U</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><b>Uisquebaugh.</b> From <em>uisge</em>, water, and <em>beatha</em>, life, the -national drink of the Irish people. Out of this we -have derived the English term “Whisky.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ukase.</b> From the Russian <em>ukasat</em>, to speak.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ukraine.</b> Expresses the Slavonic for a “frontier -country.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ultramarine.</b> Another name for “Saunders Blue,” introduced -to England from beyond the sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Umber.</b> From Umbria in Italy, where this pigment was -first obtained.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Umbrella.</b> From the Latin <em>umbra</em>, a shade. The -original function of such an article was to act as a -shelter against the scorching rays of the sun, similar -to those monster white or coloured umbrellas one -sees in a Continental market-place. It was Jonas -Hanway who first diverted it from its proper use. -See “<a href='#HANWAYSTREET'>Hanway Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='UNCLE'></a><b>Uncle.</b> How this name came to be applied to a pawnbroker -was as follows:--Before the “spout” was -introduced all those pledges which consisted of -clothing were attached to a very large book, or <em>uncus</em> -as it was called, conformably to the Latin description -of the article, since the Lombards were the earliest -pawnbrokers of history. When this <em>uncus</em> could -accommodate nothing more, the rope from which it -depended was unslung from the ceiling, and laid -across the shoulders of an assistant, who then carried -the whole collection to the store-rooms overhead. -Hence an article which had been pledged was said to -have “Gone to the Uncus,” or, as the modern phrase -has it, “Gone to my Uncle’s.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Uncle Sam.</b> The national nickname of the United States. -This arose out of the initials “U.S.,” which the -Government caused to be painted or branded on all -its stores just as the Government property in this -<span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span>country is marked with a broad arrow. Since it -happened that the official whose duty it was to see -this marking properly carried out was known among -his numerous acquaintance as “Uncle Sam,” the general -impression obtained that the letters really applied to -him, as evidence that the goods had passed through -his hands. In this way “Uncle Sam” bequeathed -his name to a great nation.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Uncle Sam’s Ice-box.</b> Alaska, so called on account of -its northern situation. Prior to the year 1867 this -territory belonged to Russia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='UNDERTAKER'></a><b>Undertaker.</b> Specifically one who in former days undertook -to be responsible for the custody of a corpse -until the moment that it was lowered into the grave. -This was the <span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><em>raison d’être</em></span> of the two “mutes” -stationed by him at the door of the house by day -and by night as guards.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Underwriter.</b> One who accepts the responsibility of -insuring a vessel or its merchandise by signing his -name at the foot of the policy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Unionists.</b> Those who are opposed to Home Rule for -Ireland; now identified with the Conservative Party.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='UNIONJACK'></a><b>Union Jack.</b> The first part of this name has, of course, -reference to the Union of England and Scotland in -the person of James I., but the application of the -word “Jack” to our national flag is not so easily -disposed of. Nevertheless, reference to our note on -“Jack-boots” will afford the reader a key to the -question. Twenty-six of such “Jacques,” emblazoned -with the arms of St George, were ordered by Edward -III. for one of his warships. Designed primarily for -the defence of his soldiers when in fighting array, -they were placed in a row along the low bulwarks -while the vessel was sailing, just as the Romans and -the hardy Norsemen disposed of their shields at sea. -After this statement it should not be difficult to see -how the Cross of St George displayed on a <em>jacque</em> -lent its name at first to the staff from which the -English flag was flown, and later to the flag itself.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span><b>Unitarians.</b> Those who are opposed to the doctrine of -the Trinity, denying, as they do, the Godhead or -divinity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. This -tenet was promulgated by Lælius Socinus, an Italian -theologian, in 1546.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>United Brethren.</b> Another name for the religious sect -styled the “Moravians.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>University.</b> From the Latin <em>universitatis</em>, the whole. This -word expresses the various distinct colleges and halls -at Oxford, Cambridge, and elsewhere, incorporated by -a royal charter as one great educational centre.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Unlearned Parliament.</b> See “<a href='#DUNCES'>Parliament of Dunces</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Unready.</b> See “<a href='#ETHELRED'>Ethelred the Unready</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Up a Tree.</b> Completely cornered, yet defiant; the allusion -is to the refuge of a tree-branch against the attack of -a bull stationed beneath it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Upper Berkeley Street.</b> See “<a href='#BERKELEYSTREET'>Berkeley Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Upper Crust.</b> A modern term for the aristocracy, because -it was formerly considered a mark of high honour to -allow the most distinguished guest to cut off the top -of the loaf at table.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Upper Seymour Street.</b> After the Seymours, from whom -the Portmans, owners of the estate, are descended.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Upper Ten.</b> Short for “The Upper Ten Thousand,” -which, at the time when N. P. Willis first made use of -the term, was the approximate number of fashionables -or really well-to-do in the city of New York.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Uppertendom.</b> An Americanism for the aristocracy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Upper Thames Street.</b> The western portion of Thames -Street between London and Blackfriars Bridges.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Up the Spout.</b> This expression requires no elucidating. -Nevertheless, there was a time when a pawnbroking -establishment had not the convenience of a “spout,” -and because this was so, the matter-of-fact tradesman -<span class='pageno' id='Page_366'>366</span>earned for himself the endearing title of “My Uncle.” -See “<a href='#UNCLE'>Uncle</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Up to Snuff.</b> Said of one who has a keen scent for reckoning -up his neighbours.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b><a id='corr366.5'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='Uraguay'>Uruguay</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_366.5'><ins class='correction' title='Uraguay'>Uruguay</ins></a></span>.</b> Expresses the Brazilian for “the golden water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ural.</b> A Tartar word for “belt.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Usher.</b> From the old French <em>huisher</em>, door, signifies a -doorkeeper.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Usk.</b> A variant of the Celtic <em>uisg</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Ursulines.</b> An Order of nuns named after St Ursula, who -suffered martyrdom at Cologne in the tenth century.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Utah.</b> After an Indian tribe, the Yuta or Utes, encountered -in the region so named.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Utilitarianism.</b> A word implying “the happiness of the -greatest number.” In this sense it was first popularised -by John Stuart Mill, after Jeremy Bentham had promulgated -a similar ethical religion under the style of -“Utility.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Utopia.</b> From the Greek <em>ou</em>, not, and <em>topos</em>, place, this -compound term signifies “nowhere,” “no such place.” -Ideas and Systems are said to be “Utopian” when -they cannot be accepted by the average reasoning mind.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> -<div class='nf-center c014'> - <div><span class='large'>V</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c010'><b>Valance.</b> From Valencia in Spain, where bed drapery -was at one time made for the supply of the world’s -markets.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Valencias.</b> Raisins grown in the Spanish province of -Valencia, which name, relative to the capital city, -means “powerful, strong.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Valenciennes.</b> Lace made at the French town of the same -name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Valentines.</b> See “<a href='#VALENTINES'>St Valentine’s Day</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Valparaiso.</b> Expresses the Spanish for “Vale of Paradise.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vamoose.</b> An Americanism for “decamp,” “run along,” -“be off.” This had its origin in the Spanish <em>vamos</em>, -“let us go.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_367'>367</span><b>Vanbrugh Castle.</b> This castellated mansion at Blackheath -was built by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1717.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vancouver Island.</b> Discovered by Captain Vancouver -while searching for an inlet on the west coast of North -America in 1792.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Van Diemen’s Land.</b> The name first given by Tasman, -its discoverer, in 1642, to what is now “Tasmania,” in -compliment to the daughter of the Dutch Governor of -Batavia.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vandyke.</b> A pointed lace collar, always distinguished in -the portraits painted by Sir Anthony Vandyck. Also -a peculiar shade of brown colour used by him for his -backgrounds.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vassar College.</b> Founded in the state of New York by -Matthew Vassar in 1861 for the higher education of -women. This might be said to constitute the Girton -College of the New World.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vaudeville.</b> The name given to a short, bright dramatic -piece interspersed with songs set to familiar airs, after -Vaudevire, a village in Normandy, where Olivier -Basselin, the first to compose such pieces, was born. -The Vaudeville Theatre in the Strand was built for -entertainments of this class.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vauxhall.</b> After Jane Vaux, the occupant of the manor -house in 1615. This name, however, would seem to -have been corrupted in modern times, since the manor -was originally held soon after the Norman Conquest -by Fulka de Breante. The manor house might consequently -have been in those far-off days described as -“Fulkes Hall.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Venerable Bede.</b> The Saxon historian merited the surname -of “Venerable” because he was an aged man -and also an ecclesiastic.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Venezuela.</b> Finding that the Indian villages in this -country were uniformly built upon piles in the water, -the Spaniards gave it their native term for “Little -Venice.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_368'>368</span><b>Venice.</b> After the <em>Veneti</em>, the early inhabitants of the -district.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vernier.</b> After Pierre Vernier, the inventor of the instrument.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vere Street.</b> After the De Veres, owners of the estate -before it passed to the Harleys.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Verger.</b> From the French <em>verge</em>, a rod, the name borne -by the custodian of a cathedral or minster, because -in common with official attendants, he formerly carried -a rod or staff of office.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vermicelli.</b> Italian for “little worms.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vermont.</b> A corruption of “Verd Mont,” in allusion to -its green mountains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vermuth.</b> The white wine tinctured with bitter herbs -appropriately bears this name derived from the Anglo-Saxon -<em>wermod</em>, wormwood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Verulam Buildings.</b> This portion of Gray’s Inn was -named in honour of Lord Bacon, created Baron -Verulam and Viscount St Albans.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Veto.</b> This word is Latin for “I forbid.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vicar.</b> From the Latin <em>vicarius</em>, in place of another. See -“Rector.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vichy Water.</b> So called because drawn from the celebrated -springs at Vichy in France.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Victoria.</b> The carriage of this name was introduced in -1838, the coronation year of the late Queen Victoria. -Much about the same time the Australian colony so -designated in her honour was first colonised.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Victoria Regia.</b> So called because it was brought to England -from Guiana soon after the accession of Queen -Victoria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Victoria Street.</b> After Queen Victoria, in the early years of -whose reign it was cut through and built upon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vienna.</b> From a small stream, the Wien, from which the -city received its German name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_369'>369</span><b>Vignette.</b> Expressing the French for a “little vine,” this -name was given to an early style of photograph, and -also to a book engraving that faced the title-page, on -account of the vine leaves and tendrils that surrounded -it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vigo Street.</b> In honour of the capture of Vigo by Lord -Cobham in 1719, shortly before this street was built -upon.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Viking.</b> From the Icelandic <em>vik</em>, a creek, the usual lurking-place -of the northern pirates.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Villain.</b> Although signifying originally a mean, low fellow, -but by no means one of reprehensive morals as now, -this term was applied to a labourer on a farm or a -country seat. To argue this point with the humble day-labourer -who trims the shrubs at a suburban villa in -our own time, would serve no useful purpose.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Villiers Street.</b> One of the group of streets the names of -which perpetuate the memory of George Villiers, Duke -of Buckingham, whose town mansion hereabouts was -approached from the river by the old water gate, still -in existence.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vinegar.</b> From the French <em>vinaigre</em>, “sour wine.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vinegar Bible.</b> So called from the substitution of the word -“vinegar” for “vineyard” in the headline to Luke xx., -printed at the Clarendon Press in 1717.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vinegar Yard.</b> Wherever this corrupted term is met with -in London it points to a “vineyard” originally belonging -to a religious order. That in Clerkenwell was -attached to the Priory of the Knights of St John of -Jerusalem, that adjoining Drury Lane Theatre to St -Paul’s Convent in what is now Covent Garden.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vine Street.</b> Recalls the existence of a vineyard at Westminster -and off Piccadilly, anciently held by the abbots -of the venerable pile of St Peter’s at Westminster.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Vintry.</b> This ward of the city of London was anciently -the “place of” the vintners, or wine merchants who -came from Bordeaux.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_370'>370</span><b>Virginals.</b> An early example of keyed musical instrument -resembling the pianoforte. Also this was played upon -with some degree of skill by Queen Elizabeth, the so-called -“Virgin Queen,” and is said to have given her -name to the instrument. It was, however, well known -long before her time, having been used by nuns in convents -to accompany hymns to the Virgin.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Virginia.</b> Named by Sir Walter Raleigh in honour of -Elizabeth, the “Virgin Queen.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Virginia Bible.</b> A translation of the Scriptures into the -native tongue of the Indians of the state of Virginia, -first printed in 1661. Copies are said to be worth at -least £200.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Virgin Mary’s Body Guard.</b> The 7th Dragoon Guards, -because this regiment once served under Maria Theresa -of Austria.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Voltaire.</b> The anagrammatic literary pseudonym of François -Marie Arouet, formed as follows:--“Arouet l. j.” (le -jeune).</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Volume.</b> From the Latin <em>volvo</em>, I roll. The earliest -documents or writings consisted of long rolls of the -Egyptian papyrus, and when these were rolled up each -one corresponded to what the moderns called a volume. -See “<a href='#ROLLCALL'>Roll Call</a>.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>W</h3> - -<p class='c012'><b>Wadham College.</b> Founded at Oxford by Nicholas -Wadham in 1613.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walbrook.</b> From a pleasant stream of clear water which, -after skirting the wall of St Stephen’s Church, behind -where the Mansion House now stands, ran southward, -to empty itself into the Thames at Dowgate.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Waldenses.</b> The followers of Peter Waldo, a merchant -of Lyons, who towards the end of the twelfth century -had the four Gospels translated for the benefit of the -people, and was unsparing in his denunciation of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_371'>371</span>clergy. With the Albigenses of Languedoc these -people, who entered with their leader into the valleys -of Dauphine and Piedmont, may be regarded as the -earliest of the Reformers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wales.</b> This Celtic territory, which was never even penetrated -by the Anglo-Saxons, received the name of -“Wallia,” signifying the country of the <em>Wahlen</em> or -<em>Wahls</em>, foreigners.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walham Green.</b> The original spelling of this name -“Wahlheim,” expressed from the Anglo-Saxon point -of view a home or settlement of the <em>Wahls</em> or -foreigners.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walk a Virginia Fence.</b> An American phrase applied to -a drunken man. In Virginia the rail fences are constructed -in a zig-zag manner, whence they are also -called “worm fences.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walking Gentlemen.</b> In theatrical parlance, one who -plays the part of a gentleman or noble on the stage; -he may not have much to say, but his bearing must be -above reproach. The plays of Shakespeare abound in -parts of this kind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walk the Chalk.</b> An Americanism for to act straight or -keep in the right path.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wallop.</b> In the year 1514 the French fleet ravaged the -coast of Sussex, and burned Brighthelmstone, now -Brighton, whereupon Sir John Wallop, one of the -best naval commanders of his time, was sent by Henry -VIII. to make reprisals. In this he succeeded only -too well; he burned twenty-one French coasting -villages, demolished several harbours, and thrashed -the enemy to his heart’s content. His men, however, -proud of the achievement, declared that they had -Walloped the French; and thus it was that a new -synonym for “thrash” came to be incorporated into -the English language.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Waltham.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Waldheim</em>, the home or -settlement in the wood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_372'>372</span><b>Waltz.</b> From the German “Waltzer,” the name of the -dance, and <em>waltzen</em>, to roll, relative to the revolutions -made by the pairs of dancers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Walworth.</b> Originally a settlement of the <em>Wahls</em>, or -foreigners, descendants of the Danes (see “<a href='#SOUTHWARK'>Southwark</a>”). -This district became in Anglo-Saxon days a -<em>worth</em>, or manor, from which Sir William Walworth, -the Lord Mayor who slew Wat Tyler, derived his -family name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wandsworth.</b> Anciently described as “Wandlesworth,” -the manor watered by the River Wandle.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wapentake.</b> Expresses the Saxon for “a touching of -arms.” This territorial division, which obtained in -Yorkshire in the time of the Anglo-Saxons, and corresponded -to the “Hundred” elsewhere, received its -name from the periodical meeting of the champions -of each hundred to touch spears and swear to defend -the common cause.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wardour Street.</b> After Wardour Castle, the seat of the -ground landlord, Lord Arundel of Wardour.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wardrobe Terrace.</b> Marks the site of the ancient -“Wardrobe,” when our sovereigns resided in what -was styled “Tower Royal” hard by.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Warwick.</b> From the Anglo-Saxon <em>Wærwic</em>, “war town,” -so called on account of its permanent garrison of -soldiers.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Warwick Lane.</b> From the town mansion of the Beauchamps, -Earls of Warwick.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Warwick Road.</b> After the Earls of Warwick, owners of -the Earl’s Court estate before it passed to the Holland -family.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Washington.</b> Laid out under the superintendence of -George Washington, the first President of the United -States. This seat of the Government was honoured -with his name.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Water Lane.</b> Prior to the construction of Victoria Street -this winding lane led down to the Thames.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_373'>373</span><b>Waterloo Bridge.</b> So called because it was declared open -18th June 1817, the anniversary of the battle of -Waterloo.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Waterloo Park.</b> After Sir Sidney Waterloo, who presented -it to the public.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Waterloo Place.</b> So called as a military set-off to Trafalgar -Square when the Duke of York’s column was erected -by public subscription in 1833. The statues of -famous British generals around this open space are -quite in keeping with the design.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Water Poet.</b> The literary sobriquet of John Taylor, who -was a Thames waterman.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Watling Street.</b> A corruption of <em>Vitellina Strata</em>, “the -road of Vitellius,” so called because this great Roman -highway from Dover to Cardigan in Wales was projected -by the Emperor Vitellius, and those portions of -it in London and elsewhere were constructed during -his reign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Watteau.</b> See “<a href='#ALAWATTEAU'>Á la Watteau</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Way Down.</b> An Americanism for “down the way to” -<em>e.g.</em>--“Way down the lone churchyard.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wayzgoose.</b> A printers’ summer outing, so called from the -wayz or stubble goose which, when the outing took -place later in the season, was the invariable dinner -dish. The term <em>wayz</em> is from the Dutch <em>wassen</em> and -German <em>waschen</em>, to grow; hence a goose that has -fattened among the stubble after the harvest has been -gathered.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wedding Breakfast.</b> The nuptial banquet had in Catholic -days a real significance, when, having fasted from midnight, -the entire party attended Mass, and partook of -the Communion. At the close of the marriage -ceremony the priest regaled them with wine, cakes, -and sweetmeats in the church porch by way of -breakfast.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wednesday.</b> In the Scandinavian mythology this was -“Wodin’s Day,” or that set apart for the worship of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_374'>374</span>Odin or Wodin, the god of magic and the inventor of -the Arts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wedgwood Ware.</b> The style of pottery invented or introduced -by Josiah Wedgwood in 1775.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Weeping Cross.</b> A cross set up on the way to a churchyard -where the coffin was rested for a brief space while -prayers were offered up for the soul of the deceased. -The wailing of the women generally interrupted the -proceedings.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Weeping Philosopher.</b> Heraclitus of Ephesus, who voluntarily -embittered the declining years of his existence -by <a id='corr374.12'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='weeplng'>weeping</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_374.12'><ins class='correction' title='weeplng'>weeping</ins></a></span> over the folly of mankind.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wedlock Street.</b> After Welbeck Abbey, the seat of the -Duke of Portland, the great ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wellingborough.</b> Anciently “Wellingbury,” on account of -the medicinal wells or springs which abound in its -vicinity.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wellington.</b> This province and capital city of New -Zealand received the name of the Duke of Wellington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wellington Boots.</b> After the Duke of Wellington.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wellington Street.</b> In honour of the Duke of Wellington, -because it leads to Waterloo Bridge.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wells Street.</b> A corruption of “Well Street,” after Well in -Yorkshire, the seat of the Strangeways family, from -whom Lady Berners, owner of the estate, was descended.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Welsher.</b> The name borne by an absconding bookmaker -on a race-course was originally a “Welshman,” in -allusion to the old ditty: “Taffy was a Welshman, -Taffy was a thief.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Welsh Rabbit.</b> A popular corruption of “Welsh Rarebit.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wesleyan Methodists.</b> The name borne by that portion -of the Methodist sect which worship in chapels and -so-called churches, which was far from the intention -of their founder. See “<a href='#PRIMITIVEMETHODISTS'>Primitive Methodists</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wesleyans.</b> The followers of John Wesley, or “Methodists” -in general.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_375'>375</span><b>Wessex.</b> The great kingdom of the <em>West Seaxe</em>, or West -Saxons, under the Heptarchy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Westbourne Park.</b> The district formerly traversed by -the west bourne or stream between “Kilburn” and -“Bayswater.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>West Indies.</b> Those islands in the Caribbean Sea, which -Columbus imagined to form part of the great unknown -India, as approached from the west.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Westminster.</b> This name has been from time immemorial -given to the district of which the ancient fane tautologically -styled “Westminster Abbey” is the centre. -One does not speak of “York Minster Abbey” or -“Lincoln Minster Abbey.” A minster is a great -church in connection with a monastery. Since the -Reformation the abbeys have been swept away, the -Minsters remain. The earliest mention of “the -West Minster” occurs in a Saxon charter of 785, in -contradistinction to “the East Minster” that stood in -those days somewhere on Tower Hill. All trace of -this has been lost, yet it is possible that St Katherine’s -Hospital, now displaced by the docks of the same -name, grew out of it.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Westmorland.</b> The land peopled by the Westmorings, or -those of the Western moors.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Weymouth Street.</b> After Lord Weymouth, the son-in-law -of the ground landlord, the Duke of Portland.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='WHATSTHEDAMAGE'></a><b>What’s the Damage?</b> This expression arose out of the -damages awarded to a successful litigant in the Law -Courts.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whig Bible.</b> So called owing to the substitution of the -word “placemakers” for “peacemakers.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whigs.</b> An abbreviation of “Whigamores,” first applied -to the Scottish Covenanters in consequence of a -rising among the peasantry among the Lowland -moors called the “Whigamore Raid,” and finally to -that political party which strove to exclude the Duke -of York, James II., from the throne because he was a -Catholic. The term “Whigamore” arose out of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_376'>376</span>twin-syllabic cry “Whig-am!” of the teamsters and -ploughmen of those districts of Scotland to drive -their horses.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whisky.</b> An English form of the Irish “Uisquebaugh.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitby.</b> So called by the Danes when they took possession -of this abbey town on the cliffs, literally “white -town.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitebait.</b> On account of its silvery whiteness and because -it was at one time used exclusively for baiting crab and -lobster pots.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whiteboys.</b> A band of Irish insurgents who wore white -smocks over their ordinary garments.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitechapel.</b> As in the case of Westminster, this name -now expresses a district, and “Whitechapel Church” -sounds ridiculous. Its ancient designation was the -“White Chapel of St Mary.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitecross Street.</b> See “<a href='#REDCROSSSTREET'>Redcross Street</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitefriars Street.</b> In olden days this was the western -boundary of the Carmelite or White Friars’ Monastery, -built in 1245.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whitehall.</b> The central portion of the wide thoroughfare -between Charing Cross and Westminster. This -received its name from the Banqueting-hall of white -stone, originally part of a palace designed by Cardinal -Wolsey for the London house of the Archbishop of -York, and now the United Service Museum.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Hart.</b> An inn sign from the device of Richard II.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Hart Street.</b> After an ancient inn, “The White -Hart,” removed during the reign of George I.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White House.</b> The official residence of the President of -the United States at Washington, so called because it -is built of freestone painted white.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Quakers.</b> An offshoot of the Quaker sect, about -1840, who adopted white clothing.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Queen.</b> Mary Queen of Scots, who appeared in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_377'>377</span>white mourning for her murdered husband, Lord -Darnley.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Lion.</b> An inn sign from the badge of Edward IV. -as Earl of March.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Sea.</b> So called because during six months out of -each year it is frozen over and covered with snow.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>White Swan.</b> An inn sign complimentary to Edward III. -and Henry IV., whose badge it was.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whit Sunday.</b> A corruption of “White Sunday,” so called -from the earliest days of Christianity in England -because the catechumens or newly baptised attended -Mass, and received the Sacrament dressed in white, on -the Feast of Pentecost.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whittington Avenue.</b> After Sir Richard Whittington, -thrice Lord Mayor of London, who resided in this -neighbourhood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Whittington Stone.</b> The name of a tavern on Highgate -Hill, opposite to which is, according to tradition, the -identical stone on which Dick Whittington, the future -Lord Mayor of London, rested while listening to the -bells of Bow Church chiming across the pleasant -fields.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wicked Bible.</b> Wilfully or otherwise the word “not” is -omitted from this edition of the Scriptures, so that the -passage in Exodus xx. 14. reads: “Thou shalt commit -adultery.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wide-awake.</b> The slang term for a soft felt hat, because, -having no nap, it must always be wide awake.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Widow Bird.</b> A corruption of “Whydaw Bird,” from the -country in West Africa where it is found.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wigmore Street.</b> In common with several neighbouring -streets, this perpetuates one of the titles of Edward -Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, who in 1717 was -created Baron Harley of Wigmore in Herefordshire, the -ground landlord.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wilburites.</b> The <a id='corr377.36'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='othordox'>orthodox</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_377.36'><ins class='correction' title='othordox'>orthodox</ins></a></span> or strict members of the Society -<span class='pageno' id='Page_378'>378</span>of Friends in America under John Wilbur, as opposed -to the “Hicksite Friends.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>William the Lion.</b> The surname of this King of the Scots -was due to his selection of a lion rampant for his crest.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Willis’s Rooms.</b> See “<a href='#ALMACKS'>Almack’s</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Will Scarlet.</b> A euphonism invented by Robin Hood -for William Scathelocke, the real name of one of his -merry men.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wilton.</b> See “<a href='#WILTSHIRE'>Wiltshire</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='WILTSHIRE'></a><b>Wiltshire.</b> A corruption of “Wiltonshire,” or the Shire -of Wilton, which name in its original form, “Willy -Town,” expressed the town on the River Willy.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wimbledon.</b> Originally <em>Wibbadon</em>, expressing the Celtic -for a low-lying meadow or common belonging to one -Wibba.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wimpole Street.</b> After the country seat of the Harleys -on the Herefordshire and Cambridgeshire border.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Winchester Yard.</b> From Winchester House, the ancient -town mansion of the Bishops of Winchester.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Windermere.</b> Expresses the Anglo-Saxon for “clear -water lake.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Winchester.</b> Inhabited by the <em>Belgæ</em>, this stronghold, -called by them <em>Cær-Gwent</em>, “fortified enclosure on -the plain,” was after the Roman invasion made a -great centre of military activity under the Latinised -name of <em>Venta Belgarum</em>, which the West Saxons -changed into <em>Wintancæstre</em>, “the camp town of the -Winte,” whence its modern name has been derived.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Windmill Street.</b> A name suggestive of peaceful rusticity. -The thoroughfare in Finsbury so denominated marks -the site of three windmills that were erected on a -mound formed by the deposition of a thousand cart-loads -of human bones from the Charnel-house of St -Paul’s Cathedral by order of the Lord Protector -Somerset in 1549.</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_379'>379</span><b>Windsor.</b> Anciently described as “Windlesora,” the -winding shore.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wine Office Court.</b> From an ancient office where wine -licences were issued.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='WINNIPEG'></a><b>Winnipeg.</b> Indian for “lake of the turbid water.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wirepuller.</b> In allusion to the manipulators of the -figures at a marionette show.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wisconsin.</b> Indian for “wild-rushing channel.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Within an Ace.</b> Since the ace in a pack of cards is the -unit of pips, he who accomplishes anything by the -merest shave does so within a single mark.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wizard of the North.</b> Sir Walter Scott, so called on -account of the enchantment which, through his novels, -he exercised over the inhabitants of North Britain.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Woburn Square.</b> After Woburn Abbey, the ancestral -seat of the Duke of Bedford.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Woke up the Wrong Passenger.</b> An Americanism for -having made a mistake in the individual. This -originated in the Mississippi steamboats, the stewards -on board of which often call up the wrong passenger -at the stopping-places by night.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wolverhampton.</b> Anciently “Wulfrune’s Hampton,” so -called from the church and college of St Peter founded -by Wulfrune, the sister of King Edgar, in 996.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wolverine State.</b> Michigan, on account of the prairie -wolves which formerly infested this region. Its people -are called “Wolverines.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wood Green.</b> In old days this was a glade in Hornsey -Wood.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wood Street.</b> In this locality congregated the turners of -wooden cups, dishes, and measures of olden times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Woolly Heads.</b> An Americanism for the Negroes of the -southern states.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Woolsack.</b> The seat reserved for the Lord Chancellor in -the House of Lords, being a large sack stuffed with -<span class='pageno' id='Page_380'>380</span>wool, and covered with scarlet cloth, its object being -to keep him in constant reminder of the great importance -of the woollen manufacture in England.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Woolwich.</b> Anciently described as <em>Hylwich</em>, “hill town.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Worcester.</b> Known to the Anglo-Saxons as <em>Hwicwara -ceaster</em>, “the stronghold of the Huiccii.” The latter -portion of the name, however, proves that this must -have been a Roman encampment; the <em>Huiccii</em> were a -Celtic tribe.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Worcester College.</b> Originally known as Gloucester Hall, -this Oxford foundation was in 1714 enlarged and endowed -as a college by Sir Thomas Cooksey of Astley, -Worcestershire, who, not desiring his name to be -handed down to posterity, called it after his native -county.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Work a Dead Horse.</b> A journeyman’s phrase implying -that he has to set to work on the Monday morning -upon that for which he has already been paid on the -previous Saturday.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>World’s End.</b> A famous house of entertainment during -the reign of Charles II., so called on account of its -immense distance in those days out of London. Like -many other places of outdoor resort, it exists now only -as a public-house.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wormwood Street.</b> From the bitter herbs which sprang -up along the Roman Wall in ancient times.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Worsted.</b> After a town in Norfolk of the same name -where this fabric was of old the staple industry.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Writes like an Angel.</b> Dr Johnson said of Oliver Goldsmith: -“He writes like an angel and talks like a fool.” -The allusion was to Angelo Vergeco, a Greek of the -sixteenth century, noted for his beautiful handwriting.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wych Street.</b> This now vanished thoroughfare was -anciently <em>Aldwych</em>, “Old Town,” so called because -it led from St Clement Danes Church to the isolated -settlement in the parish of St Giles’s-in-the-Fields, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_381'>381</span>which in our time is known as Broad Street, Bloomsbury.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wye.</b> From the Welsh <em>gwy</em>, water.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Wyndham College.</b> The joint foundation at Oxford of -Nicholas and Dorothy Wyndham of Edge and Merefield, -Somersetshire, in 1611.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c016'>X</h2> -</div> - -<p class='c009'><b>X Ale.</b> The original significance of the X mark on beer -barrels was that the liquor had paid a ten shilling-duty. -Additional X’s are simply brewers’ trade marks, denoting -various degrees of strength over that of the -first X.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>XL’ers.</b> See “<a href='#EXELLERS'>Exellers</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>XXX’s.</b> See “<a href='#THREEEXES'>Three Exes</a>.”</p> - -<h3 class='c008'>Y</h3> - -<p class='c009'><b>Yale University.</b> After Elihu Yale, formerly Governor of -the East Indian Company’s settlement at Madras, -whose princely benefactions to the Collegiate School -of the State of Connecticut, founded by ten Congregational -ministers at Killingworth in 1701, -warranted the removal of that seat of learning to New -Haven fifteen years later.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yang-tse-Kiang.</b> Chinese for “great river.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yankee.</b> A term popularly applied at first to one born in -the New England states of North America owing to -the fact that <em>Yankees</em>, <em>Yangkies</em> and similar <a id='corr381.26'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='pepretrations'>perpetrations</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_381.26'><ins class='correction' title='pepretrations'>perpetrations</ins></a></span> -were the nearest approaches to the word “English,” -which the Indians of Massachusetts were capable of. -Afterwards it came to be applied to the people of the -continent generally.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yankee Jonathan.</b> The nickname of Jonathan Hastings, a -farmer of Hastings, Mass., on account of his addiction -<span class='pageno' id='Page_382'>382</span>to the word “Yankee,” used adjectively for anything -American. Thus he would say “a Yankee good -cider,” “a Yankee good horse,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yankee State.</b> Ohio, so called by the Kentuckians on -account of its many free institutions.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yarmouth.</b> The port situated at the mouth of the Yare. -See “<a href='#YARROW'>Yarrow</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yarn.</b> A spun-out story bears this name in allusion to the -thread out of which cloth is woven.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='YARROW'></a><b>Yarrow.</b> From the Celtic <em>garw</em>, rough, rapid.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yeddo.</b> Japanese for “river entrance.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yellow Book.</b> A French Government report, so called -from its yellow cover.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yellow Boy.</b> Slang for a sovereign.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yellow Jack.</b> A yellow flag which is flown from a vessel -in quarantine and from naval hospitals as a warning of -yellow fever or other contagious disease on board. -See “<a href='#UNIONJACK'>Union Jack</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yellow Press.</b> By this term is meant that section of the -Press which is given up to creating a scare or sensation. -It has been derived from what in the United States -bears the name of “Yellow-covered Literature,” consisting -of trashy sensation novels, published chiefly for -railway reading.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yellow Sea.</b> From the tinge imparted to its waters by the -immense quantities of alluvial soil poured into them -by the Yang-tse-Kiang River.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yendys.</b> The literary sobriquet of Sydney Dobell, being -simply his Christian name reversed.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yeoman’s Service.</b> Originally that rendered to the State -in time of war by volunteers of the Guilds or City -Companies. The term “Yeoman” is derived from the -German <em>gemein</em>, common, and applied in the sense of -enlistment for the common good.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yokohama.</b> Japanese for “Cross Shore.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_383'>383</span><b>York.</b> The <em>Eboracum</em> of the Romans, a Latinised rendering -of the British <em>Eurewic</em> (pronounced <em>Yorric</em>), “a -row of houses on the Eure,” which river is now called -the Ouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>York and Albany.</b> An omnibus stage in Camden Town -named after Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, the -second son of George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>York Gate.</b> The water gate, still standing, built for York -House, of which no other vestige remains.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>York Road.</b> This long road, parallel to the Great Northern -Railway at King’s Cross, owes its designation to the -circumstance that the line in question was originally -styled the “London and York Railway.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='STINGO'></a><b>Yorkshire Stingo.</b> A public-house sign indicating that the -celebrated ale of this name, due to the sting or sharpness -of its taste, is sold on the premises.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>York Street.</b> In Covent Garden, after James, Duke of -York, the second son of Charles I., and brother of -Charles II., subsequently James II. In Westminster, -from the erstwhile residence of Frederick, Duke of -York and Albany, son of George III.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Young Buffs.</b> The 31st Foot, whose uniforms were very -similar to those of the Buffs, or 3rd Foot--viz. scarlet -coats faced and lined with buff, and the remainder -wholly of buff-coloured material. Soon after their -formation in 1702 they distinguished themselves -greatly in action, whereupon the General rode up, exclaiming: -“Well done, old Buffs!” “But we are -not the Buffs,” some of the men replied. “Then, -well done, young Buffs,” was the retort, and the name -stuck to them ever after.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Young Nipper.</b> See “<a href='#NIPPER'>Nipper</a>.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Yucatan.</b> From <em>Yuca tan</em>, “What do you say?” which -was the only answer the Spaniards were able to obtain -from the aborigines when they asked them the name of -the country.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b><a id='corr383.37'></a><span class='htmlonly'><ins class='correction' title='ultide'>Yuletide</ins></span><span class='epubonly'><a href='#c_383.37'><ins class='correction' title='ultide'>Yuletide</ins></a></span>.</b> Christmastide, from the Norse <em>juul</em>, Christmas.</p> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_384'>384</span> - <h3 class='c008'>Z</h3> -</div> - -<p class='c009'><b>Zadkiel.</b> The literary sobriquet of Lieutenant Richard -James Morrison, author of “The Prophetic Almanack,” -after the angel of the planet Jupiter in the Jewish -mythology.</p> - -<p class='c010'><a id='ZANTIPPE'></a><b>Zantippe.</b> After the wife of Socrates, whose name has -become proverbial for a bad-tempered spouse.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zanzibar.</b> A European inversion of the Arabic <em>Ber-ez-Zuig</em>, -the coast of the Zangis, or Negroes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zeeland.</b> Expresses the Dutch for “Sea-land,” land reclaimed -from the sea.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas.</b> Duluth, so called -from its picturesque situation at the western extremity -of the Great Lakes.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zoroastrianism.</b> The religious system of the “Parsees” or -Fire-worshippers, introduced into Persia by Zoroaster -<em>circa</em> <span class='fss'>B.C.</span> 500.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zounds.</b> A corruption of “His Wounds,” or the Five -Sacred Wounds on the Body of the Redeemer. This -oath was first employed by John Perrot, a natural son -of Henry VIII. Queen Elizabeth was much addicted -to the exclamation “His Wounds,” but the ladies of -her Court softened it into “Zounds” and “Zouterkins.”</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zurich.</b> From the Latin <em>Thuricum</em>, in honour of Thuricus, -the son of Theodoric, who rebuilt the city after it had -been destroyed by Attila.</p> - -<p class='c010'><b>Zuyder Zee.</b> Properly <em>Zuider Zee</em>, the Dutch for “Southern -Sea,” relative to the North Sea or German Ocean.</p> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div>THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c000' /> -</div> -<p class='c001'><a id='endnote'></a></p> -<div class='tnotes'> - -<div class='nf-center-c1'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='large'>Transcriber’s Note</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c001'>Hyphens in words that occur on line-breaks are retained or -removed based upon the preponderance of other instances in the -text.</p> - -<p class='c001'>The numerous cross-references in this text are supported here by -hyperlinks. Note that there are several references to an entry for -“Wassail”, which is missing. A link is made to the entry for “Pig -and Whistle”, where the word is described. Similarly, the reference -to “Cop” in the entry for “Fair Cop” likely refers to “Copper”.</p> - -<p class='c001'>Where odd spellings are encountered without any other occurences, -allowances are made for the author’s possibly idiosyncratic manner, -and these are merely noted, but retained.</p> - -<p class='c001'>Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and -are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. -The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions.</p> - -<table class='table0' summary=''> -<colgroup> -<col width='12%' /> -<col width='69%' /> -<col width='18%' /> -</colgroup> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_21.27'></a><a href='#corr21.27'>21.27</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Verses w[r]itten in praise or dispraise</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_37.27'></a><a href='#corr37.27'>37.27</a></td> - <td class='c017'>an officer in the First Del[e/a]ware Regiment</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_40.30'></a><a href='#corr40.30'>40.30</a></td> - <td class='c017'>From the way in which [b/h]e adjusts</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_43.33'></a><a href='#corr43.33'>43.33</a></td> - <td class='c017'>generally a hired assas[s]in</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_94.30'></a><a href='#corr94.30'>94.30</a></td> - <td class='c017'>After William Farrin[g]don</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_101.5'></a><a href='#corr101.5'>101.5</a></td> - <td class='c017'>[w/t]hen Prince of Wales</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_117.13'></a><a href='#corr117.13'>117.13</a></td> - <td class='c017'>in the river near[ near] Fort Niagara</td> - <td class='c018'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_123.34'></a><a href='#corr123.34'>123.34</a></td> - <td class='c017'>[I/A]n inn sign anciently depicting</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_134.28'></a><a href='#corr134.28'>134.28</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Harvard U[u/n]iversity</td> - <td class='c018'>Inverted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_138.9'></a><a href='#corr138.9'>138.9</a></td> - <td class='c017'>It was according[ing]ly in the heel</td> - <td class='c018'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_157.22'></a><a href='#corr157.22'>157.22</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Maize, brought f[r]om the West Indies</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_163.30'></a><a href='#corr163.30'>163.30</a></td> - <td class='c017'>at the memorable s[ei/ie]ge of Ostend</td> - <td class='c018'>Transposed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_169.11'></a><a href='#corr169.11'>169.11</a></td> - <td class='c017'>appl[i]ed to dried beef</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_172.37'></a><a href='#corr172.37'>172.37</a></td> - <td class='c017'>the great [lexocographer]</td> - <td class='c018'><em>Sic</em>: lexicographer</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_179.12'></a><a href='#corr179.12'>179.12</a></td> - <td class='c017'>K[ah/ha]n.</td> - <td class='c018'>Transposed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_199.3'></a><a href='#corr199.3'>199.3</a></td> - <td class='c017'>from the Lat[a/i]n <em>liber</em></td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_201.7'></a><a href='#corr201.7'>201.7</a></td> - <td class='c017'>A distingu[i]shed musical executant</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_208.37'></a><a href='#corr208.37'>208.37</a></td> - <td class='c017'>in the manufacturing dist[r]icts</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_216.4'></a><a href='#corr216.4'>216.4</a></td> - <td class='c017'>in the her[io/oi]c defence of the city</td> - <td class='c018'>Transposed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_223.30'></a><a href='#corr223.30'>223.30</a></td> - <td class='c017'>After the magnific[i]ent sepulchral monument</td> - <td class='c018'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_224.1'></a><a href='#corr224.1'>224.1</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Maydew Che[e/r]ries.</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_254.23'></a><a href='#corr254.23'>254.23</a></td> - <td class='c017'>wore a grogram clo[c/o]ak</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_277.3'></a><a href='#corr277.3'>277.3</a></td> - <td class='c017'>From the Spanish <em>[pegueno] nino</em></td> - <td class='c018'><em>sic</em>: pequeno</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_285.22'></a><a href='#corr285.22'>285.22</a></td> - <td class='c017'>and other public announc[e]ments</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_309.32'></a><a href='#corr309.32'>309.32</a></td> - <td class='c017'>his invention of [“]Prince Rupert’s Drops,”</td> - <td class='c018'>Added.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_320.36'></a><a href='#corr320.36'>320.36</a></td> - <td class='c017'>to the queen of[ of] Henry III.</td> - <td class='c018'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_327.9'></a><a href='#corr327.9'>327.9</a></td> - <td class='c017'>A corruption of [“]St Chad’s Well,”</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_329.33'></a><a href='#corr329.33'>329.33</a></td> - <td class='c017'>being an abbrev[i]ation of “Companionship.”</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_337.31'></a><a href='#corr337.31'>337.31</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Called by the Ca[r]thaginians “Hispania,”</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_340.27'></a><a href='#corr340.27'>340.27</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Al[g]onquin for an Indian woman.</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_354.27'></a><a href='#corr354.27'>354.27</a></td> - <td class='c017'>A tavern sign off[,] Golden Square</td> - <td class='c018'>Removed.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_358.15'></a><a href='#corr358.15'>358.15</a></td> - <td class='c017'>the nickname be[s]towed by the Protestants</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_366.5'></a><a href='#corr366.5'>366.5</a></td> - <td class='c017'>Ur[a/u]guay.</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_374.12'></a><a href='#corr374.12'>374.12</a></td> - <td class='c017'>by weep[l/i]ng over the folly of mankind</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_377.36'></a><a href='#corr377.36'>377.36</a></td> - <td class='c017'>The [othordox/orthodox] or strict members</td> - <td class='c018'>Replaced.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_381.26'></a><a href='#corr381.26'>381.26</a></td> - <td class='c017'>and similar pe[r]petrations</td> - <td class='c018'>Inserted.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c017'><a id='c_383.37'></a><a href='#corr383.37'>383.37</a></td> - <td class='c017'>[Y]uletide.</td> - <td class='c018'>Restored.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Phrases and Names Their Origins and -Meanings, by Trench H. 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