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VICTORIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
TORONTO, ONTARIO

SOURCE:

ENCYCLO-
PEDIC
LIBRARY

NELSON'S ENCYCLOPAEDIC LIBRARY

ENGLISH IDIOMS

ENGLISH IDIOMS

BY

JAMES MAIN DIXON, M.A., F.R.S.E.

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE IMPERIAL
UNIVERSITY OF JAPAN

THOMAS NELSON AND SONS

LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN, LEEDS, PARIS
LEIPZIG, MELBOURNE, AND NEW YORK

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PREFACE.

IN the present volume, instead of attempting to divide
the work into chapters treating of " colloquial phrases,"
"cant phrases," "slang phrases," and so forth, I have
thrown the whole into alphabetical form, and have
marked by letters the category to which, in my opinion,
the phrases ought to belong. This classification may
be studied or may be neglected as suits the convenience
or the taste of the consulter.

The division chosen is fourfold, and in a descending
scale of dignity — Prose, Conversational, Familiar, Slang.
By Prose (P) phrases is understood such phrases as
Macaulay or Matthew Arnold might use in their serious
writings. Conversational (C) phrases, again, are suit-
able for use in social intercourse, at gatherings where
strangers are present, and where we weigh our words
before uttering them. Familiar (F) phrases are less
dignified, and are only in place where we are speaking
unreservedly among intimates. The lowest category of
all is that of Slang (S) phrases, which are generally of
a local or technical nature — that is, they are fully under-
stood only by those of a certain locality, coterie, or pro-
fession.

This volume does not pretend to exhaust the list
of slang phrases, but only to give those which have crept
into ordinary use, and are understood, although they

vi PREFACE.

may not be used, by all educated people. At least
eighty per cent, of the phrases are freshly gathered. I
must, however, gratefully acknowledge indebtedness to
Cassell's Encyclopedic Dictionary, to the Supplementary
English Glossary of Rev. T. L. O. Davies, to Wright's
Provincial Dictionary, to the fourth edition of Dr.
Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary, and to the Slang
Dictionary published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus.

J. M. D.

EXPLANATION OF SIGNS.

P. Good Prose. The phrase is used in serious composition.

C. Conversational. The phrase is used in polite conversation.

F. Familiar. The phrase is used in familiar conversation.

S. Slang.

ENGLISH IDIOMS.

A. — A 1 — first-class ; very good.
F. " A 1 " at Lloyd's is the
term applied to a vessel of the
best construction and in the
best condition for sailing.
Lloyd's Coffee-house in London
was the resort of sea-captains,
and the name " Lloyd's " is
still retained for the head-
quarters of the shipping in-
terest in London. Here people
get the latest shipping intel-
ligence and transact marine
insurances.

They say the snow's all packed
down already, and the going is A 1.
— W. D. HOWELLS.

" One of them takes his five pints
of ale a day, and never leaves off
smoking, even at his meals."

"He must be a first-rater," said
Sam.

"A 1," replied Mr. Roker.— DICK-

I ENS.

Explanation.— Mr. Roker replied
that ne was a first-rate fellow.

Aback. — To TAKE ABACK — to
surprise or astonish. P. Ori-
ginally a sea phrase ; used
when the sails were suddenly
shifted in order to stop the
vessel or give it a backward
motion.

The boy, in sea phrase, was taken
all aback.-Hooo.

Madame Mantilini still said no,
and said it, too, with such deter-
mined and resolute ill-temper that
Mr. Mantilini was clearly taken
aback.— DICKENS.

A B C. — THE A B C OF ANT

SUBJECT — its rudiments ; its
elementary principles. P.

Many farmers seem not at all in-
clined to observe the very A B C of
morality as regards the payment of
just debts.— Spectator, 1887.

Father and mother lived in King
Street, Soho. He was a fiddle-maker,
and taught me the A B C of that
science at odd times.— READE.

Abide. — To ABIDE BY — to ful-
fil ; to refuse to depart from ;
to carry out. P.
Who is the happy warrior? . . .
It is the generous spirit . . .
Who, with a natural instinct to dis-
cern
What knowledge can perform, is

diligent to learn ;
Abides by this resolve, and stops

not there,

But makes his moral being his first
care.— WORDSWORTH.
The rules were fixed, and I must
abide by them.— TYNDALL.

Counsellor Molyneux steadily
abided by his word.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

A b o v e. — A BOVE-BOAK D —
openly ; without trickery. C.
The man who cheats at cards
keeps his hands under the
table or board.

"I've no patience with you," he
said angrily. "Why can't you be
f airand above-board ?"— WM. BLACK.

Now all is open and above-board
with you.— A. TROLLOPS.

Abraham. — To SHAM ABRA-
HAM— (o) to feign sickness or

Abroad

distress. S. An Abraham-
man in England was a licensed
beggar, who, on account of
mental weakness, had been
placed in the Abraham Ward
of Bethlehem Hospital, and
was allowed on certain days
to go a-begging. Numerous
impostors took advantage of
this privilege.

I have heard people say
That sham Abraham you may,
But you mustn't sham Abraham

Newland.— From an Old Song.
Exp.—I have heard people say that
you may impose on people by a tale
of distress, but you must not impose
on Abraham Newland (who was
cashier to the Bank of England and
signed its notes. This, of course,
would be a penal offence).

(6) to dissimulate ; to pre-
tend ignorance. S.

"Ay, drat it; that you know as
well as I do, Gammon," replied Mr.
Quirk, with not a little eagerness
and trepidation. " Come, come, it's
rather late in the day to sham Abra-
ham."—S. WARREN.

Abroad. — ALL ABROAD — (a) in
a state of mental perplexity.
F.

The female boarder in black attire
looked so puzzled, and, in fact, all
abroad (perplexed), after the delivery
of this "counter" of mine, that I left
her to recover her wits, and went on
with the conversation.— HOLMES.

He is such a poor, cracked, crazy
creature, with his mind all abroad.—
A. TROLLOPS.

(6) having the senses con-
fused ; without complete con-
trol of one's organism. F.

At the twelfth round the latter
champion was all abroad, as the say-
ing is, and had lost all presence of
mind and power of attack or de-
fence.—THACKERAY.

THE SCHOOLMASTER IS ABROAD

— good education is spreading
everywhere. P.

Let the soldier be abroad if he
will, he can do nothing in this age.
There is another personage— a per-
sonage less imposing ; in the eyes of
some, perhaps, insignificant. The
schoolmaster is abroad, and I trust
to him, armed with his primer,
against the soldier in full military
array.— LORD BROUGHAM.

8 Act

Account. — ON ACCOUNT — in
part payment. A business
phrase, used when two persons
have dealings with each other,
and the account between them
is only partly settled by any
payment.

driver this half sov-
I Captain Able-
him It is on account,
a good fare."— B. L.

TO GIVE A GOOD ACCOUNT OF — •

to be successful with. F.

The terrier gave a good account of I
the rats (was successful in killing I
many of them).

To LAY ONE'S ACCOUNT WITH — j
to expect ; to look forward
to. P.

The jurors must have laid their

account with appearing (expected to
appear) before the Star Ch£

HALLAM.

iamber.—

TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT — to

make allowance for. C.

As to its adventurous beginning,
and all those little circumstances
which gave it a distinctive character
and relish, he took them into ac-
count.—DICKENS.

Acknowledge. — To ACKNOW-
LEDGE THE CORN — to admit
the truth of a statement. S.

" What did the man say when you
arrested him?"— "He said he was
drunk."— "I want his precise words,
just as he uttered them. He did not
use the pronoun he, did he?"— "Oh
ves, he did : he said he was drunk-
he acknowledged the corn." The
Court (getting impatient at witness's
stupidity), "You don't understand
me ; I want the words as he uttered
them. Did he say, '/was drunk'?"
Witness (zealously), "Oh no, your
honour ; he didn't say you was drunk.
I would not allow any man to charge
that upon you in my presence! —
Law Magazine, 1887.

Act. — To ACT A PART — to be-
have hypocritically; to con-
ceal one's real feelings. P.

Miss Wilmot's reception was mixed
wi th seeming neglect, and yet I could
perceive she acted a studied part (de-
signedly concealed her real feelings).
—GOLDSMITH.

Was the young man acting a part,
or was he reaUy ignorant of the
rumour?— WM. BLACK.

Ad

ACT OF GOD — an event which
cannot be prevented by any
human foresight, but is the
result of uncontrollable natural
forces : for example, when a
ship is struck by lightning
and destroyed. P.

The act of God, fire, and all the
dangers and accidents of the sea, are
not accepted as ordinary risks.

To HAVE ACT OB PART — another

form Of TO HAVE ART OR PART.

See ART.

But I declare I had neither act nor
,rt in applying the thumbscrew to

Ipanisn captain.— G. A. SALA.
TO ACT UP TO A PROMISE or

PROFESSION — to behave in a
suitable way, considering what
promises or profession one has
made ; to fulfil what one
promises or professes to regard
as a duty. P.

It isn't among sailors and fisher-
men that one finds genuine black-
guardism. They have their code,
such as it is, and upon the whole I
think they act up to it.-W. E. NOB-
BIS, in Good Words, 1887.
Ad. — AD AVIZANDUM, or TO
AVIZANDUM — into further con-
sultation and consideration.
C. A Scottish legal phrase.
Latin.

Meanwhile I shall take your pro-
posal ad avizandum (consider your
proposal more carefully).
AD INTERIM — for the meantime ;
serving for the present interval.
P. Latin.

The work is hard, but not hopeless ;
and the road to success does not lie
through an ad interim teaching of
false creeds.— Spectator, 1887.

The divorce (of Josephine) may in-
N deed be said to have actually taken
place ; yet the cruel obligation was
laid on her of being, in fact, ad in-
terim, the deputy of her successor.—
Temple Bar, 1887.

AD LIBITUM — as much as you
please ; to any extent. P.
Latin.

Very well, gentlemen, torture your
prisoners adlibitum; I shall interfere
no more.— READE.

And, with true Macaulayan art,
they are so arranged as to suggest
their being but specimens from a
store which might be drawn on ad
libitum. — National Review, 1887.

9 Addresses

AD NAUSEAM — until people are

tired and sick of the subject.

P.
And so on, and so on ad nauseam,

proceeds that anonymous retailer or

petty scandal.— Edinburgh Review,

1887.
AD VALOREM — according to the

value. P. Latin.
An ad valorem duty of five per

cent, is imposed on all goods coming

into Japan.

Adam. — THE OLD ADAM — the
evil nature within a man. G.
Originally a religious phrase.

But Dan was not to be restrained,
and breaking into the homespun
(colloquial)— a sure indication that
the old Adam was having the upper
hand — he forthwith plunged into
some chaff, etc.— HALL CAINE.
ADAM'S ALE or ADAM'S WINE —
pure water. C.
We'll drink Adam's ale.— HOOD.
Some take a glass of porter to their
dinner, but I slake my thirst with
Adam's wine.
SON OF ADAM — a man. C.

But as all sons of Adam must have
i say to the rest,

daughters, this

. . lage carried on some com-
merce withthe outer world.— BLACK-

MORB.

Exp.— But as all men need to have
friendly intercourse with other men,
and especially with women, this little
village, though very retired, carried
on some dealings with the outer
world.

ADAM'S APPLE — the projection
in the neck under the chin. P.

Having the noose adjusted and

secured by tightening above his
apple. — Daily Telegraph,

Adam's

NOT TO KNOW A MAN FROM ADAM

— to be quite unacquainted
with him ; to be unable to
recognize him. F.

from Adam if he stood before me
now. — • B. L. FABJEON.

Eoyston then asked him if the
drunken man was his friend; but
this the other denied, saying that he
had just picked him up from the
foot-path, and did not know him
from Adam.— FERGUS W. HUME.
Addresses. — To PAT ONE'S

ADDRESSES TO — to COUrt ; to

Advantage

approach a lady as

suitor

for her hand in marriage. P.
He was said to be paving his ad-
dresses to Lady Jane Sheepshanks,
Lord Southdown's third daughter.—
THACKERAY.

Advantag-e. — To ADVANTAGE
— favourably ; in a good light.
P.

To see the lower portion of this
glacier to advantage.— TYNDALL.

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF to U86

for the furtherance of one's
own purposes. P.

Here was material enough for the
craft of William to take advantage
of.— FREEMAN.

Affaire. — AFFAIRE DE CCEUR
— affair of the heart , a love
affair. C. A French phrase.

He had travelled abroad in the in-
terval, and passed through a very
serious affaire de coeur.— Quarterly
Review, 1887.

After. — AFTER ALL — neverthe-
less ; when all things are con-
sidered. P. Generally used to
introduce some circumstance
of a more favourable or pleas-
ing nature.

Yet after all he was a mere mortal.
—WASHINGTON IRVING.

"After all, Balfour," said Mr. Jews-
bury with philosophic resignation,
"there are compensations in life."—
WM. BLACK.

AFTER A MAN'S OWN SOUL or
HEART — exactly what he likes
or admires.

"Give me a kiss, my dear boy,"
said Fagan, with tears in his eyes.
" You're after my own soul."—
THACKERAY.

It was, indeed, a representative
gathering, after the Talberts' own
hearts.— HUGH CONWAY.

Afternoon. — AN AFTERNOON
FARMER — one who loses the
best time for work ; a lazy,
dilatory man. F.

John was too much of an afternoon
farmer to carry on the business suc-
cessfully.

Exp.— John's habits were too dila-
tory for him to succeed in the busi-

Ag-6. TO COME OF AGE to

reach the age of twenty -one,

10 Airs

when the law permits a man
to manage his own affairs. P.
She was now nearly twenty-three.
Having, when she came of age, suc-
ceeded^ to her late mother's third of
old Talbert's possessions, she was
independent both by age and by in-
come.—HUGH CONWAY.

Agog. — ALL AGOG — in a state
of activity or restless expecta-
tion. F.
So three doors off the chaise was

stayed.

Where they did all get in:
Six precious souls, and all agog
To dash through thick and thin.
COWPER.

Exp.— Six precious souls, and very
eager to dash through every obstacle.
He found the village all agog with
expectation. — RE ADE.

Agreeable. — To MAKE THE

AGREEABLE TO to Strive to

entertain ; to be a pleasant
companion to. C.

With which laudable and manly
resolution our dashing major pro-
ceeded to make the agreeable to his
guests.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

AiPS. TO GIVE ONESELF AIRS

to be conceited or arrogant
in behaviour. C.

" And these girls used to hold their
heads above mine, and their mother
used to give herself such airs," said
Mrs. Baynes.— THACKERAY.
IN THE AEB — (a) prevalent ;
found everywhere. C.

These expressions and points of
view were not peculiar to Pliilo.
They were, so to speak, in the air.—
F. W. FARRAR.

He is alive to the fact that "social-
istic risings" are in the air all over
Europe.— Spectator, February 18, 1888.

(&) (in military usage) with-
out support or proper protec-
tion.

The extreme left of the Allied front
was, in military dialect, "in the air"
—that is, protruded into the open
country, without natural or artificial
protection to its outer flank.— GARD-
NER.

(c) unsubstantial ; visionary ;

having no real existence. P.
Generally after the word

CASTLES.

And if our dwellings are castles in
the air, we find them excessively
splendid and commodious.— THACK-
ERAY.

Aladdin

Aladdin. — ALADDIN'S LAMP —
a lamp which gave its owner,
or rather the person who
rubbed it, every thing he wished.
P. See Arabian Nights' Enter-
tainments.

Goodwill is almost as expeditious
and effectual as Aladdin's lamp.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

In all its (the career of Henry IV.)
vicissitudes there is nothing more
romantic than that sudden change,
as by a rub of Aladdin's lamp, from
the attorney's office in a county town
of Illinois to the helm of a great
nation in times like these.— J. E,.
LOWELL on Abraham Lincoln.

Alert. — ON THE ALERT — watch-
ful ; ready to observe what-
ever is passing. P.

But those who were stationed at
the look-out were equally on the
alert.— CAPT. MABBYAT.

The Paris student . . . whose fierce
republicanism keeps gendarmes for
ever on the alert.— THACKERAY.

All. — ALL ALONG. See ALONG.

TO BE ALL THINGS TO ANOTHER

— to accommodate oneself in
every way to his wants, moods,
or caprices. C.

She had sworn that more than ever
she would be all things to her hus-
band.—MARION CRAWFORD.

ON ALL FOURS. See FOUR.

ALL IN ALL — (a) supreme ; all-
powerful ; of the first import-
ance. P.

The then Prime Minister was all
in all at Oxford.— A. TROLLOPS.

Fashion, you know, ladies, is all in
all in these things, as in everything
else.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

— (6) the dearest object of
affection. P.

Desdemona, a happy young wife,
till a wicked enchanter's breath sud-
denly wraps her in a dark cloud, is
all in all to (intensely loved and ad-
mired by) her husband.— Blackwood's
Magazine, 1887.

Mamma and I are all in all together,
and we shall remain together.— A.
TROLLOPS.

I was all in all to him then.—
THACKERAY.

— (c) (adverbially) completely ;
entirely. P.
Take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.
SHAKESPEARE.

11 All

Trust me not at all or all in all.

When he (Lord Carteret) dies, the
best head in England dies too, take
it for all in all (if we consider the
matter in every aspect).— CHESTER-
FIELD.

To BE ALL ONE— to make no
difference. F.

Mr. Carker presently tried a canter
— Eob was still in attendance— then
a short gallop. It was all one to the
boy.— DICKENS.

ALL OP A HEAP. See HEAP.

ALL (IN) MY EYE AND BETTY
MARTIN — nonsense ; not to
be believed. Found also in
the contracted form, ALL (IN)
MY EYE. S. This phrase is
at least three hundred years
old.

Says he, "It fairly draws tears
from me," and his weak eye took to
lettin' off its water. So as soon as
the chap went, he winks to me with
t'other one, quite knowin', as much
as to say, You see it's all in my eye,
Slick; but don't let on to any one
about it that I said so.— HALI-

BURTON.

Exp.— He said, "It really draws
tears from me," and his weak eye
began to let off its water. So as soon
as the man went, he winked to
me with the other one, quite slyly,
as if to say, You see it's all humbug.
Slick ; but do not tell any one that!
said so.

Why, she told him you were rather
nervous about horses, and that you
were rather alarmed at what I said
about the old mare. That was all
my eye, you know. She (the mare)
is as quiet as an old cow.— RHODA
BROUGHTON.

ALL THE SAME — nevertheless ;
notwithstanding. F.

The captain made us trim the boat,
and we got her to lie a little more
evenly. All the same, we were afraid
to breathe.— R. L. STEVENSON.

A talk on ethics does not carry
young people at a hand-gallop into
the depths of emotion. It has its
tendency, all the same.— MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

ALL SERENE — very good ; all
right. S. At one time a
popular street cry in London.

"You will meet me to-night at the
railway station, and bring me the
money."— "All serene" (Yes, I shall
meet you and bring the money).

Tom peeped under the bonnet,

Alma

and found it, as he expressed him-
self, all serene.— G. J. WHYTE-MEL-
VILLE.

ALL THERE — clever ; able ; pos-
sessing quick faculties. C.

Our friend the judge is all there,
I can tell you, and knows what he
is about.

Exp.— Our friend the judge is a
clever man, I assure you, and fully
understands how best to act.

ALL AND SUNDRY — every one
without distinction. P.

Finally, he invited all and sundry
to partake freely of the oaten cake
and ale that he had himself brought
from Ballymena.— HALL CAINE.

Alma. — ALMA MATER — nourish-
ing mother. A name often
applied to a university by
its graduates. P. Latin.

The good men— they who have
any character, they who have that
within them which can reflect credit
on their alma, mater— they come
through (their course of study at the
university) scathless.— A. TROLLOPE.

Along. — ALONG OF — owing to ;

because of. P.
"I never had such luck, really,"

exclaimed coquettish Miss Price,

after another hand or two. " It's all

along of you, Mr. Nickleby, I think."

—DICKENS.
ALL ALONG — during its whole

existence ; the whole time. P.
This impost was all along felt to

be a great burden.— FREEMAN.

Alpha. — ALPHA AND OMEGA —
the beginning and the end.
P. These are the first and last
letters of the Greek alphabet.

I am Alpha and Ome^a, the begin-
ning and the ending, saith the Lord.
— Rev. i. 8.

The alpha and omega of science.—
HERSCHEL.

Here we have the beginning and
the end, alpha and omega.— DICKENS.

Alt. — To BE IN ALT — to be in
an exalted frame of mind.
C. An expression taken from
the vocabulary of music.

"Come, prithee be a little less in
alt," cried Lionel, "and answer a man
when he speaks to you."— MADAME
D'ARBLAY.

Altar. — To LEAD TO THE ALTAR
— to marry. P.

He to lips that fondly falter
Presses hers without reproof ;

12 Angel

Leads her to the village altar,
And they leave her father's roof.

TENNYSON.

On the 15th of May, in the year
1773, 1 had the honour and happiness
to lead to the altar Honoria. Coun-
tess of Lyndon, widow of the late
Eight Hon. Sir Charles Lyndon,
K.B.— THACKERAY.

Alter. — ALTER EGO — other self ;
one who is very near and dear
to a person ; an inseparable
friend. P. Latin.

I am his alter ego—na.y, he only
sees what I choose to show him, and
through the spectacles, as it were,
that I place on the bridge of his
nose.— J. PAYN.

Amende. — AMENDE HONOR-
ABLE— a sufficient apology
and compensation for wrong
done. P. French.

The result of this determined con-
duct was an amende honorable and
peace.— Fortnightly Review, 1887.

Amiss. — To TAKE (A THING)
AMISS — to be offended by it ;
to resent it. C.

You will n9t take it amiss if I take
a cousin's privilege.— A. TROLLOPE.

Amoup. — AMOUR PROPRE — self-
esteem. P. A French phrase.
But, at all events, you should save
her amour -jpropre from the shock of
any rebuff.— The Mistletoe Bough,
1887.

Angel. — To ENTERTAIN AN

ANGEL UNAWARES to be hOS-

pitable to a guest whose good
qualities are unknown. P.
See the Bible (Gen. xviii.)
for the origin of the phrase.

He had always esteemed his sister ;
but as he now confessed to himself,
for these many years he had been
entertaining an angel unawares (had
not known how very good a woman
she was).— J. PAYN.

In the course of the evening some
one informed her that she was enter-
taining an angel unawares, in the
shape of a composer of the greatest
promise.— W. E. NORRIS, in Good
Words, 1887.

ANGELS' VISITS — pleasant visits,
occurring very rarely. P.
How fading are the joys we dote

upon,
Like apparitions seen and gone ;

But thoselwhich soonest take their
flight

13

Apple

Are the most exquisite and strong :
Like angels' visits, short and

Mortality's too weak to bear them
long.— JOHN MORRIS.

... In visits
Like those of angels, short and far

between.— BLAIR.

THE ANGEL OF THE SCHOOLS or
THE ANGELIC DOCTOR — a name
given to Thomas Aquinas, the
great scholastic philosopher.
P.

TO WRITE LIKE AN ANGEL — to

write beautifully (originally
of calligraphy, and not of
composition).

This fanciful phrase has a very
human origin. Among those learn ed
Greeks who emigrated to Italy, and
came afterwards into France in the
reign of Francis I., was one Angelo
Verjecto, whose beautiful calli-
graphy excited the admiration of
the learned. The French monarch
had a Greek fount cast, modelled
by his writing. His name became
synonymous for beautiful writing,
and gave birth to that familiar
phrase, "to write like an angel."—
ISAAC D'ISRAELI.

Here lies poet Goldsmith, for short-
ness called Noll,

Who wrote like an angel, but talked
like poor Poll.— GARRICK.

Animal. — ANIMAL SPIRITS —
the liveliness that comes from
health and physical exhilara-
tion. P.

She had high animal spirits.—
JANE AUSTEN.

Ape. — To LEAD APES — to be
an old maid. F. This phrase
comes from an old superstition
that unmarried women suffered
this punishment after death.

Poor girl, she must certainly lead
apes.— MRS. CENTLIVRE.

There was also another young
lady, strong and staying as to wind
and limb, who offered to run races
with her suitors on the same terms
of death or victory. But Love's
Nemesis came upon her too, for no
one ever proposed to run with her
on these terms, and she presently
grew middle-aged and fat, and said
that running races was unlady-like,
and ought to have been discouraged
long since, and it was wrong of her
parents to encourage her. But it was
too late : and now she leadeth apes
by a chain.— BESANT.

Appeal. — To APPEAL TO THE
COUNTRY — to advise the sov-
ereign to dissolve Parliament
and ask the electors to send
up new representatives. P.

As soon as the necessary business
could be got through, Parliament
would be dissolved, and an appeal
made to the country (a new election
of representatives made).— J USTIN

M'CAJRTHY.

Appearance. — To KEEP UP
APPEARANCES — to behave in a
seemly way before others. C.
He was terribly afraid, likewise, of
being left alone with either uncle or
nephew; appearing to consider that
the only chance of safety as to keep-
ing up appearances was in their
being always all three together.—
DICKENS.

Apple. — APPLE OF SODOM —
a specious thing which dis-
appoints. P. The so-called
" apples of Sodom," as de-
scribed by Josephus, had a
fair appearance externally, but
when bitten dissolved in smoke
and dust.

It will prove, when attained, a
very apple of Sodom, dying between
the hand and the mouth.
Like to the apples on the Dead Sea

shore,
All ashes to the taste.— BYRON.

APPLE OF ONE'S EYE — a much-
prized treasure. P. The
" apple of the eye " is the
eye -ball, so called from its
round shape : something very
delicate and tender.

He kept him as the apple of his
eye.—Deut. xxxii. 10.

He would have protected Grace's
good repute as the apple of his eye.
—THOMAS HARDY.

Poor Richard was to me as an
eldest son, the apple of my eye.—
SCOTT.

TO MAKE APPLE-PIE BEDS — to

fold one of the sheets of a
bed (removing the other)
so as to make it impossible
for the intending occupant
to stretch his legs ; a common
practical joke. P.

No boy in any school could have
more liberty, even where all the
noblemen's sons are allowed to
make apple-pie beds for their

April

masters (disarrange the beds of
their teachers).— BLACKMORE.

APPLE OP DISCORD — something
which causes strife. P. Eris,
the goddess of hate, threw
a golden apple among the
goddesses, with this inscrip-
tion attached, " To the most
beautiful." Three goddesses
claimed the prize, and quar-
relled over its possession —
Hera, Pallas, and Aphrodite
(Venus). Par's, son of Priam,
was appointed arbiter, and
decided in favour of the last.
Not Cytherea (Venus) from a fairer

Received her apple on the Trojan

plai n.— FALCONE R.

It (the letter) was her long con-
templated apple of discord, and
much her hand trembled as she
handed the document up to him.
—THOMAS HARDY.

This great and wealthy church
constantly formed an apple of
discord (a subject of quarrel).—
FREEMAN.

APPLE-PIE ORDEK — extreme neat-
ness. C.

The children's garden is in apple-
pie order.— LOCKHART.

Susan replied that her aunt wanted
to put the house in apple-pie order.
— READE.

April. — APRIL FOOL — one sent
on a bootless errand or other-
wise deceived on the first of
April — a day reserved for such
practical joking. P.

We retired to the parlour, where
she repeated to me the strongest
assurances of her love. I thought I
was a made man. Alas ! I was only
an April fool !— THACKERAY.

Appon-stping1. — TIED or

PINNED TO A WOMAN'S APRON-
STRINGS — continually in a
woman's company, unwilling
to quit her side. F.

If I was a fine, young, strapping
chap like you, I should be ashamed
of being milksop enough to pin my-
self to a woman's apron-strings.—
DICKENS.

And as for her, with her little
husband dangling at her apron-
strings, as a call-whistle to be blown
into when she pleases— that she
should teach me my duty!— A.
TROLJLOPE.

14

Arm

Apropos. — APROPOS — to the
purpose ; appropriately. C.
A French phrase.

APROPOS DE BOTTES— rhaving
no connection with the pre-
vious conversation.

The secretary, however, was not
the man to own himself vanquished,
even in anecdote, but at once began
to descant— very much apropos de
bottes (without any connection or
apparent cause) as it seemed— upon
a curious Anglo-French marriage
case that had that day appeared In
the newspapers.— J. PAYN.

" This is a strange remark," said
he, "and apropos de bottes"— R. L.
STEVENSON.

APROPOS DE RIEN — apropos of
nothing ; irrelevantly.

The story was introduced apropos
derien,

Arab. — A STREET ARAB or
ARAB OF THE GUTTER — one
of the uncared-for children of
our large cities. P.

This enterprise led him (Lord
Shaftesbury) into the heart of the
vilest rookeries, to find places where
such schools might be opened, and
to hunt up the young Arabs of the
gutter to fill them.— Quarterly Re-
view, 1887.

The hero and heroine began life as
street Arabs of Glasgow.— fall Mall
Gazette, 1883.

Arcades. — ARCADES AMBO —
both of them simpletons. C.
Latin.

He distrusted the people asfmuch
as the aristocracy, and ridiculed the
f ossilization of Toryism equally with
the fluidity of Radicalism. "Arcades
ambo," he used to say, with his serene
smile.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Arm. — ARM IN ARM — walking
in friendly fashion with the
arms linked. P.

It was an agreeable surprise to her,
therefore, to perceive them walking
up to the house together arm in arm.
—MRS. OLIPHANT.

IN ARMS — carried about. P.
Generally used with the word

CHILD Or INFANT.

That well-informed young gentle-
man was not insensible to the glory
of acting as pioneer and exponent of
the Parisian mysteries to a person
who, however distinguished in his
own line, was confessedly in such
matters a mere infant in arms as

Arriere

compared with himself.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

One of these passengers being a
child, still young enough to be
passed off as a child in arms.— HUGH
CONWAY.

AT ABM'S LENGTH — at a certain
distance; avoiding too great
nearness or familiarity. P.

If she would confide in me, if she
would even speak to me of it, I might
do something to convince her of her
folly. . . . But no, she never alludes

to it ; she
— Mu

furray's Magazine, 1887.
To LIE UPON ONE'S ARMS. See

LIE.

WITH OPEN ARMS — warmly ;
affectionately. P.

The Stanhopes were all known by
name in Barchester, and Barchester
was prepared to receive them with
open arms.— A. TROLLOPE.

IN OPEN ARMS — fighting openly.
P.

Here I sat for some time ponder-
ing upon the strange infatuation of
wretches who, finding all mankind
in open arms against them, were
labouring to make themselves a
future and tremendous enemy.—
GOLDSMITH.

A RIGHT ARM. See RIGHT.

UNDER ARMS — bearing arms ;
in martial array. P.

In a moment the troops were
under arms (in battle array).—
ROBERTSON.

UP IN ARMS — roused to anger;
ready to fight. P.

" No," said Kate, now fairly up in
arms (really angry and rebellious) ;
"it is not just, papa."— MRS. On-

PHANT.

If a tramping beggar were set to
work in England, and compelled to
do it by military discipline, all the
philanthropists in the country would
be up in arms.— -Spectator, 1887.

"Ill knock, I swear, till I have
your neighbours up in arms," said
Ralph.— DICKENS.

j — ARRIERE PENSE"E —
(a) hidden motive ; under-
lying design. P. A French
phrase.

Our reason for so doing (placing
Mr. Lear above Lewis Carroll as
a writer of nonsense) is that no
nonsense is so absolutely devoid o

15 Ass

"I thought it was a childish be-
sottishness you had for that man-
a sort of calf-love, that it would be
a real kindness to help you out of."
-"Without an arrtire penste for
your own advantage, of course. —
RHODA BROUOHTON.
— (&) afterthought ; something
which occurs to one's mind af-
ter a thing has been done. P.
For their sakes and mine, you will
not mind very much that you are
spared all these arrieres penstes.—
SARAH TYTLER.

APPOW. — THE BROAD ARROW
— the arrow - shaped brand
with which the British Govern-
ment marks its stores. P.

This jacket, moreover, was
stamped in vanous places with the
Government broad arrow.— HUGH
CONWAY.

Apt. TO BE Or HAVE ART AND

PART IN — to be concerned
either in the contrivance or
execution of. P.

"My dear," said she, "it's the
foolery of being governor. If you
choose to sacrifice all your comfort
to being the first rung in the ladder,
don't blame me for it. I didn't
nominate you : I had no art or part
in it" (was wholly unconcerned in
contriving or carrying out your
nomination).— HALIBURTON.

Sundry proceedings took
which would not very wel
squared with the public ic
what is due to the fair sex

treated of, but I declare that I

neither art nor part in them.— G. A.
SALA.

You are art and part with us

In purging heresy.— TENNYSON.

ASS. TO MAKE AN ASS OF ONE-
SELF— to behave foolishly. F.
The ass is taken as the type
of folly.

Do not make such an ass of your-
self as to suppose that.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

The father makes an ass of him-
self, or fate cuts him off prematurely.

THE ASSES' BRIDGE — a name
given to the fifth proposition
of the First Book of Euclid
because of the difficulties
it presented to beginners.
See PONS ASINORUM.

He never crossed the asses' bridge.
-All the Year Round, 1880.

Assurance 16

He could disport himself with

Auld

trigonometry, feeling confident that
Dr. Tempest had forgotten his way
over the asses' bridge.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Assurance. — To MAKE AS-
SURANCE DOUBLY SURE — to
take every possible precau
tion. P.

I'll take a bond of fate and make

Assurance double sure.

^ SHAKESPEARE.

Now that I had a moment to my-
self, I lost no time in changing the
priming of my pistol; and then,
having one ready for service, and to
make assurance doubly sure, I pro-
ceeded to draw the load of the other
and recharge it afresh from the be-
ginning.—R. L. STEVENSON.

This horn haft, though so massive,
was as flexible as cane, and practi-
cally unbreakable ; but to make as-
surance doubly sure, it was whipped
round at intervals of a few inches
with copper wire.— H. E. HAGGARD.

At. — AT ALL. See ALL.

AT THAT — moreover ; in addi-
tion. C. A favourite Ameri-
can phrasa

.It comes nearest (the Irish car) to
riding on horseback, and on a side-
saddle at that, of any vehicle travel-
ling I ever saw.— J. BURROUGHS.

Attic. — ATTIO SALT — wit or
refined pleasantry. P.

Triumph swam in my father's
eyes ,at the repartee— the Attic
salt brought water into them.—
STERNE.

f Exp.— My father showed tiiumph
.rnhis eyes at the repartee; it was
so charmingly witty that it brought
tears of pleasure to them.

To what might it not have given
rise— what delightful intimacies,
what public phrase, to what
Athenian banquets and flavour of
Attic salt?— A. TROLLOPS.
ATTIO BEE — a name given to
Sophocles, the Greek drama-
tist ; a sweet^poet.

A true Attic bee, he (Milton) made
boot on every lip where there was a
trace of truly classic "

LOWELL.

honey.— J. E.

Au. — Au OONTRAIRE — on the
contrary. C. French.

So we have not won the Goodwood
cup; au contraire, we were a "bad
fifth," if not worse than that.-O. W.
HOLMES.

Au FAIT — familiar with ; accus-
tomed to. P. French.

She appears to be as au fait to
(with) the ways of the world as you
or I.— FLORENCE MARRYAT/

Au GRAND SE"RIEUX — itf sober
earnest. P. French./

I mean young women of no ex-
perience, who take everything au
grand serieux.— vfM. BLACK.

Au PIED DE LA LETTRE— exactly ;
without deviating from the
exact words. P. French.

Au REVOIR — good-bye for the
present; literally, "until we
meet again." C. French.

Arthur took off his hat. "Then
we will consider that settled. Good-
morning— or perhaps I should sav
au revoir," and bowing again, he left
the office.— H. E. HAGGARD.

Augean. — To CLEANSE THE
AUGEAN STABLES — to perform
a great work of purification.
P. Augeas was a fabulous
king of Elis, who imposed
on Hercules the task of cleans-
ing his stables, where three
thousand oxen had lived for
thirty years without any
purification. Hercules per-
formed his task in one day by
letting two rivers flow through
them.

If the Augean stable (sink of
dramatic impurity) was not suffi-
ciently cleansed, the stream of
public opinion was fairly directed
against its conglomerated impuri-
ties.—SCOTT.

In short, Malta was an Augean
stable, and Ball had all the inclina-
tion to be a Hercules.— S. T. COLE-
RIDGE.

Augustan. — THE AUGUSTAN
AGE — the period of highest
purity and refinement in any
national literature. P. So
called from the Emperor
Augustus, under whose rule
Virgil and Horace wrote their
mmortal works.
The reign of Queen Anne is often
called the Augustan age of England.

Auld. — AULD REEKIE — a name
given to Edinburgh because
of the smoke from its chim-

Ant

aeys ; literally, " Old Smoky."
I

His (Shelley's) eye was not fasci-
nated by the fantastic outlines of
aerial piles seen amid the wreath-
ing snoke of Auld Keekie.— MAT-
THEYS ARNOLD.

Aut. — A.UT C3ESAR AUT NULLUS

— either Ceesar or nobody. P.
Latin.

I meaa to be aut Ceesar aut nullus
(either first or nothing at all) in the
concern.

Axe. — AlT AXE TO GRIND —

a personal pecuniary interest
in a matter. C. The story
is told by Franklin that when
he was a boy in his father's
yard, a pleasant-spoken man
came up to him and made
himself very agreeable. Among
other things, the visitor praised
the grindstone, and asked
young Franklin to let him see
how it worked. He then
got the boy to turn the stone,
while he sharpened an axe
he had with him. The boy
was flattered with his compli-
ments and honeyed words,

17

Back

and worked till his hands
were blistered. When the
man was satisfied he sent
the boy off with an oath.
That man had an axe to grind
— he had a concealed reason
for his conduct. All his
politeness was prompted by
selfish motives.

In the first place, let me assure
you, gentlemen, that I have not an
axe to grind. ... I can in no way be
pecuniarily benefited by your
ing the system of bridges

proposed

adopt-
herein

__ American politician is

always ready to grind an axe for his
fellow, the Neapolitan is no less
convinced of the value of mutual
accommodation.— E. S. MORGAN, in
Fortnightly Review, 1887.
Azpael. — THE WINGS OP
AZRAEL — the approach of
death. P. Azrael, in the
Mohammedan Koran, is the
messenger of death.

Always, in an hospital, there is
life returning and life departing—
always may be heard the long and
peaceful breathing of those who
sleep while health returns, and the
sighs of those who listen, in the
hushed watches of the night, for
the wings of Azrael.— BESANT.

B. AND S. — a brandy and
soda ; a wine-glass of brandy
in a tumbler of soda-water.
S. See PEG.

" They give you weak tea and thin
bread and butter, whereas—"

" You would rather have a B. and
S. and some devilled kidneys,"
finished Brian.— FERGUS W. HUME.

Babe. — THE BABES IN THE
WOOD — simple, trustful chil-
dren. C. An old ballad
describes the sad fate of two
orphan children, cruelly treated
by a bad uncle.

Yet those babes in the wood.
Uncle Sam and Aunt Fanny, trusted
six months of our existence to his
judgment.— .Harper's Monthly, Sep-
tember 1887.

Back. — To GET ONE'S BACK up
— to become roused, angry,

and obstinate. F. A cat

when irritated and ready to

spit and scratch arches its

back, the hair becoming erect.

To SET ANOTHER'S BACK UP —

to irritate or rouse him. F.

I've been to see my mother, and

you've set her back up.— BESANT.

TO BREAK THE BACK Or NECK OF

— to finish the hardest part
of a task. C. See NECK.

I always try to break the back of
(finish the hardest part of) my day's
work before breakfast.

TO GIVE Or MAKE A BACK to

stoop down, as in the game of
leap-frog, that another may
jump over you. F. It is said
that Napoleon, who was in the
habit of stooping as he walked,
was on one occasion used as

Backbone

18

Bad

a back by a volatile student,
who mistook the general for
one of his companions.
The
?rgy.

major was giving a back to
jr.— THACKERAY.
. —The major was stooping so
that Georgy might leap over his

TO GO BACK ON A PERSON to

betray one. American. See
Go.

I'll not go back on you, in any
case.

To BACK THE FIELD — (in the
language of betting) to bet in
favour of the other horses
in the field against a single
one in particular. C.

To BACK UP — to support. C.

He prolonged Caesar's command,
and backed him up (supported him)
in everything.— FROUDE.

To BACK OUT — to retreat cau-
tiously from a difficult posi-
tion ; to refuse after consent-
ing. C.

(He was) determined that Morris
should not back out of the scrape so
easily.— SCOTT.

She turned to Winterbourne,
blushing a little, a very little, "You
won't back out? "she said.— HENRY
JAMES, JUN.

ON ONE'S BACK — prostrate ;
helpless. C.

But here he was, on his back—
WM. BLACK.

The doctor staked his wig that,
camped where they were in the
marsh, and unprovided with reme-
dies, the half of them would be on
their backs before a week.— E. L.
STEVENSON.

To GIVE THE BACK — to leave or
quit. C.

Had even Obstinate himself but
felt what I have felt of the powers
and terrors of what is yet unseen, he
would not thus lightly have given us
the back.— BUNYAN.

To TURN ONE'S BACK UPON — to
desert ; forsake. P.

"Uncle," said Mrs. Kenwigs, "to
think that you should have turned
your back upon me and my dear
children."— DICKENS.

Backbone. — To THE BACK-
BONE— thoroughly ; staunchly ;
essentially. C.

They told him solemnly tb*y
hoped and believed, they.
English to the
CON WAY.

Ballads and Poems of
(Macmillan) is Mr. G
to the backbone.—.
manack, 1888.

Backstairs. — BACKSTAIRS IN-
FLUENCE— private influence of
an unworthy nature ; under-
hand intrigue at court. P.
A backstairs minister is one
who is not trusted by the
country, but is supported
by domestic influence in the
king's household. For in-
stance, the Earl of Bute was
despised as a backstairs min-
ister, because he owed his
position to the favour of
George the Third's mother.

Which accusation it was easier to
get "quashed" by backstairs influ-
ence than answered.— CARL YLE.

Bacon. — To SELL ONE'S BACON
— to sell one's body. C.
To the Kaiser, therefore, I sold

And by him good charge of the/
whole is taken. SCHILLER

(translated by CARLYLE).
Exp.—I therefore sold my body to

the Emperor, who takes good care

of it and me.

To SAVE ONE'S BACON — to
escape from personal injury,
generally in an undignified
way. F.

But as he ran to save his bacon,

By hat and wig he was forsaken.
COMBE.

Exp.— But as he ran to escape
bodily hurt, he lost his hat and wig.

Jem drew a long breath, and said
brutally, yet with something of
satisfaction, "You have saved your
bacon this time."— READE.

Bad. — To GO TO THE BAD — to
become debauched ; to sink
into poverty and disgrace. C.

(He) went, as the common saying
expressively phrases it, to the bad.—
Pall Mall Gazette.

Those who do not prefer to return
to the fatherland richer in expe-
rience, or who do not succumb to
despair and go to the bad altogether,
have recourse to charitable societies.
— L. KATSCHER, in Nineteenth Cen-
tury, 1887.

Bag

To THE BAD — in debt ; having

a deficit or loss. C.
He was between £70 and £80 to the

bad -Pall Mall Gazette, 1884.
BAD BLOOD — angry and vin-

dictive feelings. P.
At the battle of Poonah he regained

his authority, and whatever bad

blood had flowed between them was

checked by the prospect of approach-

ing danger.— DE MAULEY, m Nine-

teenth Century, 1886.
BAD DEBTS — debts of which there

is no hope that they will ever

be paid. P.
Among his assets he had included

a number of bad debts (debts that

were hopeless).
To GO BAD — (of meat or food) to

spoil. C.
It goes bad more readily than

cooked butcher's meat.— Daily News,

1884.

Bag. — BAG AND BAGGAGE —
completely ; leaving no pro-
perty behind. P. The phrase
was originally used of the com-
plete evacuation by an army
of an enemy's territory, and
is now employed generally to
signify the wished-for depar-
ture of an unwelcome guest.

The Turks . . . their zaptiehs and
mudirs . . . their kaimakams and
their pashas, one and all, bag and
baggage, shall. I hope, clear out from
the province they have desolated and
profaned.— GLADSTONE.
Exp.— The Turks and every Turkish
fficial,
belongi
provinc
lated and p

This expression of Mr.
Gladstone's has given rise to
what is known as the " bag and
baggage policy " in relation
to the Turks — to drive them
completely out of Europe.

Baked. — HALF-BAKED — silly ;
weak in mind. S.

Hampered withal by a daughter of
seventeen not quite right in her
head— half-baked, to use the popular
and feeling expression.— BESANT.

Baker. — A BAKER'S DOZEN —
thirteen. P. See DOZEN.
Formerly called a devil's

.

official, with all their property and
ngings, shall, I hope, quit the
ince (Bulgaria) they have deso-
and profaned.

19 Ball

dozen, and associated with
ill-luck.

It is all very well for you, who have
got some baker's dozen of little ones,
and lost only one by the measles.—
BLACKMORE.

Ball. — TO OPEN THE BALL —

to begin. P.

Waltz and the battle of Austerlitz
are said to have opened the ball to-
gether (commenced the operations
of the year together).— BYRON.

" This will do," thought the Scot,
misled, like Continental nations, by
that little trait of ours. He opened
the ball (spoke first).— READE.
TO LEAD UP THE BALL — to

open a dance. P. Said of the
most distinguished couple who
occupy the leading place.

She did not object to her own
Jenny's leading up the ball at Mr.
O'Neill's.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Mr. Thornhill and my eldest
daughter led up the ball.— GOLD-
SMITH.

BALLS or THE THREE GOLDEN
BALLS — a name given to a
pawnbroker's place of busi-
ness, of which three balls are
the sign. F.

A pawnbroker from Alcester had
opened a branch establishment. . . .
It was managed by a Mr. Figg. Mr.
Figg's three balls stood out in the
middle of the cut.— MRS. HENRY
WOOD.

Take my ticker (watch), and such
of your things as you can spare, and
send them to Balls.— THACKERAY.

It is not generally known that the
three balls at the pawnbrokers' shops
are the ancient arms of Lombardy.
The Lombards were the first money-
brokers in Europe.— C. LAMB.

TO HAVE THE BALL AT ONE'S FOOT

or BEFORE ONE — to be in a po-
sition to command success ; to
have things in one's power. C.

A pretty picture is so much
prettier in a gilt frame, and she will
probably begin life with the ball at
her foot.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

The crisis in George Dallas's life
had arrived— the ball was at his.feet.
-E. YATES.
TO KEEP THE BALL UP Or BOLL-

ING — to keep a conversation
going ; to prevent an under-
taking from nagging. C.

He smiled when my lady smiled ;
returned well-rounded replies to her

Banbury

20

Barmecide

queries ; kept up the ball of conver-
sation with the dignity of an am-
bassador.— MKS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Exp.— He spoke occasionally, in
order to maintain the conversation.

If the Spaniards had not lost two
armies lately, we should keep up the
ball for another year (continue the
enterprise for another year).— WEL-
LINGTON.
TO TAKE UP THE BALL — to take

one's turn in speaking or in
any social matter. C.

Rosencrantz took up the ball.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

Exp.— Rosencrantz took his turn
In the conversation.

Banbupy. — To TAKE A CHILD
TO BANBURY CROSS — to swing
it up and down on one's foot.
F. Grown-up people often
amuse children in this way,
sitting on a chair or a sofa,
and repeating the nursery
rhyme : —

Ride a cock-horse
To Banbury Cross,
T9 see an old woman
Ride on a white horse.
With rings on her fingers
And bells on her toes,
She shall have music
Wherever she goes.
She caught up little Miss Toodle,
who was running past, and took her
to Banbury Cross immediately.—
DICKENS.

Bang. — To BANG THE BUSH —
to surpass anything that has
gone before.

" My," said he, " if that don't bang
thebush ; you are another-guess chap
from what I took you to be, any-

how. "—HA LI BU RTON.

Exp.— "Really," said he, "if that
does not exceed anything I have yet
heard; you are quite a different
fellow from what I supposed you to
be, at any rate."

Banyan. — BANYAN - DAY — a
day on which no meat is
served out for rations. A
sea term.

Bap. — THE BAB SINISTER — the
sign of illegitimate birth. P.
In the days of chivalry, knights
of illegitimate birth carried the
arms of their family marked
with a black diagonal bar
across from the right upper
corner.

Why, Philip, mv ancestors were
princes of royal blood when yours
still herded the swine in these
woods. I can show more than thirty
quarterings upon my shield, each the
mark of a noble house, and I will not
be the first to put a bar sinister across
them.— H. R. HAGGARD.

That was Paston Carew, a Clinton
with the bar sinister across the
shield.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
To BAR OUT — to refuse to admit
the masters of a school. P.
Scholars in England frequently
revolted in this way.
Revolts, republics, revolutions, most
No graver than a schoolboys' bar-

ring out.— TENNYSON.
TO EAT FOR THE BAR. See

EAT.

Bapg-ain. — A WET BARGAIN —
an agreement concluded by
the parties drinking liquor
together. F.

The recruit took the condition of
a soldier, with a guinea to make it a
wet bargain.— WINDHAM.

Exp.— The recruit enlisted, and re-
ceived a guinea that he might drink,
on the conclusion of the agreement.

INTO THE BARGAIN — beyond what
has been stipulated ; extra ;
besides. C.

If he studies the writings, say, of
Mr. Herbert Spencer into the bar-
gain, he will be perfect. — M. ARNOLD.

TO MAKE THE BEST OP A BAD

BARGAIN — to bear adverse cir-
cumstances in the best possible
way. P.

Men had made up their minds to
submit to what they could not help,
and to make the best of a bad bargain.
—FREEMAN.

Exp.— Men had resolved to submit
to the inevitable, and to bear their
bad luck with the best possible grace.

Bark. — His BARK is WORSE
THAN HIS BITE — he uses strong
language, but acts with mild-
ness. C.

However, I dare say you have
learned by this time that my father's
bark is worse than his bite.— SARAH
TYTLER.

Barmecide. — A BARMECIDE
FEAST — a banquet where there
is nothing to eat. P. The
name comes from the Arabian
Nights, where the story is

21

Beard

told of a rich man, Barmecide,
who invited a friend to dino
with him. Dishes were
brought to the table in due
order, but there were no
victuals in them. The host,
however, pretended to eat, and
his guest had the politeness
to imitate him. Afterwards
a real feast was served to
reward the man for his good
humour.

Tommy, outraged by the last glass
of claret, thought the permission,
being of a hollow and Barmecide
character, was a natural ending to a
banquet from which he rose more
hungry than when he sat down.—
BESANT.

A Barmecide room, that had always
a great dining-table in it, and never
had a dinner.— DICKENS.

Basket. — To BE LEFT IN THE
BASKET — to be neglected or
thrown over. F.
Whatever he wants, he has only to

ask it,
And all other suitors are left in the

basket.— BARHAM.

Bat. — ON HIS OWN BAT — on

his own account. S. Taken
from the game of cricket.

Titmouse has left Spanker and
Co., and is now on his own bat (in
business for himself).

Bath. — Go TO BATH — be a
beggar. F.

" Go to Bath ! " said the baron.
BARHAM.

Beans. — To KNOW BEANS ; TO

KNOW HOW MANY BEANS MAKE

FIVE — to be sagacious ; to be
worldly-wise. F.

I was a fool, I was, and didn't know
how many beans made five. I was
born yesterday, I was.— B. L. FAR-
JEON.

Bear. — To BEAR ONE HARD —
to be unfriendly to. P.
Caesar doth bear me hard.

SHAKESPEARE.

To BEAR OUT A MAN — to lend
him support ; to back him. P.
Every one will bear me out in say-
ing that the mark by which you know
them is their genial and hearty fresh-
ness and youthfulness of character.
—HUGHES.

TO BEAR A BOB Or A HAND

to assist ; to join others in
work. C.

We were so short of men that every
one on board had to bear a hand.—
K. L. STEVENSON.

TO BEAR DOWN UPON to ap-

proach deliberately. C.

As soon as they got on the Quarter-
deck Arthur perceived a tall, well-
preserved man with an eye-glass,
whom he seemed to know, bearing
down upon them.— H. E. HAGGARD.
To BEAR IN MIND — to remember ;
recollect. P.

It will be borne in mind that Mr.
Aubrey had given bail to a very large
amount.— S. WARREN.
A BEAR LEADER — one who acts
as companion to a person of
distinction. P.

Once more on foot, but freed from
the irksome duties of a bear leader,
and with some of his pay as tutor
in pocket, Goldsmith continued hia
half -vagrant peregrinations through
part of France and Piedmont and
some of the Italian states.— WASH-
INGTON IRVING.

It was somewhat beneath the
dignity of a gentleman cavalier to act
as bear leader to the joskins and
simpering city madams that came to
see the curiosities.— G. A. SALA.

TO PLAT THE BEAR WITH

to injure ; to damage. F.

The last storm has played the bear
with my crops.

A BEAR GARDEN — a disorderly
gathering. C.

Mr. Trollope visited the Chamber
whilst at Paris, and heard Soult and
Dupin. He thought it a bear
garden.— Temple Bar, 1887.

Beard. — To BEARD THE LION
IN HIS DEN — to attack a
dangerous or much-feared per-
son boldly in his own quar-
ters. C.

Miss Masterman returned to the
inn for lunch, and then prepared for
her momentous visit to the rectory ;
for she had resolved to beard the
lion in his den (attack her enemy in
his own house), and to denounce
him in the presence of his family as
a hypocrite.— Ctiambers's Journal,

Fierce he broke forth— "And dar'st

thou then

To beard the lion in his den,
The Douglas in his hall?"— SCOTT.

Beat

22

Beat. — To BEAT ABOUT THE
BUSH. See BUSH.

To BEAT THE BUSH — to search
as sportsmen do when in
pursuit of game. P.

Mr. Maurice, again, that pure and
devout spirit— of whom, however,
the truth must at last be told, that
in theology he passed his life beating
the bush with deep emotion and
never starting the hare— Mr. Maurice
declared that by reading between the
lines he saw in the Thirty-nine
Articles and the Athanasian Creed
the altogether perfect expression of
the Christian faith. — MATTHEW
ARNOLD.

To BEAT DOWN — to cause a
seller to reduce the price. C.

Perhaps his patient would try to
beat him down (lower his profes-
sional charge or fee), and Dr. Ben-
jamin made up his mind to have the
whole or nothing.— 0. W. HOLMES.

To BEAT A RETREAT — to retire.
C. Originally a military phrase,
having reference to the beat-
ing of the drums as a sign
for making a retreat.

She introduced Percy to him. The
colonel was curt but grumpy, and
Percy soon beat a retreat.— READE.

TO BEAT THE AIR — to Struggle

in vain. P.

So fight I, not as one that beateth
the air.— ST. PAUL (1 Cor. ix. 26).

These men labour harder than
other men— result, nil. This is
literally beating the air.— READE.

TO BEAT UP THE QUARTERS OF

— to visit without ceremony ;
to " look up." F.

Sunday coming round, he set off
therefore after breakfast, once more
to beat up:Captain Cuttle's quarters.
—DICKENS.

To BEAT GOOSE — to thump the
arms against the chest in
order to get warm. F.

The common labourers at out-
door work were beating goose to
drive the blood into their fingers.—
Times, 1883.

THAT BEATS THE DUTCH — that

is astonishing. S.
It beats the Dutch (it is wonderful)

how the thief can have got through

so small a hole.
To BEAT HOLLOW — to vanquish

completely. C.

Bed

The Galatea was beaten hollow
(completely defeated) by the May-
flower in the last international yacht
race.

TO BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO.

See TATTOO.

Beau. — BEAU IDEAL — highest
conceivable type ; finest speci-
men. P. French.

My ambition is to give them a
beau ideal of a welcome.— CHAR-
LOTTE BRONTE.

Beauty. — THE BEAUTY SLEEP
— the sleep taken before mid-
night. C.

A medical man, who may be called
up at any moment, must make sure
of his beauty sleep.— H. KINGSLEY.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST — a
lovely woman with an ugly
male companion. C. The
expression is borrowed from
an old nursery tale.

Beauty and the beast was what
they called us when we went out
walking together, as we used to do
every day.— H. R. HAGGARD.

BEAUTY is BUT SKIN-DEEP —
beauty is a thing which can
be easily destroyed, and should
not, therefore, be valued too
highly. P.

Marry a woman for her good quali-
ties ; beauty is but skin-deep.

Bed. — As YOU MAKE YOUR BED,
YOU MUST LIE ON IT — you must
bear the consequences of
your deliberate actions. C.

I write not for those whose
matrimonial lot is the average one—
neither very happy nor very miser-
able, who, having made their bed,
must lie on it— but for those whose
lot has turned out "all worse and
no better."— MRS. CRAIK (Miss
MULOCK).

"Henry has gone to Allington to
propose to Miss Crawley," said Mrs.
Grantly.— "Gonej without speaking
to me!"— "He said that it was use-
less his remaining, as he knew he
should only offend you."— "He has
made his bed, and he must lie on it,"
said the archdeacon.— A. TROLLOPE.

A BED OF ROSES — an altogether
agreeable position or situa-
tion. C.

A parochial life is not a bed of
roses, Mrs. Mann.— DICKENS.

Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire. — To BE FOR

BEDFORDSHIRE — to be anxious

to retire to bed. F.
'Faith, I'm for Bedfordshire.—

SWIFT.
Bee. — IN A BEE LINE — following

a straight course, as a bee is

supposed to do. P.
I'm going to get home as soon as

I can-strike a bee line.-W. D.

HOWELLS.
TO HAVE A BEE IN ONE'S BONNET

— to be crazy in a certain
direction. C.

What new bee will you put under
your bonnet next, sir?— G. A. SALA.

That Crawley has got a bee m his
bonnet.— A. TROLLOPE.

Been. — YOU'VE BEEN (AND
GONE) AND DONE IT— -you have
committed an action that
may have very serious conse-
quences. S. A remark gener-
ally made half in wonder,
half as a warning.

I say, young fellow, you've been
and done it, you have.— DICKENS.

Beep. — To THINK NO SMALL
BEER OF ANYTHING — to esteem
it very highly. F.

Miss Arrowpoint coloured, and
Mr. Bult observed, with his usual
phlegmatic solidity, "Your pianist
does not think small beer of him-
self."—GEORGE ELIOT.

Beg1. — To GO BEGGING or A-
BEGGING — (of things) to find
no one to claim'; to be so
plentiful as to be thought
not worth accepting. P.
Generally said of things that
have been highly prized at
other times.

]
be

JLllIIUJ ^/WAiAViO MM _

guineas a year made fifty-six pound
five shillings English money, .al
which was in manner going a-begging
—GOLDSMITH.
To BEG THE QUESTION — to assume
that which requires to be
proved ; to take for granted
the very point at issue. P.

"Facsimiles!" exclaimed the old
man angrily ; " why not frankly say
that they are by the same hand a
once?"

Bell

"But that is begging the whole
question" (assuming all that requires
to be proved), argued honest Dennis,
his good and implastic nature lead-
ing him into the self-same error into
which he had fallen at Charlecote
Park.— JAMES PAYN.

Beggars. — BEGGARS SHOULD
NOT BE CHOOSERS — those who
ask for favours should sub-
mit to the terms imposed
upon them. P.

Bell. — EIGHT BELLS — sounded
on board ship at noon, four,
and eight o'clock.

The unwelcome cry of " All star-
bowlines ahoy! eight bells, there
below ! do you hear the news? (the
usual formula of calling the watch)
roused us.— K. H. DANA, JUN.

TO BEAR THE BELL Or CARRY
AWAY THE BELL to be victor

in a race or other contest. P.

The Italians have carried away the
bell from (have surpassed) all other
nations, as may appear both by their
books and works.— HAKEWILL.

There are certain cases, it is true,
where the vulgar Saxon word is re-
fined, and the refined Latin vulgar,
in poetry— as in sweat and perspira-
tion ; but there are vastly more in
which the Latin bears the bell.—
J. K. LOWELL.

To BELL THE CAT — at great
personal risk, to render a
common foe harmless for
evil. C. A phrase borrowed
from a well-known fable told
upon one historical occasion
with great success.

When James III. was king of Scot-
land, he irritated the old nobility by
the favour he showed to painters
and architects. One of the latter,
named Cochran, who had succeeded
to the estates of the Earl of Mar, was
especially hated by the nobles. At a
meeting in the church of Lauder
they discussed how best to get rid of
him. Lord Gray, afraid that the
discussion would lead to no practical
result, told the story of the mice and
the cat. " A colony of mice ***

cat.
suff ered'greatly f rom

attacks

a cat, who pounced upon them before
they had time to escape. They were
much concerned over the matter,
and resolved to do something to
defend themselves. A young mouse
rose up and proposed that they
should fix a bell round pussy's
neck, which would warn them of

Belt

24

Best

her approach. This proposal was
warmly received, until an old mouse
put the pertinent question, 'But
which of us will bell the cat?' The

orator had not thought of this, and
was speechless." When
had finished, Archi

Angus, a man noted for
prowess and daring, rose up
swore that he would bell the cat.
He kept his word, captured Cochran,
and had him hanged over the bridge
of Lauder. Afterwards he was
always known as Bell-the-Cat.
And from a loophole while I peep
Old Bell-the-Cat came from the

keep.— SCOTT.

"I'll tell you how we'll do it," ex-
claimed Mrs. Army

her hands : " we'll ask

. clapping
m (the sus-

pected clergyman) to say grace at
dinner to-night. Then we 11 see how
he takes that."

" That's a capital idea ! " cried Mrs.
Percival Lott.

"What fun it will be-*t least I
mean, what an interesting moment
when you put the question to him."

"Oh, but, I shan't put It," said
Mrs. Armytage hastily. . . .

"Mrs. and Miss Jennynge must
bell the cat "

"What have I to do with cats?"
inquired Mrs. Jennynge wildly.
"I hate cats."

"My dear madam, it is a well-
known proverb," explained Mrs.
Armytage. "What I mean is, that
it is you who should ask Mr. Josce-
line to say grace this evening."—
JAMES PAYN.

Belt. — TO HIT BELOW THE

BELT — to strike another un-
fairly. P. A pugilist is not
allowed by the rules of boxing
to hit his opponent under the
waist-belt. This belt is a
significant part of a boxer's
attire. The champion pugilist
of England wears a prize -
belt, which he must deliver
to any one who vanquishes
him.

To refer to his private distresses in
a public discussion was hitting be-
low the belt.

Exp.— It was unfair, in a public
discussion, to refer to his., private
distresses.

Ben. — BEN TROVATO — well
found ; an ingenious inven-
tion. P. Italian.

If the tale is not true, at least it is
bentrovatodugeniouely constructed).

Benefit. — WITHOUT BENEFIT
OF CLERGY — During the
Middle Ages criminals who
could prove that they be-
longed to the Church, even
to the extent of being able
to recite a verse of Scripture,
were allowed to escape punish-
ment. This privilege was
known as benefit of clergy.
Notorious offenders often es-
caped on this plea, like Will of
Harribee, who knew his neck-
verse (see The Lay of the Last
Minstrel). The phrase is
now used loosely, as in the
following : —

She would order Goody Hicks to
take a James's powder, without ap-
peal, resistance, or benefit of clergy.
—THACKERAY.

Benjamin. — BENJAMIN'S MESS
— a specially large portion.
P. For the origin see Gen.
xliii. 34 : " But Benjamin's
mess was five times so much
as any of theirs."

Berth. — To GIVE A WIDE
BERTH — to give a ship room
to swing at anchor ; to avoid a
person. C.

I have had letters warning me that
I had better give Ballinascroon a
wide berth if I happen to be in that
part of Ireland.— WM. BLACK.

Bess. — BESS o' BEDLAM — a
female lunatic vagrant. C.
BESS is a contraction of Eliza-
beth.

Will you have the goodness to tell
me, miss, why you are dressed up
after that mad Bess of Bedlam
fashion ?— A. TROLLOPE.

Best. — BEST MAN — groomsman;
the attendant on a bride-
groom. P.

It was like asking a young gentle-
man to be best man when he wants
to be the bridegroom himself.—
JAMES PAYN.

AT THE BEST — taking the most
favourable view possible. P.

I advise you not to accept the
situation. At the best (even in the
most favourable state of affairs) you
will be a mere favourite, removable
on the slightest whim of a capricious
woman.

Bet

TO HAVE THE BEST OF AN ARGU-
MENT— to gain the advantage
in an argument. P.

"In your argument yesterday,
Charles, the strange gentleman had
the best of it" (was victor), said his
wife.

TO MAKE THE BEST OF ONE'S

WAY — to go as well as can be
done in the circumstances. P.
With these awful remarks, Mr.
Kenwigs sat down in a chair, and
defied the nurse, who made the best
of her way into the adjoining room.
—DICKENS.

TO MAKE THE BEST OF BOTH

WORLDS — to manage so as
to get the good things of
earth and be sure of a good
place in heaven. P.

There have been great captains,
great statesmen, ay, and great so-
called Christians, seeking to make
the best of both worlds (being at
once worldly and heavenly in their
aspirations).— SARAH TYTLER.

Bet. — You BET — I assure you.
S. American.

My father's rich, you bet.— HENRY
JAMES, JUN.

Bete. — BE"TE NOIRE — pet aver-
sion ; object of particular
dislike. P. French.

The ladies of the party simply
detest him -if we except Miss
Thorneydyke, who cannot anord to
detest anything in trousers. Lady
Pat, who is a bit of a wit, calls him
her Ute. noire. — FLORENCE MAR
RYAT.

Better*. — FOR BETTER OR FOR
WORSE — indissolubly, in mar-
riage. C.

Each believed, and indeed pretty
plainly asserted, that they could
live more handsomely asunder; but,
alas ! they were united for better or
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

for worse.

TO GET THE BETTER OF-

overcome ; to vanquish ;
be stronger than. P.

I got the better of (overcame) my
disease, however, but I was BO weak
that I spat blood whenever I at
tempted to write.-H. MACKENZIE.
BETTER HALF — a man's wife ; i
complimentary term for i
married woman. C.

"Polly heard it," said Toodle
jerking his hat over his shoulder in

25 Between

the direction of the door, with an
air of perfect confidence in his bet-
ter half.-DiCKENS.

Between. — BETWEEN YOU AND

ME AND THE POST Or THE

DOOR-POST — a phrase used
when anything is spoken con-
fidentially. F.

"Well, between you and me and
the door-post, squire," answered his
learned visitor, "I am not so sure
that Sir Anthony is quite the rose
and crown of his profession.' —
BLACKMORE.

But understand that the name of
Dangerous is to remain a secret
between you and me and the post.—
G. A. SALA.

The phrase is also found
in the more familiar form —
BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE
BED-POST — don't reveal a word
of what I say. F.
BETWEEN OURSELVES — speaking
confidentially. C.

Steyne has a touch of the gout,
and so, between ourselves, has your
brother.— THACKERAY.

Exp. —Steyne is somewhat troubled
with the gout, and so is your bro-
ther; but I do not wish my words
repeated.

BETWEEN SCYLLA AND CHARYB-
DIS. — between two menacing
dangers. Avoiding one, you
fall into the other. P. Scylla
was a rock and Charybdis
a whirlpool on the coast of
Sicily, and the narrow passage
between was very much feared
by mariners because of its
double danger. Now they are
looked on as harmless.

You have your Scylla and your
Charybdis, as pastor of the con-
gregation. If you preach the old
theology, you will lose the young
men ; and if you preach the new, you
will alienate the old men.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES — subject
to a double attack ; a position
of peculiar danger in warfare.
p.

Poor Dawson is between two fires •.
if he whips the child, its mother
scolds him ; and if he lets it off, its
grandmother comes down on him.

TO FALL BETWEEN TWO STOOLS.

See STOOL.

Bid

BETWEEN WIND AND WATER.
See WIND.

Bid. — To BID FAIR — to seem
likely ; to promise well. P.

In the eastern counties the old
race of email farmers and yeomen
have well - nigh disappeared, or
rather they bid fair to disappear.—
Chambers's Journal, 1887.

"Big. — A BIG -WIG — a person in
authority ; a high or powerful
person. C.

"Then I will leave you, uncle,"
said Clare, " to the task of telling
the big-wigs that there is nothing
more to be done or known down
here."— EDMUND YATES.

Sooner 9r later one of the big-wigs
will take it up, and the point will be
settled one way or other.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

Bird. — A BIRD IN THE HAND is

WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH — a

sure advantage is better than
a problematical advantage,
even though the latter pro-
mises to be twice as good. C.

A BIRD'S-EYE or BIRD -EYE
VIEW — a general view, such
as would be enjoyed by a
bird flying over a country. P.
Viewing from the Pisgah of his
pulpit the free, moral, happy, flour-
ishing, and glorious state of France,
as in a bird-eye landscape of a pro-
mised land.— BURKE.

Note.— Pisgah was the mountain
east of the Jordan from the summit
of which Moses was permitted to
see the promised land of Canaan.

TO KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE

STONE — to effect two results
with one expenditure of
trouble. C.

Sir Barnet killed two birds with
one stone.— DICKENS.
BIRDS OP A FEATHER — persons
of like tastes. C.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Exp.— Persons of like tastes seek
one another's society.

JAIL-BEBD — a rogue who is
oftener in prison than out of
it ; a hardened offender. C.

The jail-birds who piped this tune
were, without a single exception,
the desperate cases of this moral
hospital.— READE.

BIRD OF PASSAGE — one who
shifts from place to place. C.

26 Bit

No one (here in Shanghai) seems
to be living his own life, but some-
thing else — something temporary;
as if we were all expecting to go
home again in the course of the
afternoon or the next day, and there-
fore it does not much matter what
we dp just for the few hours that
remain; or as if we were convicts
doing our time; or as if we were
political exiles, who might be re-
called at any moment ; or as if we
were in some way birds of passage.
—BESANT.

A LITTLE BIRD WHISPERED IT TO

ME. A phrase playfully used
of something which has been
reported and is repeated. C.
The reference is from the
Bible, Eccles. x. 20 : — " Curse
not the king, no not in thy
thought ; and curse not the
rich in thy bedchamber : for
a bird of the air shall carry
the voice, and that which
hath wings shall tell the
matter."

"What a wicked man you are!"
smiled Mrs. Jennynge, admiringly.
"A little bird told me you could
be very severe when you pleased,
though I refused to believe it."

It was evident from the colour
that came into Anastasia's face that
she was the bird in question (she
had carried this report).— JAMES
PAYN.

Bishop. — THE BISHOP HAS SET
HIS FOOT IN IT — the contents
of the dish are burned. F.
A jocular reference to the
zeal of bishops for burning
heretics.

"Why sure, Betty, thou art be-
lt this cream is burnt too."
y. madam, the bishop has set

witched : this cream is burnt too.

" Why. madam, the b
his foot in it."— SWIFT.

Bit. — A BIT OF ONE'S MIND —
a good scolding ; a serious
reproof. F.

"I shall have to tell her a bit of
my mind" (remonstrate sharply
with her), he said, as he stepped
across the close.— A. TROLLOPE.

NOT A BIT OF IT — by no means ;
not at all. F.

" That's rather a sudden pull-up,
ain't it, Sammy?" .inquired Mr.
Weller.

"Not a bit of it," said Sam.—
DICKENS.

Bite

27

Bless

Bite. TO BITE THE THUMB AT.

This was formerly a sign of
contempt, often made use of
by those who wished to pick
a quarrel. C.
I will bite my thumb at them:

which is a disgrace to them, if

they bear it. — SHAKESPEARE :

Romeo and Juliet.

Wear I a sword

To see men bite their thumbs?
RANDOLPH.

Tis no less disrespectful to bite
the nail of your thumb, by way of
scorn and disdain.— Rules of Civility,
1678.

To BITE ONE'S LIPS — to show
signs of disgust and mortifi-
cation. P.

The advocates on both sides are
alternately biting their lips (show-
ing chagrin) to hear their C9nflicting
misstatements and sophisms ex-
posed.— MACAULAY.

To BITE THE DUST — to fall in
battle. P.

That day three thousand Saracens
bit the dust (were slain in battle).

Black. — A BLACK SHEEP — an
ill -conducted person ; a mem-
ber of society who is not
considered respectable. C.

I'm forbidden the house. I'm
looked upon as a black sheep— a
pest, a contamination.— EDMUND
YATES.

BLACK MONDAY — the Monday on
which school reopens. C.

She now hated my sight, and made
home so disagreeable to me that
what is called by schoolboys Black
Monday was to me the whitest in
the whole year.— FIELDING.

BLACKMAIL — money extorted by
threats. P.

Blackmail, I suppose, is an honest
man paving through his nose for the
sins of his youth.

BLACK DRAUGHT — a dose for-
merly given by physicians to
relieve stomach ailments. P.
Go, enjoy your black draughts of
metaphysics.— THACKERAY.

TO BEAT Or PINCH ANOTHER BLACK

AND BLUE — to beat or pinch
him until his flesh is dis-
coloured. C.
" We'll go down arm in arm."
" But you pinch me black and
blue," urged Gride.— DICKENS.

BLACK AND WHITE — written defi-
nitely on paper in ink. C.

" I have found it all out ! Here is
his name in black and white;" and
she touched the volume she had just
placed on the table with impressive
reverence.— JAMES PAYN.

Blanket. — A WET BLANKET
— one who discourages, who
causes others to become dis-
heartened ; also, discourage-
ment. C.

I don't want (said Sir Brian) to be
a wet blanket.— W. E. NORRIS.

At home, in the family circle,
ambition is too often treated with
the wet blanket (discouraged).—
BESANT.

Blarney. — To HAVE KISSED

THE BLARNEY STONE to be

full of flattery and persuasive
language. F. There is a
stone in the village of Blarney,
near Cork, in Ireland, which
was supposed to confer this
gift of persuasive speech on
those who touched it.

You are so full of compliments
to-day that you must have kissed
the blarney stone.

BleSS. TO BLESS ONESELF to

be astonished. C.

Could Sir Thomas look in upon us

just now, he would bless himself,

for we are rehearsing all over the

house.— JANE AUSTEN.

TO BLESS ONESELF WITH — in

one's possession. F. Gener-
ally used of coin, especially
of silver coin, which people
crossed their palms with for
good luck.

What ! you trumpery, to come and
take up an honest house without
cross or coin to bless yourself with.
—GOLDSMITH.

The lady hasn't got a sixpence
wherewithal to bless herself.—
DICKENS.

BLESS YOU — an exclamation of
varying significance. F. Com-
monly used after sneezing,
to avert evil consequences — a
superstition common in Ire-
land.

"Bless you!" murmurs Miss Sey-
mour under her breath— the bene-
diction being called forth by the
sneeze, not the demand for mustard.
— RHODA BROUGHTON.

Blind 2

Blind. — To GO IT BLIND — to
act without due delibera-
tion. S.

Blindman. — BLINDMAN'S BUFF
— an ancient game, still very
popular with children. One of
the company is blindfolded,
and the fun of the game con-
sists in his efforts to capture
some one.

Mr. Burchell, who was of the
party, was always fond of seeing
some innocent amusement going
forward, and set the boys and girls
to blindman's buff.— GOLDSMITH.

Blithe. — BLITHE BREAD — food
distributed among guests on
the birth of a child in the
family. An old custom.

Throughout three long jovial
weeks the visitors came and went,
and every day the blithe bread was
piled in the peck for the poor of the
earth.— HALL CAINB.

Blood. — BLOOD AND IRON —
military compulsion ; the force
of armies. A phrase usually
associated with Prince Bis-
marck— Blut und Eisen.

Mr. Carlyle has been heard to say
that Rhadamanthus would certainly
give Macaulay four dozen lashes
when he went to the shades for his
treatment of Marlborough. This is
quite in character for the Scotch
apostle of blood and iron. — J.
(JOTTER MORISON.

BAD BLOOD. See BAD.
His BLOOD WAS UP — he was
excited or in a passion. C.

That is the way of doing business
—a cut and thrust style, without
any flourish: Scott's style when
his blood was up.— CHRISTOPHER
NORTH.

A PRINCE OF THE BLOOD — a
nobleman who is a near
relative of the royal family. P.

He had a calm, exhausted smile
which— as though he had been a
prince of the blood (noble of the
highest rank) who had passed his
life in acknowledging the plaudits
of the populace — suggested the
ravages of affability.— JAMES PAYN.

BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER

— kinship will cause a man to
befriend his relatives ; it is

Blown

better to trust for kind treat-
ment to one's kinsmen than
to strangers. P.

"I am aware there is a family tie,
or I should not have ventured to
trouble you."

" Blood is thicker than water,
isn't it?"— A. TROLLOPE.

IN COLD BLOOD — without passion ;
deliberately. P.

The suggestion of such a contin-
gency—which, of course, meant total
failure— in cold blood (without any
passion) filled up the cup of the
antiquary's indignation. — JAMES
PAYN.

BLUE BLOOD — aristocratic de-
scent. P.

And the girl — what of her? to
which side of the house did she
belong? To the blue blood of the
Clintons, or the muddy stream of the
Carews?— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

The blood of the Bunkers has, in
yourself, assumed the most azure
hue (become most aristocratic).—
BESANT.

TO MAKE YOUR BLOOD CREEP

to fill you with awe or terror.
P.

Jinny Gates, the cobbler's daugh-
ter, being more imaginative, stated
not only that she had seen the ear-
rings too, but that they had made
her blood creep (inspired her with
terror).— GEORGE ELIOT.

BlOW. TO BLOW OVER to

pass off ; to be heard of no
more. P.

"Gracious me! an execution!"
said Lady Clonbrony ; " but I heard
you talk of an execution months
ago, my lord, before my son went to
Ireland, and it blew over; I heard
no more of it." — MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

To BLOW UP — to scold ; to
reprimand. F.

If I hadn't been proud of the
house, I shouldn't be blowing you
up.— HUGHES.

The captain was too "wide-awake"
' i upon him at
. blow up.— K.

for him, and beginning ui
once, gave him a grand bl<
H. DANA.

Blown. — BLOWN UPON — having
a bad reputation ; unsound ;
damaged. C.

My credit was so blown upon that
I could not hope to raise a shilling.
—THACKERAY.

Blue

29

Blue

Blue. — THK BLUE RIBBON —
(a) the Order of the Garter. P.

I therefore make no vain boast of
a blue ribbon being seen there, thus
denoting the presence of a knight of
the most noble Order of the Garter.
— G. A. SALA.

Though he distributed peerages
with a lavish and culpable pro-
fusion, he (Pitt) never desired one
for himself, and he declined the
blue ribbon when it was offered
him.— Spectator, 1887.

(&) the phrase is also used

to signify " a distinction of the
highest kind." P.

In 1840 he was elected to a fellow-
ship at Oriel, then the blue ribbon
of the university.— Athenceum, 1887.

(c) a badge worn in England

and America by those who do
not drink intoxicating liquors.
C.

Of course, Mr. Smith didn't
smoke, and sported a blue ribbon
as proudly as if it had been the
Order of the Garter.— BESANT.

A BLUE FUNK — a state of terrified
expectation ; a condition of
frightened suspense. S.

Altogether. I was in the pitiable
state known by school-boys as a
blue funk.— H. R. HAGGARD.

A BLUE MOON — a phenomenon
which happens very rarely.
S. ONCE IN A BLUE MOON =
very seldom indeed. The real
origin of this phrase is un-
known.

BLUE MOONSHINE — fantastic non-
sense. F. The subject of a
short poem of three stanzas
in Haweis's Comic Poets of
the Nineteenth Century.

BLUE BOOKS — official publica-
tions of the British Govern-
ment. P. So called because
their covers are blue in colour.
At home he gave himself up to
the perusal of Blue Books.—
THACKERAY.

The latter portion of Lord
Beaconsfield's speech (is) upon page
208 of the English Blue Book.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.

IN THE BLUES — melancholy ; low-
spirited. F.

If we had been allowed to sit idle,
we should all have fallen in the

blues (had an attack of melancholy).
— R. L. STEVENSON.

THE BLUE AND YELLOW— the
Edinburgh Review, so called
from the colour of its cover. C.
Shortly afterwards, and very little
before the appearance of the Blue
and Yellow, Jeffrey made another
innovation.— GEORGE SAINTSBURY,
in Macmillan's Magazine, 1887.

THE MAN IN BLUE — the police-
man. C.

Those kinds of sin which bring
upon us the man in blue are such
as we think we shall never commit.
—BESANT.

To LOOK BLUE — to seem dis-
concerted. F.

Squire Brown looks rather blue
at having to pay two pounds ten
shillings for the posting expenses
from Oxford.— HUGHES.

BLUE-NOSE — a name given to
the inhabitants of Nova Scotia
in North America. F.

How is it that an American can
sell his wares, at whatever price he
pleases, where a Blue-nose (Nova
Scotian) would fail to make a sale
at all?— HALIBURTON.

BLUE-DEVILS — dreadful appari-
tions which appear to a patient
suffering from delirium tre-
mens. F.

The drunken old landlord had a
fit of the blue-devils last night, and
was making a dreadful noise.

BLUE-STOCKING — a woman who
prides herself on her learn-

ing. P.
Lucj

_.._y (Hutchinson) was evidently
very superior young lady, and
looked upon as the bluest of blue-
stockings. — Gentleman's Magazine,
1886.

Sometimes found in the
simple form BLUE.
Bulwer came up to me and said,
"There is one blue who insists
upon an introduction."— Edinburgh
Review, 1886.
TO FLY THE BLUE -PETER to

be ready to sail (of a vessel).
P. The blue-peter is a small
flag run up on the fore -mast
of a ship, to announce its
departure within twenty-four
hours. P.

The ensign was at her peak, and
at the fore floated the blue-peter.—
W. CLARK RUSSELL.

Blush

BLUE HEN — a nickname for the
state of Delaware in the
United States. F. A Blue-
hen is a native of the state.

" Your mother was a Blue-hen, no
doubt," is a reproof to a person who
brags, especially of his ancestry.

BlUSh. TO PUT TO THE BLUSH

— to cause one to redden with
shame. P.

Ridicule, instead of putting guilt
and error to the blush (making guilt
and error ashamed), turned her
formidable shafts against innocence
and truth.— MAC AUL AY.

AT THE FIRST BLUSH Or AT

FIRST BLUSH — when one looks
hastily for the first time ; at
the first sudden appearance.
P.

At the first blush the landlord
would appear to suffer most, but on
nearer examination the tenants are
found in the lowest state of poverty.
—National Review, 1887.

All purely identical propositions,
obviously and at first blush (when
first viewed), appear to contain no
certain instruction in them.

Bo. — To SAY "BO" TO A

GOOSE. See Boo.
Boards. — ON THE BOARDS —

following the profession of

an actor. C.
Lily was on the boards, but Katie

could get nothing to do.— BESANT.

Bob. TO BEAR A BOB to JOLQ

in chorus. F.

To GIVE THE BOB — to cheat ;
to overreach. C. Obsolete.
C. I guess the business.
S. It can be no other than to give
me the bob (nothing else than a plot
to outwit me).— MASSENGER.
A BOB — a shilling. S.

The trip cost me a bob and a
bender (a shilling and sixpence.)

Bodkin. — To SIT BODKIN. See
SIT.

Body. — TO KEEP BODY AND

SOUL TOGETHER — to sustain
life. P.

My earnings are so miserable that
they scarcely suffice to keep body
and soul together (to keep me from
starving).

Bohemia. — A FLAVOUR OF
BOHEMIA — a tone of uncon-

30 Bond,

ventionality ; of neglect of
social rules. P. Bohemia is
the name applied in London
to the quarter where artists
and literary men live as best
suits them, wholly neglecting
fashion and the elegant world.
In France and some other
countries Bohemian is the
name applied to the gipsy
race, who, wherever they go,
live a rough kind of life, apart
from other people.

Meantime there is a flavour of
Bohemia about the place which

E.ses newcomers. To be sure,
eniia never had any clubs.—
ANT.

Bold. — TO MAKE BOLD — to

venture. P.

"I make bold, young woman," he
said as they went away, "to give
you a warning about my nephew."—
BESANT.

To MAKE BOLD WITH — to tackle J

to deal with. P.

By the time I was twelve years
old I had risen into the upper
school, and could make bold with

Eutropius and Csesar.

As BOLD AS BRASS — impudent ;

without modesty or shame. C.

Fred Bullock told old Osborne of

his son's appearance and conduct.

" He came in as bold as brass," said

Frederick.— THACKERAY.

Bon. — BON GR£, MAL

whether one likes it or not.
C. French.

Bon gr6, mat gr£, we had to wait
our turn.— R. H. DANA.

A BON MOT — a clever saying.

P. French.
The bon mots of the mother

were everywhere repeated.— MARIA

EDGEWORTH.
A BON VIVANT — an epicure;

one fond of good living. C.

French.
Sir Charles Lyndon was cele-

brated as a wit and 6cm vivant.—

THACKERAY.

Bona. — BON! FIDE — in good
faith ; trustworthy. P. Latin.

The offer we make is a bond fide
one (made in good faith).

But this was a bond fide trans-
action.— W. D. HOWELLS.

31

Botany

.
e does not hesitate to swear

Bone. — A BONE OP CONTEN-
TION — something which causes
a quarrel (as a bone does when
thrown among dogs). P.

The possession of Milan was a
bone of contention (cause of quarrel)
between the two monarchs.

TO HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH

ANT ONE — to have some cause
of quarrel or complaint against
him. C.

I consider that I have got a bone
to pick with Providence about that
nose.— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO MAKE NO BONES - not to

hesitate ; to publish openly. C.

He makes no bones of swearing
and lying.

Exp.— H
or lie.

He makes no bones of (publishes
openly) his dislike of the natives.

Bonne. — A BONNE BOUCHE —
a sweet morsel; something
which pleases. C. French.

If I could ever believe that Mande-
ville meant anything more by his
fable of the Bees than a bonne bouche
of solemn raillery. — S. T. COLE-
RIDGE.

The solemn and heavy tragedy
came first, and sent most of the
audience to sleep, at least in a figu-
rative sense ; but they were revived
by the witty dialogue of the comedy,
wnich was reserved till the end of
the performance as a bonne bouche.

BOO. — TO SAT BOO Or BO TO A

GOOSE — a test of courage.
C. A man who cannot say
boo to a goose has no spirit,
and is to be despised for his
timidity.

He looks as fierce as a tiger, as
much as to say, " Say boo to a goose,
if you dare" (it will take a bold man
to address me).— HALIBURTON.

Now you are always writing, and
can't say " bo " to a goose.— C. READE.

Book. — IN THE BOOKS OF ;

IN THE GOOD BOOKS OF - in

favour with ; a favourite
of. P.

I was so much in his books (in his
favour) that at his decease he left me
his lamp.— ADDISON.

Then I'll tell you what, Mr. Noggs :
if you want to keep in the good books
in that quarter, you had better not
call her the old lady "any more.—
DICKENS.

IN THE BAD Or BLACK BOOKS OF

— in disfavour with. P.

He neglected to call on his aunt,
and got into her bad books.

For some reason or other I am in
his black books.-W. E. NORRIS.
TO BRING TO BOOK - to Call to

account ; to accuse of a
fault or crime. P.

" By the Lord, sir," cried the major,
bursting into speech at sight of the
waiter, who was come to announce
breakfast, "it's an extraordinary
thing to me that no one can have
the honour and happiness of shoot-
ing such beggars without being
brought to book for it."— DICKENS.

Born. — ALL ONE'S BORN DATS

— during one's whole ex-
perience of life. F.

At last Nicholas pledged himself
to betray no further curiosity, and
they walked on, both ladies giggling
very much, and declaring that they
had never seen such a wicked creature
in all their born days.— DICKENS.

NOT BORN TESTERDAT — worldly-
wise ; not easily gulled. F.

She was considerable of a long-
headed woman (quite a prudent
woman), was mother ; she could see
as far ahead as most folks. She
warn't born yesterday, I guess (was
not easily outwitted, I venture to
say).— HALIBURTON.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN

ONE'S MOUTH. See SPOON.
Borne. — BORNE IN UPON. See

BEAR.

BORNE IN UPON ONE — impressed
upon one's mind. C. Gener-
ally used of some icreboding
or warning.

It was borne in upon her (im-
pressed upon her mind), as she
afterwards expressed it. to beseech
the divine compassion in favour of
the houseless wretches constrained.
haps, as much by want as evil
abit, to break through and steal.—
AMES PAYN.

Bosom. — A BOSOM FRIEND — a
very intimate friend. P.

"What a strange history that was
of his marriage."

"So:I have heard; but he is not
quite bosom friend enough with me
to have told me all the particulars."
—A. TROLLOPE.

Botany. — BOTANY BAT — the
port in Australia to which

perh
habi
JAM

Bottom

convicts were formerly

shipped. P.
Who careth that the respectable

family solicitor had a grandfather by

the maternal side sent to Botany

Bay?— BBS ANT.
Bottom. — ONE'S BOTTOM DOL-

LAR — one's last coin. S. An

Americanism.
I would have parted with my bot-

tom dollar to relieve her.— BESANT.
TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF ANT-

THING — to be the chief in-
stigator in any affair. C.

I am sure Russell is at the bottom
of (the chief instigator in) this move-
ment to get rid of our present musi-
cal conductor.

AT BOTTOM — really ; essentially.
C.

He was a kind-hearted man at bot-
tom (under the surface, however
roughly he might speak).— JAMES
PAYN.

BOW. — TO DRAW THE LONG

BOW — to exaggerate. C.

Then he went into a lot of particu-
lars, and I begun (began) to think he
was drawing the long bow.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

King of Corpus (College), who was
an incorrigible wag, was on the point
of pulling some dreadful long bow
(telling some dreadfully exaggerated
story).— THACKERAY.
TO HAVE A SECOND STRING TO

ONE'S BOW — to be provided
with something in reserve in
case of an accident happening.
P.

Moreover, in his impatient ambi-
tion zuid indefatigable energy, he
had sought a second string to his
bow : the public and the publishers
showed their sense of his abilities as
a pamphleteer and a novelist.— Edin-
burgh, Review.

Exp.— Moreover, in his impatient
ambition and indefatigable energy,
to have

32 Box

he (Disraeli) had sought to
another career open, on whic e
might fall back if he failed in poli-
tics: he was gaining popularity as a
pamphleteer and a novelist.
TO DRAW A BOW AT A VENTURE

— to make an attack blindly ;
to say or do something with-
out knowing exactly what the
result will be. C. See 1 Kings
xxii.

"And your mother was an In-
dian," said Lady Jane, drawing her

bow at a venture.— MRS. E. LYNN
LINTON.

Bowels. — His BOWELS
YEARNED — he felt full of
sympathy or affection. P.

That evening Alexis did come home
to dinner. He arrived about ten
o'clock, with his eyes red and swol-
len, would take nothing but a glass
of tea. and so to bed.

At the sight of his inoffensive sor
row, the mother's bowels began to
yearn over (the mother felt her heart
drawn to) her son.— C. HEADE.
BOWELS OF MERCY or COM-
PASSION— compassionate feel-
ings ; pity. P.

And at least it would be a face
worth seeing— the face of a man
who was without bowels of mercy,
— R. L. STEVENSON.

We men of business, you see,
Carew, must have bowels of com-
passion like any other. — MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

Bowl. — To BOWL OUT — to stop
in a successful career. F.
A cricketing phrase.

" Bowled out, eh ?" said Routh.

"Stumped, sir," replied Dallas.—
E. YATES.

To BOWL OVER — to knock down
to overturn. C.

It was within a day of Thursday's
visit that Bennet's last defence was

us placidly bowled over.— SARAE

YTLER.

BOX. — IN THE SAME BOX —

equally embarrassed. C.

"How is it that you are noi
dancing?"

He murmured something inaud
ible about "partner."

"Well, we are in the same box."-
H. R. HAGGARD.

TO BOX THE COMPASS to Shift

round to all quarters. C
A nautical phrase.

After a week or so the wind woulc
regularly box the compass, as th»
sailors call it.— BLACKMORE.

So my lady reasoned in her rapic
way, and boxed the compass al
round (tried every method of argu
ment).— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

To BOX HARRY — to avoid the
regular hotel table, and tak<
something substantial at tea
time to avoid expense. S
A phrase used by commercia
travellers.

TY

Boy

Boy. — A EOT IN BUTTONS — a
lad who acts as door-servant
and waiter in an establish-
ment. C.

The very boy in buttons thought
more of his promotion than of the
kind mistress who had housed,
clothed, and fed him when a parish
orphan.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Boycott. — To BOYCOTT A
PERSON — to refuse to deal
with a person, in the way of
buying or selling, or of social
intercourse : from Captain
Boycott, a landowner in Ire-
land, who was so treated
during the agrarian war about
1885.

Brass. — A BRASS FARTHING —
a symbol of what is worth-
less. C.

He could perceive his wife did not
care one brass farthing about him.—
H. K. HAGGARD.

Brazen. — To BRAZEN OUT AN
ACT — to refuse to confess to a
guilty action, or to boast of
it ; to be without shame
regarding it. C.

As to Bullying Bob, he brazened
the matter out, declaring he had
been affronted by the Franklands,
and that he was glad he had taken
his revenge of them.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

Bread. — To [TAKE BREAD AND
SALT — to bind oneself by oath.
An old-fashioned phrase.
To BREAK BREAD — to eat ; to
be a guest. C. Old-fashioned
in ordinary prose.

As often as Mr. Staunton was in-
vited, or invited himself, to break
bread at the Villa des Chataigniers,
so often did Violet express her inten-
tion of eating her own luncheon or

i dinner in company with Hopkins, a
faithful old servant.-W. E. NORRIS.

I BREAD AND BUTTER — material

welfare; what sustains life. C.

Former pride was too strong for

present prudence, and the question

of bread and butter was thrown to

! the winds in revolt at the shape of

. the platter in which it was offered.—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

j BREAD-BASKET — a vulgar name
for the stomach.

3 Break

BREAD AND CHEESE — the bare
necessaries of life.

A " BREAD -AND -CHEESE " MAR-
RIAGE— a marriage to a man
who cannot afford to give his
wife luxuries. C.

You describe in well-chosen lan-
guage the miseries of a bread-and-
cheese marriage to your eldest
daughter.— G. JTWHYTE-MELVILLE.

Break. — To BREAK DOWN —
(a) to lose control over one's
feelings. P.

" They had better not try," replies
Lady Swansdown, and then she sud-
denly breaks down and cries.— FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

(6) to fail in health. P.

I have worked hard since I came
here ; but since Abner left me at the
pinch it hasn't been man's work,
Jacky : it has been a wrestling match
from dawn to dark. No man could
go on so and not break down.— C.
EEADE.

To BREAK IN — to interrupt
another with a remark. P.

"Oh, don't talk to me about
Eogers J" his wife broke in.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

TO BREAK GROUND. See

GROUND.

TO BREAK OFF WITH to CBaSO

to have communications with ;
to renounce the acquaintance
of. P.

Well, then, I consent to break off
with Sir Charles, and only see him
once more— as a friend.— READE.

To BREAK UP — to be near
death ; to show signs of
approaching dissolution. C.

"Poor Venables is breaking up,"
observed Sir Brian as they strolled
away.— Good Words, 1887.

To BREAK WITH — (a) to break
the matter to ; to announce
news to. Obsolete.
Let us not break with him.

SHAKESPEARE : Julius Caesar.

— (&) to quarrel with ; to
cease to be friendly with. P.
" But what cause have I given him
to break with me?" says the countess,
trembling.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

TO BREAK THE ICE to COm-

mence a conversation where
there has been an awkward
2

Breakers

silence ; to speak first on
a delicate matter. C.

"I will not," said Lqchiel. "break
the ice. That is a point of honour
with me."— MAC A UL AY.

Exp.— Lochiel said that he would
not be the first to speak (of submis-
sion), for that was a point of honour

To BREAK THE NEWS — to impart
startling information in a
gentle manner ; preparing
the recipient gradually for
the shock. P.

It suggested to me that I had
better break the news to them (of
their father's death by the explo-
sion of a boiler), and mechanically
I accepted the suggestion and rode
away sadly to the Italian villa.— The
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Breakers. — BREAKERS AHEAD
— a cry of danger. C. The
phrase is taken from sea-life,
where the cry, " Breakers
ahead ! " announces imme-
diate peril to a vessel. Break-
ers are waves which go into
foam over rocks, or in shallow
water.

It made her forget the carking
anxieties, the vision of social break-
ers ahead, that had begun to take
the gilding off her position.— BLACK-
MORE.

Breast. — To MAKE A CLEAN
BREAST OF — to make a full
and free confession of some-
thing that has been kept a
secret. C.

She resolved to make a clean breast
of it (confess the whole affair) before
she died.— SCOTT.

Breath. — THE BREATH OF
ONE'S NOSTRILS — something
as valuable as life itself. P.

The novels were discussed in the
society whose flatteries were as the
breath of his nostrils.— Edinburgh
Review, 1886.

Exp.— The novels were discussed
in aristocratic circles, whose flat-
teries were as dear to Disraeli as his
own life.

TO TAKE AWAY ONE'S BREATH

— to cause surprise or con-
sternation. C.

He was so polite, he flattered with
a skill so surprising, he was so fluent,
so completely took away her breath
(astonished her), that when he finally

84 Bring

begged permission to deliver a vale-
dictory oration to all the young la-
dies, Miss Billingsworth, without
thinking what she was doing,
granted that permission.— BESANT.

UNDER ONE'S BREATH — very
quietly ; in fear. P.

"A good thing they did not be-
think themselves of cutting off my
hair." she said under her breath (in
a whisper, so that no one could
hear).

Breathe. — To BREATHE ONE'S
LAST — to die. P.

It had breathed its last in doing its
master service.— THACKERAY.
Brick. — A REGULAR BRICK —
a good fellow ; a pleasant
man. F.
In brief I don't stick to declare

Father Dick,
So they called him for short, was a

regular brick.— BAR HAM.
LIKE BRICKS, or LIKE A THOU-
SAND OF BRICKS — with a great
impetus or force ; violently.
S.

Out flies the fare like bricks.—
DICKENS.

If the master discovers what we
are doing, he will come down on us
like a thousand of bricks (give us a
great scolding).

WITH A BRICK IN ONE'S HAT —
drunk. American slang.

I think our friend over there has a
brick in his hat (is intoxicated).
Brief. — To ACCEPT A BRIEF

ON BEHALF OF to espouse

the cause of. C. A phrase
of legal origin.

Not a little to Gilbert's surprise,
Mr. Buswell flatly declined to make
this concession, alleging that he
had not sufficient knowledge of the
circumstances to justify him in ac-
cepting a brief on behalf of (in de-
fending) the accused.— W. E. NOR-

RIS.
TO HOLD A BRIEF FOR ANOTHER

— to devote oneself to his
defence ; to urge all that can
be said in his justification. C.
Professor Dowden holds a brief for
Shelley.— MATTHEW ARNOLD.

Bring-. — To BRING INTO PLAT
— to cause to act ; to set in
motion ; to give scope to.
P.

The very incongruity of their rela-
tive positions brought into play aL

Broom

his genius.— Macmillaris Magazine,

1887.

TO BRING ABOUT to CEU86 to

happen ; to assist in accom-
plishing. P.

There are many who declare that
they would be willing to bring about
an Anglo-Russian alliance upon the
terms of gjving Russia her head in
the .direction of Constantinople.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.

To BRING ROUND — to restore ;
to cause to recover. P.

"How is'poor old No. 50 to-day?"

"Much the same."

"Do you think you will bring him
round, sir?"— C. READE.

To BRING UP — (of a sailing
vessel) to stop ; to cease
moving. P.

He was still plunged in meditation
when the cutter brought up in the
bay.— Good Words, 1887.

TO BRING TO BEAR — to Cause to

happen ; to bring to a suc-
cessful issue. C.

There was therefore no other
method to bring things to bear but
by persuading you that she was
dead.— GOLDSMITH.

TO BRING DOWN THE HOUSE —

to call forth enthusiastic
applause. C.

Toole on his last appearance in
Edinburgh brought down the house
(had an enthusiastic reception).

Every sentence brought down the
house as I never saw one brought
down before.— J. R. LOWELL.

To BRING TO THE HAMMER. See

HAMMER.

To BRING TO BOOK. See BOOK.
To BRING TO — to resuscitate ; to

cause to recover. C.
I once brought a fellow to (made a

fellow revive) that was drowned.—

HALIBURTON.

Bpoom. — NEW BROOMS SWEEP
CLEAN — those newly appointed
to office are apt to make great
changes. C.

If new brooms do not sweep clean,
at any rate they sweep away.—
Blackwood's Magazine, 1887.

TO JUMP THE BROOMSTICK to

be irregularly married. F.

Three or four score of undergradu-
ates, reckless of parental wifl, had
offered her matrimony, and three or

35 Buckle

four newly-elected fellows were ask-
ing whether they would vacate if
they happened to jump the broom-
stick.— BLACKMORE.

This woman in Gerrard Street here
had been married very young— over
the broomstick, as we say— to a
tramping man.— DICKENS.

Brown. — BROWN, JONES, AND
ROBINSON— representatives of
Englishmen of the middle
class. P. Their adventures
were published in Punch.

After the splendidjtrevelry of the
mess-table, Captains Brown, Jones,
and Robinson would turn out in all
the glory of red cloth and gold braid.

TO ASTONISH THE BROWNS to

do something, notwithstand-
ing the shock it will give to
the prejudices of one's neigh-
bours. F.

If we go on to the top of the 'bus,
our conduct will astonish the Browns
(shock our prejudiced neighbours).
To DO BROWN — to hoodwink
completely ; to gain com-
plete mastery over. S. See
Do.

His was an imaginative poetical
composition, easily scorched enough,
but almost incapable of being thor-
oughly done brown.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.
BROWN BESS — a musket. F.

The British soldier-with his cloth-
ing and accoutrements, his pouches,
haversack,biscuits,andammunition,
not to mention Brown Bess, his main-

ishes him so much as wet.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Bputum. — BRUTUM FULMEN —
a harmless thunderbolt. P.
Latin.

Bubble. — BUBBLE AND SQUEAK
— fried beef and cabbage. F.
Also used contemptuously of
what is little prized.

Rank and title ! bubble and squeak !
No, not half so good as bubble and
squeak— Englishbeef and good cab-
bage.— LYTTON.

Buckle. — To BUCKLE TO — to
set to work at in earnest ;
to apply oneself diligently to
work. F.

We all buckled to with a will, doing
four hours a day.— H. E. HAGGARD.

Buckler

36

Buckler. — To GIVE THE BUCK-
LERS— to yield ; to lay aside
all thoughts of defence. F.
Age is nobody when youth is in place ;
It gives the other the bucklers.

Old Play.

TO TAKE UP THE BUCKLERS to

struggle ; to contend. Old-
fashioned.
Charge one of them to take up the

bucklers
Against that hair-monger Horace.

DECKER.

Bud. — To CHECK or NIP IN
THE BUD — to destroy at an
early age ; to lose no time in
suppressing. C.

Guessing his intentions, she had
resolved to check them in the bud.—
DICKENS.

Bull. — A BULL'S EYE — the
inner disk of a target, sur-
rounded by rings of increasing
magnitude. F. "To make
a bull's eye " = to fire a
highly successful shot ; to
score a great success ; to gain
a striking advantage.
The Republicans had made a bull's

Ee, and were jubilant.— New York
zrald, August 1, 1888.
A BULL IN A CHINA SHOP — some-
thing in a place where it will
do an excessive amount of
damage. C.

Poor John ! he was perfectly con-
scious of his own ponderosity— more
so perhaps than his sprightly mother-
in-law gave him credit for, He felt
like a Dull in a china shop.— Mur-
ray's Magazine, 1887.
TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE

HORNS — to attack something
formidable in a bold and
direct fashion. C.

Happening, therefore, to meet
Monckton one windy morning when
he was walking into Kingscliff to
keep an appointment, he resolved to
take the bull by the horns.— W. E.
NORRIS, in Good Words, 1887.

Bullet. — EVERY BULLET HAS
ITS BILLET — it is appointed
beforehand by fate what sol-
diers will fall in battle ; it
is no use contending against
fate. C.

"Well," he remarked consolingly,
" every bullet has its billet."— H. E.
HAGGARD.

No one talks now of "every bullet
having its billet," or thinks of life as
an"appointed span."— Contemporary
Review, 1887.

Bundle. — To BUNDLE IN — to
enter in an unceremonious
fashion. F.

I say, Frank, I must have a dip ; I
shall bundle an.— G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

Bupidan. — BURIDAN'S ASS —
a man of indecision. P.
Buridan, the Greek sophist,
maintained that if an ass
could be placed between two
haystacks, so that its choice
was evenly balanced between
them, it would starve to
death.

He was a Buridan's ass of a man,
and seldom came to a decision till it
was too late.

Burn. — To BURN ONE'S
FINGERS — to suffer loss or
hurt by meddling with some-
thing out of one's own sphere,
as by investing in some
plausible financial speculation,
or taking part in another's
quarrel. C.

He has been bolstering up these
rotten iron-works too long. I told
him he would burn his fingers.— MRS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

TO BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH

ENDS — to expend one's re-
sources in two directions ;
to consume one's energies in
a double way. C.

Washington Irving talks of Gold-
smith burning the candle at both
ends in the heading to chapter xxiii.
of his Life.

To BURN ONE'S BOATS — to leave
no means of retreat ; to act
irrevocably. P.

Then he took the perforated card-
board and tore that likewise into
small pieces. "Now I have burned
my boats with a vengeance" (cer-
tainly left myself no way of retreat),
he added grimly.— JAMES PAYN.
A BURNED CHILD DREADS THE

FIRE — those who have suffered
are wary. C.

Bury

. — TO BURY THE HATCHET

— to cease fighting. F. The
phrase comes from a Red
Indian custom in warfare.

But the Harcourts and the Ella-
combes, the Gaysworthys and Fitz-
George Standish, were among the
more familiar of the guests invited
to this dinner, which was essentially
a well-dressed pow-wow (council) to
witness the burying of the hatchet
and the smoking of the calumet.—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Bush. — TO BEAT ABOUT THE

BUSH — to avoid a direct state-
ment of what must be said ;
to convey one's meaning in a
roundabout fashion. P.

No ; give me a chap that hits out
straight from the shoulder. Can't
you see this is worth a hundred
Joneses beating about the bush and
droning us all to sleep ?— C. READE.
GOOD WINE NEEDS NO BUSH a

good thing requires no adver-
tisement ; it commends it-
self. P. Formerly the branch
of a tree was hung out in
front of a tavern to indicate
that liquor was for sale.

If it be true that good wine needs
no bush (is its own recommendation),
'tis true that a good play needs no
epilogue.— SHAKESPEARE.

Bushel. — UNDER A BUSHEL —
secretly ; without others know-
ing it. C.

Ah, you can't give a dinner under
a bushel.-W. D. HOWELLS.

Business. — To GO ABOUT ONE'S
BUSINESS — to go off. F. The
phrase is generally used in
dismissing an intruder.

Bidding the soldiers go about their
business and the coach to drive off,
Hill let go of his prey sulkily, and
waited for other opportunities of
revenge.— THACKERAY.

MAN OF BUSINESS — (a) a man
gifted with powers of manage-
ment ; one who can prudently
direct the details of an enter-
prise or undertaking. P.

He was one of the most skilful de-
baters and men of business in the
kingdom.— MACAULAY.
— (6) a legal adviser.

The tenant resolved to consult his
man of business.

37

Butter

TO DO THE BUSINESS FOR A MAN

— to kill a man. F.

His last imprudent exposure of
himself to the night air did the
business for him (put an end to his
life).

TO HAVE NO BUSINESS IN A
PLACE, Or NO BUSINESS TO

DO ANYTHING — (a) to have no
occupation calling one thither,
or no right to do the thing. C.
You had no business to meet Mr.
Campion without my knowledge ; it
was disgraceful of you.— F. ANSTEY.

(&) figuratively of things.

A frown upon the atmosphere
That hath no business (ought not)

to appear-
Where skies are blue and earth is

gay.— BYRON.

To MEAN BUSINESS — to have
serious intentions; to be bent
on executing a project. C.

He really felt very much hurt and
seriously alarmed, because it never
had occurred to him that the other
two should also mean business (have
serious intentions — of marrying
Clair).— BESANT.

Buttep. — BUTTERED FINGERS
— fingers through which a ball
slips. Used contemptuously
of a cricket player who fails
to hold a ball. F.

TO LOOK AS IF BUTTER WOULD
NOT MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH to

look unconcerned ; harmless
and innocent. F.

These good young ladies, who look
as if butter wouldn't melt in their
mouths, are not a whit better than
the rest of us.— BLACKMORE.

Exp.— These good young ladies,
who look so very prim and inno-
cent, are in no way better than the
rest of us.

TO KNOW ON WHICH SIDE ONE'S
BREAD IS BUTTERED — to be

well aware of one's own inter-
ests ; to be full of worldly
wisdom as far as regards one-
self. C.

" Pshaw !" answered his mercurial
companion, " he knows on which side
his bread is buttered."— DICKENS.

Exp.— His mercurial companion,
with an exclamation of impatience,
answered. "He knows where his
interests lie."

Buy J

TO BUTTER BOTH SIDES OF ONE'S

BREAD — to gain advantages
from two parties at one time.
Well, as soon as he (the devoted
young parson) can work it, he marries
the richest gal (girl) in all his flock
(congregation), and then his bread is
buttered on both sides (he obtains a
yearly income from two sources).—
HALIBURTON.

BUTTER TO BUTTER is NO RELISH
— something substantial is
required as a basis for what is
merely a relish.

Buy. — To BUT IN — to purchase
goods at an auction on behalf
of the person selling. P.

The articles were mainly those
that had belonged to the previous
owner of the house, and had been
bought in by the late Mr. Charmond
at the auction.— THOMAS HARDY.

TO BUY .THE REFUSAL OF ANY-
THING— to give money for the
right, at a future time, of
purchasing it for a fixed
price. C.

I have bought the refusal of the
neighbouring piece of land for fifty
dollars. Its price is five hundred.

To BUY OFF A PERSON — to cause
one to cease from opposition
by giving him a sum of money,
or other benefit. C.

It was the potential destroyer of
their house whom they had to pro-
pitiate—the probable possessor of
their lands whom they had to buy

I Cwteris

off as best they could.— MBS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

To BUY UP — a stronger form of
BUY, signifying the complete
purchase of a quantity of
goods. C.

I was so delighted with his last
box of curios that I bought them up
(purchased the whole lot).

By. — BY THIS — when this took
place. F.

By this, John had his hand on the
shutters.— K. L. STEVENSON.
BY-AND-BY — after a time. C.

He hoped, could he overtake them,
to have company by -and -by.—

BUNYAN.

BY-THE-BYE — this phrase is used
to introduce a new subject for
which the hearers are not
prepared. P.

By-the-bye, gentlemen, since I saw
you here before, we have had to
weep over a very melancholy occur-
rence.—DICKENS.

Note.— The speaker, before going
on to the ordinary business of the
meeting, makes a reference to an
outside subject, and apologizes, as
it were, for taking this liberty.

Bygones. — To LET BYGONES
BE BYGONES — to ignore the
past. F.

Can't we let bygones be bygones
and start afresh?— W. E. NOBRIS.

Moreover, bygones being bygones,
he had made an excursion into the
"Eockies."— WM. BLACK.

Cacoethes. — CACOETHES SCRI-
BENDI — a diseased love of
writing. P.

Our friend is afflicted with cacoe-
thes scribendi (an itch for writing).

Caesar. — CESAR'S WIFE SHOULD
BE ABOVE SUSPICION. When
Csesar, whose own reputation
was not above reproach, was
remonstrated with for putting
away his wife on a mere sus-
picion, he replied that it did
not matter for Caesar, but
CESAR'S WIFE should be above
suspicion in matters of mo-
rality. P. The phrase is now

used in a general way to
express the need there is that
those immediately connected
with great men should have
a flawless reputation.

" Caesar's wife," you remember the
Roman dictator said— " Caesar's wife
must be above suspicion." Surely,
if even a heathen thought that, we,
Charlotte, with all our privileges
(the speaker was a bishop), ought to
be very careful on what sort of man
we bestow Iris.— Cornhill Magazine,
1887.

Csetepis. — OETERIS PARIBUS
— other things being equal.
P. Latin.

A very rich man, from low begin-
nings, may buy his election in a

Cain

borough, but, cceteris paribus, a man
of family will be preferred. — BOS-
WELL.

Cain. — THE CURSE OF CAIN.
See CURSE.

Cake. — You CAN'T BOTH HAVE

Or KEEP YOUR CAKE AND EAT

IT — a common proverb, signi-
fying the impossibility of
reaping the advantages of two
wholly opposite courses of con-
duct. A person must choose
which course he will follow,
and which set of advantages
he prefers, and be prepared
to resign any claim to the
other set of advantages. P.

Mr. Howorth seems to us to be
counting— as, indeed, men do often
count— on the ability both to keep
your cake and eat it ; but, as a mat-
ter of fact, that always turns out to
be impracticable.— Spectator, 1887.

Slave-holders in rebellion had
alone among mortals the privilege
of having their cake and eating it.—
J. K. LOWELL.

MY CAKE is DOUGH — I am quite
disappointed. F.

Notwithstanding all these trav-
erses, we are confident here that the
match will take, otherwise my cake
is dough.— H owell's Letters.

TO TAKE THE CAKE to be first

in a contest ; to secure the
first place in a competition.
An Americanism.

The Wesleyans, however, take the
cake* having by far the finest church

,

building in the city— a Gothic struc-
ture of graceful design.— Boston Com-
mercial Bulletin, May 26, 1888.

Calf. — TO EAT THE CALF IN
THE COW'S BELLY - to be too

ready to anticipate ; to be
over-sanguine of obtaining
something. F.

I ever made shift to avoid anticipa-
tions; I never would eat the calf in
the cow's belly.— S. KIOHARDSON.

JALF LOVE — the juvenile passion
of a young man. C.

'Twas no fiery-furnace kind of calf
love on my part, but a matured and
sensible admixture of gratitude and

39 Call

real kindness to help you out of.—
RHODA BROUGHTON.

Call. TO CALL AT A PLACE

to visit it. P. Said both of
persons and of vessels.

" I shall have the honour of calling
at the Bedford, sir, if you'll permit
me," said the major.— DICKENS.

To CALL TO ACCOUNT — to cen-
sure ; to demand an ex-
planation from. P.

She can't call Ensign Bloomingtou
to account; can she, hey?— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

CALLED TO ONE'S ACCOUNT —
removed by death.

AT CALL. This phrase is used
with regard to money which
is deposited and can be drawn
at any time without previous
notice given. P.

To CALL DOWN — to invoke ; to
pray to Heaven for.

To CALL FOR — (a) to need or
demand. P.

I do not think this letter calls for
an answer.

(&) The phrase is used where

a visit is paid with a special
purpose. C. For instance, a
parcel is often labelled, " To
be left till called for."

To CALL FORTH — to bring out ;
to cause to appear ; to elicit.
P.

The article called forth a host of
rejoinders.

She was conscious that few women
can be certain of calling forth this
admiration.— BESANT.

To CALL NAMES — to speak dis-
respectfully to or of a person.
C.

When he called his mother names
because she wouldn't give up the
young lady's property, and she re-
lenting caused him to relent like-
wise and fall down on one knee and
ask her blessing, how the ladies in

sincere affection.— G. A. SALA.

I thought that it was a childish
besotment you had for the man— a
calf lov

man—
sort of calf love, that it would be

the audience sobbed.— DICKENS.
To CALL ON or UPON — (a) to
invoke the aid of. P.

What signifies calling every mo-
ment upon the devil, and courting
his friendship?— GOLDSMITH.

(6) to pay a visit to. P.

Camel

To CALL our — to challenge to
fight a duel. P.

My friend, Jack Willes, sent me
down a cook from the Mansion
House for the English cookery— the
turtle and venison department: I
had a chief cook, who called out
the Englishman, by the way.—
THACKERAY.

My master was a man very apt to
give a short answer himself, and
likely to call a man out for it after-
wards.—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

TO CALL A PERSON TO ORDER —

(of the chairman of a meeting)
to declare that the person has
broken the rules of debate, or
is behaving in an unseemly
manner. P.

He had lost his temper in the
House that evening; he had been
called to order by Mr. Speaker.—
WM. BLACK.

To CALL OVER — to recite a list
of names. P.

We were now prevented from fur-
ther conversation by the arrival of
the jailer's servants, who came to
call over the prisoners' names.—
GOLDSMITH.

TO CALL OVER THE COALS to

find fault with. F.

He affronted me once at the last
election by calling a freeholder of
mine over the coals.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

TO CALL IN QUESTION to throw

doubt upon ; to challenge the
truth of. P.

If the moral quality of his hero
could not in safety be called in ques-
tion (doubted), any suggestion of
weakness in him as a writer was
still more unendurable. —JAMES
PAYN.

To CALL UP — to revive the
memory of ; to bring to re-
membrance. P.

Camel. — To BREAK THE
CAMEL'S BACK — to be the
last thing which causes a
catastrophe. P. The proverb
runs : " It is the last straw
that breaks the camel's back.

I do not know exactly what it was
that Biver did at last ; it was some-
thing which not only broke the
camel's back (was sufficient to cause
a catastrophe— his dismissal), but
made the cup run over.— BESANT.
"You find poor Jenny full of

40 Cannot

cares," he says, alluding to his wife.
"She had about as much as she
could manage before, poor girl, but
this last feather has almost broken
the camel's back."— FLORENCE MAR-
RYAT.

Camp. — To CAMP our — to live
in a tent in the open country.
P.

Candle. — To HOLD or SHOW

A CANDLE TO ANY ONE to

be in any way comparable
with him. C.

As for other fellows— fellows of
my own standing— there isn't one to
show a candle to me.— BESANT.

" And to think," he went on, with-
out heeding my remark, "that she
has spent the whole of her life in a
country parsonage! So much for
rural simplicity. Why, there isn't
one of these Belgravian women who
could hold a candle to her for cool-
ness."—W. E. NORRIS.

I say she's the best, the kindest,
the gentlest, the sweetest girl in
England, and that, bankrupt or no,
my sisters are not fit to hold candles
to her.— THACKERAY.

In such literature servants could
mix with grand ladies, to whom
Miss Prior, with her crony the gover-
ness, could not hold the candle
(were quite inferior). — SARAH
TYTLER.

-to act

TO HOLD THE CAND

as assistant ; to aid and abet.
C.

I'll be candle-holder, and look on.
SHAKESPEARE.

TO BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH

ENDS. See BURN.

TO HOLD A CANDLE TO THE

DEVIL — to diverge from what
is strictly right or moral; to
do knowingly what is wrong.
C.

Here I have been holding a candle
to the devil, to show him the way to
mischief.— SCOTT.

Lady Bassett's wrist went around
his neck in a moment. " Oh, Charles
dear, for my sake hold a little, little
candle to the devil."— READE.

Cannot. — I CANNOT AWAY
WITH THIS — I detest it ; I
abominate it. C.

Couriers and ladies' maids, im-
perials and travelling carriages, are
an abomination to me; I cannot
away withithem.— HUGHES.

Canvas

41

Card

Canvas. — To GET or RECEIVE
THE CANVAS. An obsolete
phrase signifying the same as
the modern TO GET THE SACK.

I lose my honour if the Don re-
ceives the canvas.— SHIRLEY.

Cap. — THE CAP AND BELLS.
These were carried by fools in
the middle ages, as tokens of
their office. The " fools "
were licensed jesters. (See
King Lear.)

And, look you, one is bound to
speak the truth as far as one knows
it, whether one mounts a cap and
bells or a shovel-hat (is a fool or a
bishop).— THACKERAY.

TO CAP THE GLOBE — to Surpass

everything. F.

"Well," I exclaimed, using an ex-
pression of the district, "that caps
the globe, however."— C. BRONTE.

IF THE CAP FITS, WEAR IT if

the remark applies to you,
consider it well. C.

The truth is, when a searching
sermon is preached, each sinner
takes it to himself. I am glad Mr.
Hawes fitted the cap on.— READE.
GAP IN HAND — in the submissive
attitude of one who has a
favour to ask. C.

And Tulliver, with his rough
tongue filled by a sense of obliga-
tion, would make a better servant
than any chance fellow who was cap
in hand for a situation.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

To SET ONE'S CAP AT — (of a
woman) to try to captivate ;
to try to obtain as a husband.
P.

"You won't like everything from
India now, Miss Sharp." said the old
gentleman ; but when the ladies had
retired after dinner, the wily old
fellow said to his son, " Have a care,
Joe ; that girl is setting her cap at
you."— THACKERAY.

The girls set their caps at him, but
he did not marry.— READE.
Fo CAP VERSES — to compose or
recite a verse beginning with
the final letter of a verse
given by the previous speaker.
P. A favourite pastime.

They had amused themselves dur-
ing their daily constitutionals by
capping Greek and Latin verses.—
Macmillan's Magazine, 1886.

TO CAP THE CLIMAX — to gO

beyond already large limits ;
to say or do something extra-
ordinary. G.

Lively George, as his neighbours
call him (and very appropriately too,
in spite of his threescore and ten
years), who comes once in a while
to do odd jobs about the garden,
is fond of talking in a grandilo-
quent manner. He speaks of clear-
ing away the "debray."and of peo-
ple who haven't much "sentimen-
tology" about them, etc. But he
capped the climax the other morn-
ing when he greeted the gentleman
of the house, who had just made
his appearance on the porch after
several days' confinement to his
room by illness, with, "Ah, sir,
good-mornin', sir. Glad to see you
are non compos mentis once more,
sir."— St. Andrews Citizen, 1888.

Capital. — To MAKE CAPITAL

OUT OF ANYTHING to US6

anything for one's own profit.
C.

I suppose Russia was rot bound
to wait till they were in a position
to make capital out of her again (use
her for tneir own advancement
again).— -M. ARNOLD.

Captain. — To COME CAPTAIN
STIFF OVER A PERSON — to be
arrogant in behaviour towards
him. S.

Caput. — CAPUT MORTUUM — a
worthless residue. P. Latin.

Card. — ON THE CARDS — prob-
able ; expected to happen ;
sp oken ab out or announced. C.

What if Mr. Slope should become
dean of Barchester? To be sure,
there was no adequate ground— in-
deed, no ground at all— for presum-
ing that such a desecration could
even be contemplated; but never-
theless it was on the cards (prob-
able).—A. TROLLOPS.

Of course the success of the mine
is always on the cards.— MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

A GREAT CARD — a popular or

prominent man ; a man much

talked about and admired. F.

Captain D'Orville, the great card of

the regiment, came clanking into

Care

the porter's lodge to get a glass of
water for the dame.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

TO SPEAK BY THE CARD to be

careful with one's words. C.
Probably a sea phrase, CARD
here being the mariner's com-
pass, which gives the ship's
direction exactly.
How absolute the knave is! We
must speak by the card, or equi-
vocation will undo us.— SHAKE-

Exp— How peremptory the fellow
is ! We must be careful with our
words, lest they be used to ruin us.

Speaking only by the card, and of
that which I saw with my own eyes,
I don't think that Maum Buckey
was any crueller than other slave-
owners of her class.— G. A. SALA.
To THROW UP ONE'S CARDS —
to cease to struggle ; to de-
spair of success in any enter-
prise ; to confess oneself van-
quished. F.

He perceived at once that his for-
mer employer was right, and that it
only remained for him to throw up
his cards.— W. E. NORRIS.
Cape. — CARE KILLED A CAT.
This proverb refers to the de-
pressing effects of care upon
the bodily health ; it even
killed a cat, which has nine
lives. See CAT.

"Come, come," said Silver, "stop
this talk. . . . Care killed a cat.
Fetch ahead for the doubloons."—
R. L. STEVENSON.

Carpet. — ON THE CARPET —
under discussion. P. ON THE
TAPIS is an equivalent phrase.

The talk was all of him : of his
magnificence, his meanness, his

manners, his principles, his daughter
and her future marriage— already on
the carpet of discussion and surmise.
—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
TO COME Or BE BROUGHT ON THE

CARPET — to be introduced. C.
CARPET was formerly used for
table-cloth.

There were few better specs (specu-
lations) among us than inns and
churches, until the railroads came
on the carpet (were introduced).—
HALIBURTON.

He shifted the discourse in his
turn and (with a more placid air)
contrived to bring another subject
upon the carpet.— GRAVES.

42 Carry

A CARPET-BAGGER — a Yankee
speculator who, after the great
United States Civil War, went
to the South to make money
out of the impoverished coun-
try. C.

At electipn times he was the terror
of Republican stump - orators and
carpet-baggers.— Blackwood's Maga-
zine, 1887.

A CARPET-KNIGHT — a gentleman
who receives the honour of
knighthood from his sovereign,
not for services on the battle-
field, but for services at court
or as a peaceful citizen. P.
By heaven, I change
My thought, and hold thy valour

As that of some vain carpet-knight,
Who ill deserved my cpurteous care,
And whose best boast is but to wear
A braid of his fair lady's hair.

SCOTT.

Carriage. — A CARRIAGE-AND-
FOUR — a carriage drawn by
four horses. P.

"A carriage-and-four, papa; pray
come and look."

"Four horses!" exclaimed Mrs.
Armytage, in the excitement of the
moment forgetting her own canons
of etiquette, and rising from her
chair to obtain a better view of the
approaching vehicle.— JAMES PAYN.

CARRIAGE COMPANY — people who
are wealthy enough to keep
private carriages. C.

There is no phrase more elegant
and to my taste than that in which
people are described as "seeing a
great deal of carriage company."—
THACKERAY.

Gappy. — To CARRY ALL BEFORE
ONE — to be completely suc-
cessful or popular. C.

Adelina Patti carries all before her
(is popular with every one) wherever
she goes.

TO CARRY THE DAY — to win a

victory ; to prove superior.
P.

When such discussions arise,
money generally carries the day—
and should do so.— A. TROLLOPS.

TO CARRY ANYTHING TOO FAR

to exceed the proper bounds
in anything. C.

Of course you may carry the thing
too far, as (in the well-known story)

Carry 4

when Mr. A. was twitted by Mr. B.
with having sent a man to sleep in
his (Mr. B.'s) church. — Cornhill
Magazine, 1888.

To CARRY OFF— (a) to help
to pass ; to aid ; to supple-
ment or supply what is lacking.
P.

She was one who required none of
the circumstances of studied dress
to carry off aught (supply anything
deficient) in her own appearance.—
A. TROLLOPE.

(&) to cause the death of. P.

The change of air carried him off.
—TEMPLE.

To CARRY IT OFF — to refuse to
succumb ; to pretend indif-
ference. C. The phrase is used
when a person is placed in an
awkward or humiliating posi-
tion, and tries to hide his
feelings of shame or confusion.
Frightened too— I could see that—
but carrying it off, sir, really like
Satan.— R. L. STEVENSON.

He is here, good sir, waiting y9ur
pleasure— here in London— walking
the streets at noonday, carrying it off
jauntily.— DICKENS.

To CARRY ON — (a) to conduct ;
to manage. P.

The internal government of Eng-
land could be carried on only by the
advice and agency of English min-
isters.—MACAULAY.

— (6) to behave in a particular
fashion, so as to call attention
to one's conduct ; to misbe-
have. F.

It was Mrs. Emptage ; and how she
carried on, with tears and congratu-
lations.— BESANT.

He is further said to have carried
on with Satanic wildness in Lime-
house and the West India Dock
Road of an evening.— BESANT.

When he's got no money he is
tempted to do wicked things, and
carries on shameful (conducts him-
self in a shameful manner).— BESANT.
To CARRY OUT — to bring to
completion ; to give practical
effect to. P.

To carry out the aims he had in
view, he tolerated and made use of
persons whose characters he de-
spised.— Westminster Review, 1888.

Here he lived too. in skipper-like
state, all alone with his nephew
Walter, a boy of fourteen, who
looked quite enough like a midship-

Cast

man to carry out the prevailing idea.
— DICKENS.

To CARRY ONE'S POINT — to suc-
ceed in one's aim. P.

They were bent upon placing their
friend Littleton in the Speaker's
chair; and they had carried their
point triumphantly.— MAC A uij AY.

TO CARRY THROUGH — to bring

to completion. P.

The whole country is filled with
such failures — swaggering begin-
nings that could not be carried
through.— THACKERAY.
CARRIED AWAY BY ONE'S FEEL-
INGS— under the guidance of
emotion and not of reason ;
overcome by emotion. P.

Having an honest and sincere
mind, he was not carried away by a
popular prejudice.— TILLOTSON.
Cart. — To PUT THE CART BEFORE
THE HORSE — to put the wrong
thing first. F.

To begin physics at this stage is to
put the cart before the horse (begin
with a subject that should come
afterwards). Study geometry first.

Carte. — CARTE BLANCHE — full
freedom ; perfect liberty to act
in anything as one pleases.
P. French.

There is carte blanche to the school-
house fags to go where they like.
—HUGHES.

So he sent off Amelia once more in
a carriage to her mamma with strict
orders and carte blanche to purchase
everything requisite for a lady of
Mrs. George Osborne's fashion who
was going on a foreign tour.—
THACKERAY.

Cast. — To CAST ABOUT — (a) to
devise or plan. C.

He cast about all that day, and
kept his brain working on the one
anxious subject through all the
round of schemes and business that
came with it.— DICKENS.

(&) to look around one ; to

search mentally or actually. P.

Here he cast about for a comfort-
able seat.— R. L. STEVENSON.

And now in his banishment he
began casting about for similar
means of ingratiating himself with
the upper ten.— Edinburgh Review,
1887.

CAST DOWN — dejected ; in low
spirits. P.

For my part I was horribly cast
down.— R. L. STEVENSON.

baste

44

To CAST OUT — to quarrel. F.
The goddesses cast out (quarrelled)

over the possession of the golden

apple.
To CAST UP — (a) to reproach or

upbraid. F. Scotch.

For what between you twa has ever

Nane 'to the other will cast up, I

ween. — Ross.

Exp.— For no one, I think, will re-
proach the other for past transac-
tions.

(&) to add arithmetically ;

to compute. P.

William gave him a slate and a
slate-pencil, and taught him how to
make figures and to cast up sums.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

(c) to turn up ; to appear

unexpectedly. P.

Nor, though last not least, must
we omit to mention the elite of
Bubbleton, who have one and all

salu
nominated.

,

ous town is sometimes de-
G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

cast up from "the Spout," as that

ibnc

nin;
VILLE.

A CASTING VOTE — a vote which
decides when the voting is
otherwise equal. P. The
chairman of a meeting often
exercises this power.

Caste. — To LOSE CASTE — to
cease to enjoy the considera-
tion of one's associates ; to
be thrown out of the society
of one's equals. C.

You may do anything you please
without losing caste.— DICKENS.

Castles. — CASTLES IN THE AIR
— visionary schemes. P.

These were but like castles in the
air, and in men's fancies vainly
imagined.— SIR W. RALEGH.

The two families lived in neigh-
bouring squares in London, and
spent several weeks of every year
together at Thoresly, the Neales' old,
rambling manor-house in Yorkshire,
about wnich Elsie had heard and
built castles in the air (woven
fancies) in her; childhood.— ANNIE
HEARY.

He returned to his lodgings with
his head full of castles in the air.—
W. E. NORRIS.

CASTLES IN SPAIN — possessions
that have no real existence ;
also generally of what is
visionary and unsubstantial.

Cat

P. From the French chMeaux
en Espagne.

Dick is going to Cork to-day to
join his regiment (happy, happy
Cork !) ; but ne is going to write to
me, and I am to write to him. Is
not this brick and mortar enough to
build quite a big Spanish castle
with?— RHODA BROUGHTON.

Casus. — CASUS BELLI — ground
of quarrel. P. Latin.

Cat. A CAT HAS NINE LIVES

a proverb expressing the pre-
vailing belief that it is very
difficult to kUl a cat. See
CARE.

He struggled hard, and had, as
they say, as many lives as a cat.—

BUNYAN.
TO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

— to disclose a secret. F.

Letting the cat of selfishness out
of the bag of secrecy.— THACKERAY.

Sunning, to be sure, very nearly
let the cat out of the bag one af ter-
noon.— W. E, NORRIS.
THE CAT is our OF THE BAG —
the secret is known ; the
mystery is explained. F.

The cat's out of the bag now ; it's
no wonder they don't go ahead, for
they know nothin'.— HALIBURTON.

Exp.— The secret is now discovered ;
it is no wonder they do not go ahead,
for they know nothing.

I perceived that the cat was out
of the bag.— W. E. NORRIS.

A CAT-AND-DOG LIFE a life of

petty quarrels and bickerings.
C.

They smiled and were gracious,
called each other Butterwell and
Crosbie, and abstained from all cat-
and-dog absurdities (absurd petty
quarrels).— A. TROLLOPE.

I am sure we (England and Ireland)
have lived a cat-and-dog life of it.
— S. T. COLERIDGE.

To RAIN CATS AND DOGS — to rain
heavily. C.

"But it'll perhaps rain cats and
dogs (it will perhaps rain very
heavily) to-morrow, as it did yester-
day, and you can go," said Godfrey.
—GEORGE ELIOT.

To MAKE A CAT'S PAW OF — to use
as a mere tool. P. The
phrase is taken from the fable
of the cat and the monkey.
The latter wished to reach
some chestnuts that were

Cat 4

roasting on the fire, and used
the paw of his friend the cat
to get at them.

She's made a cat's paw of you;
that's plain enough. — FLORENCE
MARBYAT.

TO SEE HOW THE CAT JUMPS

to see exactly how and why a
thing happens. F.

I see how the cat jumps (the real
state of affairs) : minister knows so

Ey languages he hain't (has not)
particular enough to keep 'em
n) in separate parcels.— HALI-

BUBTON.
TO GRIN LIKE A CHESHIRE CAT —

to be always smiling, display-
ing the gums and teeth. F.

He lay back in his chair, tapped
bis boot with his cane, and with a
grin on his face such as a Cheshire
cat might wear who feels a mouse
under her claw.— JAMES PAYN.

I made a pun the other day, and
palmed it upon Holcroft, who
grinned like a Cheshire cat. (Why
do cats grin in Cheshire? Because
it was once a county palatine: the
cats cannot help laughing whenever
they think of it— though I see no
great joke in it.)— LAMB.

TO FIGHT LIKE KILKENNY CATS

to fight with deadly despera-
tion. C. The Kilkenny cats
are said to have fought until
only their tails remained.

They fight among each other like
the famous Kilkenny cats, with the
happy result that the population
never outgrows the. power of the
country to support it.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

TO SHOOT THE CAT to VOmit.

S.

TO TURN A CAT-IN-PAN — to

execute a somersault ; to veer

round suddenly. F.

When George in pudding time came

o'er,

And moderate men looked big, sir,
I turned a cat-in-pan once more,
And so became a Whig, sir.

— The Vicar of Bray.

A CAT-O'-NINE-TAILS — an instru-
ment of punishment, so called
from the nine pieces of leather
or cord which compose it. P.
Gangs tramping along, with bay-
onets behind them, and corporals
with canes and cats-o'-nine-tails to
flog them to barracks.— THACKERAY.

I Catch

Catch. — To CATCH AT ANY-
THING— to try eagerly to seize ;
to welcome. P.

Drowning men will catch at straws.
— W. E. NORRIS.

To CATCH IT — to be punished ;
to suffer unpleasant conse-
quences ; to be treated rough-
ly. F.

"Ecod, my lady!" said Jonas,
looking after her. and biting a piece
of straw almost to powder; "you'll
catch it for this when you are
married."— DICKENS.

" Poor Sir Bate ! catching it again,"
he says, smiling.— FLORENCE MAB-

BYAT.

To CATCH ANOTHER'S EYE — to
attract his attention. P.
The intending speaker who
first catches the chairman's
eye at a meeting receives per-
mission to speak.

A florid-faced gentleman, with a
nice head of hair, from the south of
Ireland, had succeeded in catching
the Speaker's eye by the time that
Mr. Warding had got into the gallery.
—A. TROLLOPE.

Note.— The Speaker is the chairman
of the House of Commons.
To CATCH NAPPING — to gain an
advantage through the tem-
porary carelessness of another.
C.

Oldfield looked confused: but
Somerset, full of mother-wit, was
not to be caught napping (taken at
a disadvantage).— C. READE.

To CATCH UP — (a) to overtake.
C.

On he went, hour after hour, over
the great deserted plain ; but he did
not succeed in catching,up the bishop.
— H. R. HAGGARD.

It is not that the Mohammedan
boy is duller than the Hindu boy:
but he does not begin (his studies)
so soon, and he has not caught up
(overtaken) his rival by the time
earlier educational honours are dis-
tributed.— Calcutta Englishman,l88S.

(&) to interrupt a speaker

with a critical remark ; to
disagree with one who is
speaking. C.

As for thoughtfulness, and good
temper, and singing like a bird, and
never being cross and catching a
person up, or getting into rages, as
Melenda did, there was nobody in
the world like Polly.— BESANT.

Cause

To CATCH A CRAB. See GRAB.

To CATCH A TARTAR. See TAR-
TAR.

Cause. — CAUSE C^LEBRE — a
famous law case. P. A French
phrase.

We greatly fear matters will re-
main in their present disgraceful
condition, and that the Campbell
cause cdlebre will have no result
except to vitiate still more the
already vitiated atmosphere of
society.— Spectator, 1886.

TO MAKE COMMON CAUSE WITH

— to side with and support. P.
Thus the most respectable Pro-

testants, with Elizabeth at their
head, were forced to make common
cause (associate themselves) with
the Papists.— MACAULAY.

Caution. — A CAUTION — some-
thing to be avoided or dreaded.

S.

Sometimes it doesn't rain here for
eight months at a stretch, and the
dust out of town is a caution (is
dreadful).

Cave. — To CAVE IN — to suc-
cumb ; to give way. S.

A puppy joins the chase with heart
and soul (very eagerly), but caves in
(desists) at about fifty yards.— H.
KINGSLEY.

Caveat. — CAVEAT EMPTOR — let
the purchaser beware of what
he is buying. P. Latin.
Caviare. — CAVIARE TO THE
GENERAL — not pleasing to or-
dinary people. P. Caviare
is a substance prized by
epicures, and made from the
roes of sturgeons and other
flsh caught in the rivers of
Russia.
For the play, I remember, pleased

not the million ; 'twas caviare to

the general.— SHAKESPEARE.

Chaff. — TO CATCH WITH CHAFF

— to deceive easily. C.
With which chaff our noble bird

was by no means to be caught.—
THACKERAY.

Joseph was insensible to our
bribes : Frederick the Great was too
old a bird to be caught with chaff.—
Athenceum, 1887.

Chair. — To TAKE THE CHAIR —
to assume the position of
president at a meeting. P.

The

appoii

46 Chapter

committee of the Commons
nted Mr. Pym to take the
chair (to be president of the meet-
ing).— CLARENDON.

Chalk. — BY A LONG CHALK,
or BY LONG CHALKS — clearly ;
indisputably ; by a great
interval. F.

Here, Polly! Polly! Polly! take
this man down to the kitchen, and

teach him manners if you can ; he is
not fit for my drawing-room, by
long chalk.— READE.

. .

They whipped and they spurred and

they after her pressed,
But Sir Alured's steed was by long

chalks the best.— BARHAM.

Challenge. — To CHALLENGE
THE ARRAY — to protest against
the whole body of jurymen
selected. P. A legal phrase.

Chancery. — To GET INTO
CHANCERY — to be completely
at the mercy of another in a
boxing match. When a com-
batant's head is tucked under
the arm of his opponent,
and receives a succession of
blows, the poor fellow is said
to be in chancery. S.

The Chicken himself attributed
this punishment to his having had
the misfortune to get into chancery
early in the proceedings.— DICKENS.

Change. — To RING THE
CHANGES. See RING.

TO PUT THE CHANGE UPON A

PERSON — to deceive him. C.

You cannot put the change <
so easy as you think, for I have In
among the quick-stirring spirits of
the age too longlto swallow chaff for
grain.— SCOTT.

Chapter. — To THE END OF
THE CHAPTER — to the very
end ; uninterruptedly. P.

Money does all things, for it gives
and it takes away. It makes honest
men and knaves, fools and philos-
ophers, and so on, mutatis mutandis
(the necessary changes being allowed
for) to the end of the chapter
(to the very end).— L'ESTRANOE.

THE CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS —

chance ; what happens without
the possibility of being fore-
seen and prepared for. P.

Away runs Jack, shouting and
trusting to the chapter of accidents.
—HUGHES.

Character

Nevertheless she knew that the
one necessary lesson of evil which
wishes to succeed is, Go on boldly to
the end, and trust to the chapter of
accidents not to be discovered mid-
way.—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

TO GIVE CHAPTER AND VERSE
FOR ANYTHING to give exact

particulars of its source. F.

To clench the matter by chapter
and verse, I should like to recall
what I have said of these theories
and principles in their most perfect
and most important literary version.
—JOHN MORLEY, in Nineteenth Cen-
tury, 1888.

Character. — IN CHARACTER —
appropriate ; suitable. P.

Read it ; is it not quite in char-
acter (appropriate)?— DISRAELI.

Our OF CHARACTER — unsuitable ;
inappropriate. P.

Charge. — To GIVE IN CHARGE
— to hand over to the police.
P.

The burglar was caught and given
in charge (handed over to a police-
man).

Chateaux. — CHATEAUX EN
ESPAGNE — something having
no real existence. P. French.
See CASTLES IN SPAIN.

Mere chateaux en Espagne, the
creation of architectural fancy run
mad.— Church Quarterly Review, 1888.

Chaw. — A CHAW-BACON — a
countryman ; a boor. F.

The general, seizing the bucket
from the astonished chaw-bacon,
who stood aghast as if he thought
his master was mad, managed to
spill the greater part of the contents
over his own person and gaiters.—
G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Cheap. — To BE CHEAP OF
ANYTHING — to have received
no more than one's deserts
in the way of affronts or
punishment. F.

The thief got ten days' imprison-
ment, and the rogue was cheap of it
(deserved all he got).

To FEEL CHEAP — to be affronted
or ashamed. F.

When I found that I really was
not invited, you may be sure I felt
cheap (was ashamed of my position).

Cheek. — CHEEK BY JOWL —
in close proximity. F.

47 > Chew

Here they lay, cheek by jowl with
^ life.— DICKENS.

Here was a doctor who never had
a patient, cheek by jowl with an
attorney who never had a client.—
THACKERAY.

Cheese. — To GET THE CHEESE
— to receive a check or a dis-
appointment. F. The phrase
is said to have its origin in the
history of Beau Brummel,
the friend of George IV. Pre-
suming on his acquaintance
with the Prince Regent, Brum-
mel used to take the liberty
of arriving late at formal
dinners, and always expected
that the party would await
his arrival. On one occasion
he arrived in this fashion at the
Marquis of Lansdowne's, but
found that the company were
already far advanced with
dinner. The host, turning to
Brummel, asked him if he
would have some cheese (a
late course). The crestfallen
look of the Beau is said to
have given rise to the expres-
sion, " He got the cheese."
THE CHEESE — what is excellent
or first-rate. S.
Ain't I the cheese, oh ! ain't I the

cheese,
As I walk in the park with my

pretty Louise?— London Song.

Exp.—Am I not a fine fellow, etc.?

Chef. — CHEF-D'CEUVRE— a mas-
terpiece ; the best work of the
kind. P. French.

The dishes were uncovered. There
were vegetables cooked most deli-
ciously ; the meat was a chef-d'oeuvre
—a sort of rich ragout done to a turn,
and so fragrant that the very odour
made the mouth water.— C. EEADE.

Cherry. — To MAKE TWO BITES
OF A CHERRY — to divide what
is so small as scarcely to be
worth dividing. C.

Let us toss up for the seat ; there
is no use making two bites of a
cherry (the seat is too small to
accommodate both comfortably).

Chew. — To CHEW THE RAG —
to be sullen and abusive. S.
A phrase common in the army.

Chicken

See Notes and Queries, 7th
series, v. 469, vi. 38.

He was chewing the rag at me the
whole afternoon.

To CHEW THE CUD — to ruminate
on some memory. C.

I went dinnerless, unless the cud
of sour and bitter thoughts which I
chewed might pass for the festive
meal that forms the nucleus of day's
dearest interests in most people's
lives.— RHODA BROUGHTON.

It is possible she was only pretend-
ing to sleep, in order to chew the
cud (enjoy the memory) of some
sweet thought at greater leisure.—
JAMES PAYN.

Chicken. — No CHICKEN — not
youthful. C.

But John Niel was no chicken, nor
very likely to fall in love with the
first pretty face he met. — H. R. HAG-
GARD.

COUNT NOT YOUR CHICKENS TILL
THEY ABE HATCHED be SUFO

that a thing is actually in
your possession before you
speak of it as yours, or act as
if it were yours. C.

But aren'twe counting our chickens,
Tag, before they're hatched? If Tit-
mouse is all of a sudden become
such a catch, he'll be snapped up in
a minute.— S. WARREN.

Child. — FROM A CHILD — from
infancy. P.

From a child (since his infancy) he
has been delicate.

CHILD'S PLAY — something very
easy ; work demanding no
effort. P.

It's child's play to find the stuff
now.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Chiltepn. — To APPLY FOR
THE CHILTERN HUNDREDS —
to resign a seat in Parliament.
The hundreds (or districts)
of Bodenham, Desborough,
and Stoke, in Buckingham-
shire, known as the Chiltern
Hundreds, have attached to
them a stewardship, with the
duty of keeping down the
robbers who infested the woods
of the Chiltern Hills. This
office is now a merely nominal
one, but it is put to a strange
use. When a Member of

48 Choke

Parliament wishes to resign
his seat — an impossible thing
by law, unless he can dis-
qualify himself — he applies
for this stewardship, an office
under the Crown, the assump-
tion of which requires resigna-
tion of a seat in the House of
^Commons. This practice dates
from the year 1750.

This letter was despatched on the
19th of January; on the 21st he
applied for the Chiltern Hundreds.
— TREVELTAN, in Life of Lord Mac-
aulay.

Two days before he (Lord Shaftes-
bury) applied for the Chiltern Hun-
dreds, he reintroduced the Ten
Hours Bill into Parliament.— Quar-
terly Review, 1887.

Chime. — To CHIME IN WITH —
to harmonize with. C.

As this chimed in with Mr. Dom-
bey's own hope and belief, it gave
that gentleman a still higher opinion
of Mrs. Pipchin's understanding.—
DICKENS.

Perhaps the severest strain upon
Mr. Lincoln was in resisting a ten-
dency of his own supporters which
chimed in with his own private
desires.— J. R. LOWELL.

Chip. A CHIP OF THE OLD

BLOCK — a child possessing the
characteristics of its father.
C.

"He will prove a chip of the old
block (a model of his father), I'll
warrant," he added, with a sidelong
look at Margaret.— JAMES PAYN.

Chisel. — FULL CHISEL — in haste.
American slang.

They think they know everything,
and all they have got to do, to up
Hudson like a shot, into the lakes
full split (in a hurry), off to Missis-

Hudson like a_shot

sippi, and down to New Orleans full

chisel (in haste).— HALIBURTON.
To CHISEL — to cheat or defraud.
S.

Why is a carpenter like a swindler?
Because he chisels a deal (cheats
much).

Note.— A pun is here made on the
word c/iiseiand on the word deal
(wood).

Choke. — To CHOKE OFF — to get
rid of in a summary way. C.

Indeed, the business of a war-nurse
especially is so repulsive that most
volunteers were choked off at once.
—Cornhill Magazine, 1688.

Chop

49

Chop. — FIRST CHOP — in the first
rank; first-class. F.

You must be first chop (in the front
rank) in heaven.— GEORGE ELIOT.

He looks like a first-chop article.—
HALIBURTON.

To CHOP LOGIC— to argue in a
pedantic fashion. P.

A man must not presume to use
his reason, unless he has studied the
categories, and can chop logic (argue
like a schoolman) by mode and figure.
—SMOLLETT.

He was angry at finding himself
chopping logic about this young
lady.— H. JAMES.

To CHOP UPON — to meet sud-
denly. C.

I know not what my condition
would have been if I had chopped
upon (chanced to meet) them.—
DEFOE.

To CHOP TARNS — to tell stories.
S.

Described as a carpenter, but a
poor workman, Clara Martha, and
fond of chopping yarns, in which he

poor

>f chopping yarns, it
was equalled by none.— BESANT.

Chronicle. — To CHRONICLE
SMALL BEER — to register or
notify insignificant events. C.
She was a wight, if ever such wight

To suckle fools and chronicle small

beer.— SHAKESPEARE.

All the ne.ws of sport, assize, and
quarter-sessions was detailed by this
worthy chronicler of small beer.—
THACKERAY.

Chuck. — To CHUCK UP — (a) to
abandon ; to discontinue ; to

surrender. S.

Ain't you keeping company with
poor old Mrs. Lammas's daughter?
unless perhaps you mean to chuck
the girl up now because you have
been asked for once to meet women
of rank.— JUSTIN M'CARTHY.

I (b) to give in or surrender.

Sometimes corrupted into
JACK UP. S. Probably the
word SPONGE is understood.
See SPONGE.

At the third round Joe the
Nailor chucked up (declared him-
self beaten).

Chum. — To CHUM UP WITH — to

make friendly advances to. S.

Kenny tried to chum up with (get

on friendly terms) the newcomer,

but was only partially successful.

Clean

Circumstance. — CIRCUM-
STANCES ALTER CASES it is

necessary to modify one's
conduct by the particular cir-
cumstances or conditions of
each case. P.

London between August and
April is looked upon as a night-
mare. But circumstances alter
cases ; and I see that it will be the
best and most convenient place for
you.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

" Suppose you had been sentenced
to five hundred blows of a stick,
sirrah"— 'twas thus he put the case
to me logically enough—" would you
have expected me to pay for thee in
carcass, as now I am paying for thee
in purse?"

'Circumstances alter cases," inter-
poses Mr. Hodge in my behalf.
''Here is luckily no question of
stripes at all."— G. A. SALA.

Claret. — ONE'S CLARET JUG —
a slang term for the nose. To
tap one's claret (jug) = to cause
a man's nose to bleed.

He told Verdant that his claret
had been repeatedly tapped.— Ver-
dant Green, ch. xi.

Clay. — THE FEET OF CLAY — the
baser portion ; the lower and
degrading part. P. See Dan.
ii. 33 : " This image's head
was of fine gold, his breast
and his arms of silver, his
belly and his thighs of brass,
his legs of iron, his feet part
of iron and part of clay."
Chapter xxxii. of James Payn's
novel The Talks of the Town is
headed " The Feet of Clay,"
a heading explained by the
second sentence : —

Her Willie had become as dead to
her ; all .that was left of him was the
shameful record that lay on the table
before her.

Note.— This means that the man
whom she so admired had proved
that he possessed base qualities.

Clean. — To MAKE A CLEAN

BREAST OF ANYTHING to make

a complete confession. C.

For several days he had made up
his mind (resolved) that when he
should be questioned upon the
subject, he would earn the credit of
candour and grace of womanly
gratitude by making a • clean

Clear

breast of it (confessing everything).
— BLACKMORE.

TO SHOW A CLEAN PAIR OF HEELS
— to run off. F.

These maroons were runaway
slaves who had bid a sudden good-
bye to bolts and shackles, whips and
rods, and shown their tyrants a clean
pair of heels.— G. A. SALA.

To CLEAN our — to ruin or render
bankrupt ; to take away all
available money from. F.

"A hundred and forty pounds?"
repeated Mrs. Carruthers, in a terri-
fied tone.

" Yes, precisely that sum ; and I
have not a pound in the world to
exist on in the meantime. I am
cleaned out, and that's the fact."
— E. YATES.

Cleap. — To CLEAR our — to go
off entirely ; to go away. C.

But mercy on me! everybody
is clearing out. I shall let these
women get ten minutes' start of
me.— FLORENCE MABBYAT.

"It would be a pity, sir, if we had
to clear out and run, said Maurice.
—Mas. E. LYNN LINTOX.

Climacteric. — THE GRAND
CLIMACTERIC — the most critical
period in a man's life (sixty-
three years of age). P. Multi-
ples of 7 or 9 were considered
dangerous years in a man's life,
7, 9, 14, 18, 21, 27, 35, 36,
49, etc. : 7 x 9 was therefore
eminently bad. Recognized
by Hippocrates.

Our old friend was even now
balancing on the brink of an event-
ful plunge (a proposal of marriage),
which, if not made before "the
grand climacteric," it is generally
thought advisable to postpone sine
die.—G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Close. — To CLOSE WITH — to
agree to. P.

George thought he would close
with an offer that had been made
(exchange) one
ty sheep for cows
ks.— C. READE.

s offer was at once closed with
the delighted rustic.— W. E.
ORRIS.

Cloth. — THE CLOTH — clergy-
men ; the position of a clergy-
man. P.

Denying himself this feat as un-
worthy of his cloth (position as a

50 Coach

clergyman), he met a drunken sea-
man, one of the ship's crew from the
Spanish Main.— HAWTHORNE.

And for the sake of the poor man
himself too, and for his wife, and
for his children, and for the sake of
the cloth.— A. TROLLOPS.

Clothes. — IN LONG CLOTHES —
still a young infant. P.

Cloud. — TO BE IN THE CLOUDS

— to dream of what is imprac-
ticable ; to build castles in
the air. C.

Since his return from Oxford,
Arthur has been in the clouds (in-
dulged in visionary fancies).
UNDER A CLOUD — in disgrace.
P.

Though Caesar was not, for various
reasons, to be pronounced a tyrant,
Cicero advised that he should be
buried privately, as if his name was
under a cloud.— FROUDE.

The greatest city of the world
exercises a strong power of attraction
over all manner of men under a
cloud.— Nineteenth Century, 1887.
EVERT CLOUD HAS A SILVER
LINING — the darkest prospect
has some redeeming brightness;
nothing is wholly dark. P.

" Oh, even the Lapham cloud has
a silver lining," said Corey.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

Cloven. — THE CLOVEN FOOT —
the mark of an evil or devilish
nature. C. See FOOT.

Yet although the cloven foot
would constantly peep out, and no
one could believe either in his

principles or his morals, in his way
the baron was as much in favour
with the fair sex as the honourable
and hospitable Lord Skye.— Edin-
burgh Review, July 1882.

Clover. — To LIVE or BE IN
CLOVER — to be happily situa-
ted ; to be surrounded with
every luxury. C.

Now he has got a handle to his
name, and he'll live in clover all his
life.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO GO FROM CLOVER TO RTE-

GRASS — to exchange a good
position for a bad. F. Said
of second marriages.

Coach. — To DRIVE A COACH -

AND-FOUR Or A COACH -AND -SIX

THROUGH — to break the pro-

Coals

51

safe

visions of; to find a
means of evading. P.

You always told me that it is easy
to drive a coach-and-four through
wills and settlements and legal
things.— H. R. HAGGARD.

You may talk vaguely about driv-
ing a coach-and-six through a bad
young Act of Parliament.— DICKENS.

A COACH - AND - six — a coach
drawn by six horses, sttch as
only very wealthy people
formerly used. P.

"This," said he, "is a young lady
who was born to ride in her coach-
and-six" (enjoy great wealth).— H.
MACKENZIE.

Coals. — TO CALL, HAUL, OP
BRING OVER THE COALS — to

administer rebuke ; to find
fault with. F.

"Fine talking! fine airs, truly,
Miss Patty! This is by way of
calling me over the coals for being
idle, 1 suppose ! " said Sally.— MARIA
EDGE WORTH.

TO CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE

— to take a thing where it is
already plentiful. C.

"Sure, sir," answered the barber,
"you are too wise a man to carry a
broken head thither (to the wars),
for that would be carrying coals to
Newcastle" (taking a broken head
to where there are plenty broken
heads).— FIELDING.

TO HEAP COALS OP FIRE ON

ONE'S HEAD — to return benefits
where ill-treatment has been
received, and thus to make an
enemy ashamed of his conduct.
P.

If thine enemy be hungry give
him bread to eat; and if he be
thirsty, give him water to drink : for
thou shalt heap coals of fire upon
his head (make mm ashamed of his
enmity), and the Lord shall reward
thee.— Prov. xxv. 21, 22.

ow their aged faces were covered

ith shame, and every kind word
from their master was a coal of fire
burning on their heads.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Coast. — THE COAST is CLEAR —
there is no danger of inter-
ference. C.

Wait till the coast is clear, then
strike tent and away.— READE.

He was to wait there, without
moving hand or foot, until it was

N
with

satisfactorily ascertained that the
coast was clear.-DiCKENS.

Coat. — To cur ONE'S COAT

ACCORDING TO ONE'S CLOTH —

to regulate one's expenses by
one's income. C.

Uncle Sutton was displeased.
" Debt is dishonest," said he. " We
can all cut our coat according to our
cloth" (limit our expenses to the
size of our incomes).— READE.

To TURN ONE'S COAT — to change
to the opposite party. C.

This is not the first time he has
turned his coat (changed sides).

To DUST A MAN'S COAT FOR HIM
— to give him a castigation. F.
Father Parson's coat well dusted :
or, short and pithy animadversions
on that famous fardel of abuse and
falsities, entitled Leicester's Common-
wealth.—Advertisement qvated by I.
Disraeli.

Cock. — ALL COCK-A-HOOP FOR

ANYTHING — very much excited

and eager for it. F.
"All cock-a-hoop for it," struck in

Cattledon, "as the housemaids are."

—MRS. HENRY WOOD.
THAT COCK WON'T FIGHT — that

expedient will not do. S.
I tried to see the arms on the

carriage, but that cock wouldn't

fight (this was of no avail).— C.

itlNGSLEY.

THE GALLIC COCK — the cock is
the national bird of France,
as the bull is the national
animal of England.

COCK OF THE WALK — chief in a
small circle. S.

Who shall be cock of the walk?-
Heading to ch." xvii. of Trollope's
"Barchester Towers."

A COCK-AND-BULL STORY — an

absurd tale. P.

Mrs. Hookham plainly declared
that Esther's tale was neither more
nor less than a trumpery cock-and-
bull (worthless and foolish) story.—
BLACKMORE.

I did hear some cock-and-bull
story the other day about the horses
not having run away at all.— RHODA
BROUGHTON.

TO LIVE LIKE A FIGHTING COCK —

to live in luxury. S.

A COCK IS ALWAYS BOLD ON ITS

OWN DUNGHILL — every one

Cocker

52

Colt

fights well when surrounded
by friends and admirers.

TO BEAT COCK-FIGHTING to SUT-

pass anything conceivable. S.

The squire faltered out. "Well,
this beats cock-fighting" (is some-
thing extraordinary).— LYTTON.

He can only relieve his feelings by
the execution of an infinity of winks

fighting!"— G.J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.
"I'm blest if you don't beat cock-
fighting," said Cradell, lost in ad-
miration at his friend's adroitness.—
A. TROLLOPE.

TO KNOCK INTO A COCK or A

COCKED HAT — to bruise out
of shape ; to defeat completely.

S.

I never knew a Welsh girl yet who
couldn't dance an Englishman into
a cocked hat (who was not vastly
superior to an Englishman Jin dan-

cing).— READE.

Hold a meeting in c
and promise the British lion that he

fold a meeting in Canaan City,

shall be whipped into a cocked hat
unless you get yourfrights.— BESANT.

To COCK or TURN UP ONE'S
TOES — to die. S.

Cocker. — ACCORDING TO
COCKER — in accordance with
the present system of figures.
F. Cocker's Arithmetic, first
published in 1677-8, was for
long the standard work on the
subject, and passed through
sixty editions.

It's all right, according to Cocker
(by established rules).

Half hours, when counted after
this fashion, contain a vastly greater
number of minutes than the thirty
of which they consist according to
the reckoning of Crocker (Cocker?).
— W. E. NORRIS.

Cockle. — To WARM THE
COCKLES OF ONE'S HEART to

give a pleasant inward feeling.
F.

To see you all so happy and
friendly warms the cockles of my
heart (gives me great inward satis-
faction)!

The sight, after near two months'
absence, rejoiced the very cockles of
Jerry's heart.— GRAVES.

HOT COCKLES — a game in which
one covers one's eyes and
guesses who strikes him. Prob-

ably from the French Jvauies
coQuiUes (high shells).
Cockpit. — THE COCKPIT OF
EUROPE — a name applied to
Belgium because of the number
of great battles that have been
fought on its soil. C. The
cockpit is an enclosed area
where game-cocks fight, and
in ships of war the room in
which wounds are dressed.

Coin. — TO PAT A MAN BACK IN

HIS OWN COIN — to serve him
as he has served you. F.

If you leave him to be captured, it

is only paying him back in his own

coin (treating him as he treated you).

To COIN MONET — to make money

very rapidly. F.

With the new contracts he has
secured, Johnson is coining money
(making money very quickly).

Cold. — COLD WITHOUT — spirits
in cold water without sugar.
F.

I laugh" at fame. Fame, sir ! not
worth a glass of cold without.—
LYTTON.

Colin. — COLIN TAMPON — the
nickname given to a Swiss. F.

Collar. — AGAINST THE COLLAR
— difficult ; causing fatigue.
C. A phrase taken from a
horse's harness : when a horse
goes uphill the collar pulls
on his neck.

The last mile up to the head of the
pass was a good deal against the
collar (somewhat fatiguing).

IN COLLAR — employed. F.

The workman you spoke of is not
in collar (out of employment) at
present.

Colour. — WITH THE COLOURS
— under the flag ; serving
as a regular soldier. P.

With this view the period of en-
gagement was raised from seven to
nine years, five years being passed
with the colours (in regular service)
and four in the reserve.— Edinburgh
Review, 1886.

To CHANGE COLOUR. See CHANGE.

Colt. — To HAVE A COLT'S TOOTH
— (of an elderly person) to have
juvenile tastes. F.

Comb

Comb. — To CUT A MAN'S COMB
— to humble him. S.

He'll be a-bringing (he is sure to
bring) other folks to preach from
Treddleston, if his comb isn't cut a
bit (if he is not taught his proper
place).— GEORGE ELIOT.

To COMB A MAN'S HEAD — to give
him a thrashing. F.

I'll carry you with me to my
country-box, and keep you out of
harm's way, till I find you a wife
who will comb your head for you.—
LYTTON.

Come. — To COME ABOUT — to
result; to happen. P.

How comes it about (happens it)
that, for about sixty years, affairs
have been placed in the hands of
new men?— SWIFT.

To COME AT — to get ; to obtain.
C.

By the time Abraham returned,
we had both agreed that money was
never so hard to be come at as now.
—GOLDSMITH.

To COME BY — to obtain. P.

How came she by that light?

—SHAKESPEARE : Macbeth.
That Christianity might have been
W9rse employed than in paying the
milkman's score is true enough ; for
then the milkman would have come
by his own (obtained what was his
due).— WM. BLACK.

To COME DOWN — to subscribe; to
give money to an object. C.

Selcover would be certain to come
down handsomely (give a handsome
subscription), of course.— Macmil-
lans Magazine, 1886.

To my shame I confess it, my only
design was to keep the license, and
let the squire know that I could
prove it upon him whenever I
thought proper, and so make him
come down when I wanted money.—
GOLDSMITH.

A COME-DOWN — a fall ; a lower-
ing of a person's dignity. C.

"Now I'm your worship's washer-
woman." The dignitary coloured,
and said that this was rather a come-
down.— READE.

To COME IN — to prove ; to show
itself. C. Used with adjec-
tives like HANDY or SERVICE-
ABLE.

A knowledge of Latin quotations
comes in handy sometimes.

To COME OFF — (a) to happen ;
to take place. P.

53 Gome

A day or two afterwards he in
formed Allen that the thing he had
in his mind was really coming off
(going to take place).— BE

JESANT.

(6) to end by being ; to

close a struggle as. P.

It is time that fit honour should
be paid also to him who shapes his
life to a certain classic proportion,
and comes off conqueror on those
inward fields where something more
than mere talent is demanded for
victory.— J. R. LOWELL.

To COME OVER — to obtain great
influence with; to fascinate.
F.

Miss Gray has "come over him,"
as Lamb says, where that vulner-
able region is concerned.— SARAH
TYTLER.

TO COME.. .OVER ONE to act

like...to one. C.

Also his ideas of discipline were
of the sternest, and, in short, he
came the royal naval officer over us
(acted towards us as if he were an
officer of the royal navy set in
authority over us) pretty consider-
ably, and paid us out amply for all
the chaff we were wont to treat
him to on land.— H. K. HAGGARD.
To COME OUT — (a) (of a young
lady) to enter into society.
P.

You have lost your fairy god-
mother, look! Is it coming out
(entrance into society) that has done
it, or what?— A. KEARY.

(&) to be discovered ; to

become public. P.

Nobody can prove that I knew the
girl to be an heiress ; thank good-
ness, that can't come out.— BESANT.

TO COME ROUND (A PERSON)

to cajole ; to deceive. C.

His second wife came round
(cajoled) the old man and got him to
change his will.

To COME ROUND (intrans.) — to
recover from an attack of
sickness. C.

She was on her bed; she turned
her head and saw blood on the pillow,
and turned again and saw the face
of Nelly. " You're come round at
last, are you?" said the woman.— S.
BARING-GOULD.

TO COME TO ONESELF to TCCOVer

consciousness. P.

She began to hear the voices and
to feel the things that were being
done to her before she was capable

Come

54

Common

of opening her eyes, or indeed had
come to herself (recovered conscious-
ness).—MRS. OLIPHANT.
To COME TO — to recover (almost
the same as to come to one-
self). P.

Then you, dear papa, would have
to put your daughter on the sofa—
for of course she would be in a dead
faint— remove the pillow, and burn
feathers under her nose till she
comes to (recovers).— JAMES PAYN.

To COME TO GRIEF — to be un-
successful; to utterly fail.
P.

The Panama Canal scheme is likely

" dlu

to come to grief (prove a fai
owing to want of funds.

ire)

It (the inn) has no departed glories
to bewail; for though a king, as
legend tells, did really take his royal
rest there nigh a century ago, it was
because his carriage came to grief
(broke down) in that lonely spot, and
not from choice, nor was the inci-
dent ever made a precedent by future
monarchs.— JAMES PAYN.

To COME AND GO UPON — to rely
upon. C.

You have an excellent character to
come and go upon (depend upon in
making your way in the world).

To COME TO HAND — to be re-
ceived. P. A phrase much
used in letter-writing.

" Your letter came to hand yester-
day morning, Dr. Tempest," said Mr.
Crawiey.— A. TROLLOPE.

To COME TO LIGHT — to be dis-
closed ; to become public.
P. Generally used of some
secret.

The reader need not fear, however ;
he shall not be troubled with any
long account of Mr. Eraser's mis-
fortu

.

for it never came to light
or obtnided itself upon the world.—
H. K. HAGGARD.

TO COME UPON THE PAKISH — to

become a pauper. P.
To COME TO PASS — to happen.
P.

What thou hast spoken is come to
pass (has happened) ; and, behold,
thou seest it.— Jer. xxxii. 24.

More unlikely things had come to
pass.— DICKENS.

Thus it came to pass that at an
early hour next morning he had
found out all that he had anticipated
hearing, and a little more into the
bargain.-W. E. NORRIS.

TO COME TO THE POINT to

speak plainly on the real ques-
tion, without circumlocution.
The opposite of beating about
the bush. P.

After a good many apologies and
explanations, he came to the point
(stated exactly what he had come
for), and asked me for the loan of
my horse.

To COME IT STRONG — to exagger-
ate ; to ask a person to credit
something impossible. S.

What ! little Boston ask that girl
to marry him! Well, now, that's
comin'of it a little too strong. — O. W.
HOLMES.

Cornme. — COMME IL FAUT — as
it should be ; proper ; well-
dressed and good-mannered.
P. French.

To have been told that she was
not comme ilfaut is worse evidently
a hundred times than if she had
been told she was a thief.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

Commission. — To PUT A SHIP
IN COMMISSION — to send a
ship on active service. P.

Commit. — To COMMIT FOR CON-
TEMPT— to send a person to
prison because he is disobedient
or disrespectful in a court of
justice. P.

And even over the august person
of the judge himself there hangs the
fear of the only thing that he can-
not commit for contempt, public
opinion.— H. fi. HAGGARD.

To COMMIT TO MEMORY — to learn
by heart. P.

When young, he committed to
memory (learned by heart) the whole
of the Psalms and part of Proverbs.

Common. — IN COMMON — held
equally with others ; shared
indiscriminately. P.

Poor people, who have their goods
in common, must necessarily become
quarrelsome.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
Curates and district visitors are
probably very decent sort of people
in their way, but it doesn't necessarily
follow thai you would have anything
in common with them.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

OUT OF THE COMMON — unusual ;
strange. P.

She was a simple-hearted woman,
on whom whatever chanced to her

Company

ears out of the common (that was
unusual) made a great impression.—
JAMES PAYN.

ON SHORT COMMONS — scantily
provided with food. C.

Our men not being yet on short
commons, none of 'em cad stomach
enough to try the experiment.—
G. A. SALA.

Company. — To KEEP COMPANY.
See KEEP.

Compare. — To COMPARE NOTES
— to exchange opinions or views
on a subject of interest. P.

It is the hour between daylight
and the dinner-bell, when the men
have not yet returned from shooting
and the women have not retired to
dress— the best hour of all in a good
old-fashioned country-house, when
the guests have tired themselves
with out-door amusements, and are
ready to compare notes and exchange
confidences in the mysterious gloam-
ing.—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Compliment. — To RETURN THE
COMPLIMENT — to say or do
something pleasant in return
for a previous favour. P.

Mr. Frank Churchill was one of
the boasts of Highbury, and a lively
curiosity to see him prevailed;
though the compliment was so little
returned (he had so little desire to
see Highbury) that he had never been
there in his life.— Miss AUSTEN.

Con. — CON AMORE — with good
will; heartily. P. Italian.

What is distasteful rarely sticks
in the memory. What is done con
amore (willingly) is twice and trebly
blest.— Journal of Education, 1886.

Conceit. — Our OF CONCEIT —
dissatisfied. P.

Hartfield will only put her out of
conceit (make her dissatisfied) with
all the other places she belongs to.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

Confusion.— CONFUSION WORSE
CONFOUNDED — a still worse
state of disorder. P.
With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
Confusion worse confounded.

— MILTON.

This mishap has at the very outset
— in the dealings of theologians
with that starting-point in our reli-
gion, the experience of Israel as set
forth in the Old Testament— been
the cause, we have seen, of
confusion. Naturally, as we

55 Copy

hereafter see, the confusion becomes
worse confounded.— M. ARNOLD.

Conscience. — CONSCIENCE -
MONEY — money paid anony-
mously by ratepayers who have
cheated the revenue at some
previous time. P.

A child still young enough to be
passed off as a child in arms by all,
save, perhaps, those tender-minded
persons who send conscience-money
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
—HUGH CON WAY.

IN ALL. CONSCIENCE — assuredly.
C.

Plain and precise enough it is, in
all conscience.— M. ARNOLD.

Contact. — To COME IN CON-
TACT WITH — to meet ; to
have dealings with. P.

Now it must be remembered that
this was a man who had lived in a
city that calls itself the metropolis,
one who had been a member of the
State and National Legislatures,
who had come in contact with men
of letters and men of business, with
politicians and members of all the
professions, during a long and dis-
tinguished public career. — O. W.
HOLMES.

Cook. — To COOK ONE'S GOOSE.
See GOOSE.

Cool. — To COOL ONE'S HEELS
— to be made to wait while
paying a visit to some impor-
tant personage. C.

We cooled our heels (were kept
waiting) during the ordinary and in-
tolerable half -hour.— G. A. SALA.

A COOL HUNDRED (or any sum)
— the large sum of a hundred
pounds (or any sum). F.

The knowing ones were cursedly
taken in (very much deceived) there.
I lost a cool hundred (the large sum
of £100) myself, faith (I assure you).
—MACKENZIE.

COOL AS A CUCUMBER — not agi-
tated ; perfectly cool and
composed. C.

"Never fear, Miss Nugent dear,"
said Sir Terence; "I'm as cool as a
cucumber."— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Copy. — TO MAKE COPY OF —

to turn into manuscript for
the printer.

He would have made copy of his
mother's grave (have written an

Corn

56

Countenance

article about it, for which he would
be paid).

COPn. — TO TREAD ON ANOTHER'S

CORNS — to annoy him where
he is most easily annoyed.
C.

Hence the reputation he enjoyed
of being something more than blunt-

supercilious, and a trifle too anxious
to tread on people's corns. — WM.
BLACK.

CORN-STALK — a name given to
the children of Australian
settlers, specially in New
South Wales. F.

CORN IN EGYPT — a plentiful
supply of provisions. A fami-
liar phrase borrowed from the
Bible. F.

"Uncle's box' has arrived," said
the minister; "there is corn in
Egypt (plenty of food) to-day."

Copnep. — To DRIVE INTO A
CORNER — to embarrass ; to
place in a position where escape
is impossible. P.

"I don't want to act the con-
stable," said the farrier, driven into
a corner (embarrassed) by this mer-
ciless reasoning, "and there's no
man can say it of me if he'd tell the
truth."— GEORGE ELIOT.

THE CHIEF CORNER-STONE — the

most important support of
anything. P.

Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner-stone (principal sup-
port).— Ephes. ii. 20.

Coppus. — CORPUS VILE — the
subject of an experiment. P.
Latin.

It is a tedious process for the in-
quirer, still more so for the corpus
vile of the investigation (poor fellow
who is subjected to these inquiries),
whose weak brain soon tires.

Cotton. — To COTTON TO A
PERSON — to fawn upon him ;
to make advances to him.

S.

Lady Mansfield's maid says there's
a grand title or something in the
family. That's why she cottons to
(fawns upon) her so, I suppose.

A COTTON LORD — a wealthy
Manchester manufacturer. C.

CouleUP. — COULEUR DE ROSE

— rose colour ; highly flatter-

ing. C. French.
When \

/'hen we begin to tint our final
pages with couleur de rose, as in ac-
cordance with fixed rule we must do,
we altogether extinguish our own
powers of pleasing.— A. TBOLLOPE.

Counsel. — To KEEP ONE'S OWN
COUNSEL — to preserve a dis-
creet silence. C.

Old Sedley had kept his own coun-
sel.—THACKERAY.

Count. — To COUNT UPON — to
trust to ; to look for with
confidence. P.

"Count upon me," he added, with
bewildered .fervour.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

To COUNT OUT — to declare the
House of Commons adjourned
because there are not forty
members present. When the
Speaker has his attention
drawn to this fact, he must
count the number present, and
finding it under forty, must
declare the sitting over. P.

Adelina Patti made her dtbut,
May 14, 1861, when Mr. Punch counts
out the House and adjourns to Mr.
Gye's theatre.— Fortnightly Review,
1887.

Countenance. — To KEEP ONE

COUNTENANCE Or IN COUN-
TENANCE— to lend moral sup-
port to. P.

Flora will be there to keep you
countenance.— R. L. STEVENSON.

He might as well be a West India
planter, and we negroes, for anything
he knows to the contrary— has no
more care nor thought about us than
if we were in Jamaica or the other
world. Shame for him ! But there's
too many to keep him in counte-
nance.—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

To KEEP ONE'S COUNTENANCE —
to preserve one's gravity ; to
refrain from laughing. P.

The two maxims of any great man
at court are, always to keep his
countenance, and never to keep his
word.— SWIFT.

HIS COUNTENANCE FELL — he

looked disappointed. P.

" To-morrow— you said to-morrow,
I think— we will devote to recita-
tion."

Counter

William Henry's countenance fell
(William Henry showed signs of dis-
appointment). He had heard Mr.
Reginald Talbot's recitations before.
—JAMES PAYN.

TO PUT OUT OF COUNTENANCE.

See PUT.

Counter. — A COUNTER-JUMPER
— a shopkeeper's assistant ; a
retail dealer's shopman. F.

"It's a dreadful business of course,"
he said, "but let us keep it to our-
selves. Confound that impudent
young counter-jumper (shopkeeper's
lad) ; but I suppose there's nothing
we can do, uncle? They're married
by this time." — Longman's Maga-
zine, 1887.

>untry. — To APPEAL TO THE
COUNTRY — to advise the Sove-
reign to dissolve Parliament
in order to ascertain by a new
election whether a certain
policy is approved by the con-
stituencies. P.

As soon as the necessary business
could be got through, Parliament
would be dissolved, and an appeal
made to the country (a new election
of representatives made).— JUSTIN
H'CARTHY.

PUT ONESELF ON ONE'S COUN-
TRY— to stand one's trial before
a jury. P.

An outlaw who yielded himsel

MAOAULAY.

>UP. COUP DE THEATRE a

dramatic effect. C. French.
Perhaps he was not sorry to be
able to show his clever coadjutor

that she was not the only person
who could achieve a coup de thddtre
upon occasion.— W. E. NORRIS.

D'ETAT — a sudden stroke
of policy. French.

The coup d'etat of 1862 laid the
foundation of the second French
Empire.

COUP DE MAIN — a sudden bold
attack, without previous ap-
proaches. P. French.

He expected a little more delay
and coquetry ; and, though he meant
to make his approaches very rapidly,
it had not entered his mind to carry
the widow's heart by a coup de main
(sudden proposal of marriage).—
JAMES PAYN.

57 Courtesy

COUP DE GRACE — a finishing
stroke. P. French.

Two others were told off to give
me the coup de grdce, in the event of
my not being killed by the firing-
party.— A II the Year Round, 1887.

Courage. — To HAVE THE COUR-
AGE OF ONE'S OPINIONS — to
be fearless in the expression
of one's beliefs. P.

He (Quincy) had not merely, as
the French say, the courage of his
opinions.— J. R. LOWELL.

Whatever virtues Mr. Hyndman
lacks, he has at least the courage of
his opinions (is at least bold to utter
what he thinks).— Spectator, 1886.

Course. — OF COURSE — (a) con-
nected with ordinary matters ;
unimportant. P.

After a few words of course, they
sallied into the street.— DICKENS.
(&) naturally. P.

"A fair challenge," cried the mar-
quis joyously. And I back the
gentleman." "Oh, of course " (natur-
ally), said his daughter.— C. READE.
IN COURSE — in regular order. P.

You will receive the other numbers
of the journal in course (when the
due time for their publication ar-
rives).

IN DUE COURSE — at the proper
time. P.

When the boys got promotion,
which came in due course (at the
proper time), Allen began to buy
books.— BESANT.

COUrt. TO BRING INTO COURT

to adduce as an authority. P.
But in the case of the Ainos, the
beards alone were brought into
court (brought forward as evidence).
— B. H. CHAMBERLAIN.

Courtesy. — COURTESY-TITLES
— titles assumed by the family
of a noble, and granted to
them by social custom, but
not of any legal value. Thus,
the eldest son of the Duke of
Devonshire is Marquis of
Hartington in ordinary speech,
but merely William Spencer
Cavendish, a commoner, ac-
cording to strict law. As a
commoner, he sits in the House
of Commons. The eldest son
of a marquis is allowed the
courtesy - title of earl ; the

Cousin

58

eldest son of an earl, that of
viscount. Younger sons of
peers are allowed the courtesy-
title of lord or honourable,
and the daughters that of
lady or honourable.
Cousin. — COUSIN BETSY — a
half-witted person. C.

I do not think there's a man living
— or dead for that matter— that can
say Poster's wronged him of a penny,
or gave short measure to a child or a
Cousin Betsy.— MRS. GASKELL.

To CALL COUSINS — to claim re-
lationship. C.

My new house is to have nothing
Gothic about it, nor pretend to call
cousins with tne mansion-house.—
H. WALPOLE.

COUSIN MICHEL or MICHAEL —
the nickname given to a
German, as " John Bull " to
an Englishman and " Brother
Jonathan "to an American. F.
These _were truly the days for

Cousin Michael, corresponding in
a measure to the " good old colonial
times" of New England.— Anon.

Coute. COUTE QUE COUTE —

at any cost. P. French.

Mr. Child has fallen into the same
mistakes as the proprietress of the
Nouvelle Revue, though with less
evident desire to abuse and vilify
co&te que coute (at all hazards).—
National Review.

Coventry. — To SEND TO COV-
ENTRY— to exclude from com-
panionship ; to have no dealings
with. F. SENT TO COVENTRY
signifies " in disgrace or dis-
favour with one's associates."
Mostly used by schoolboys,
who inflict the punishment
frequently on their fellows.
See BOYCOTT.

In fact that solemn assembly a
levy of the scho9l, had been held, at
which the captain of the school had
got up and given out that any boy,
in whatever Form, who should thence-
forth appeal to a master, without
having first gone to some prepositor
and laid the case before him, should
be thrashed publicly, and sent to
Coventry.— HUGHES.

Cover. — COVERS WERE LAID
FOR so MANY — dinner was pre-
pared for so many guests. C.

Creature

Covers were laid for four.— THACK-

Crab. — To CATCH A CRAB — to
be struck with the handle of
the oar in rowing and to fall
backwards. C. This accident
occurs if the oar be left too
long in the water before re-
peating the stroke.

I thought you were afraid of catch-
ing the wrong one, which would
be catching a crab, wouldn't it?—
BESANT.

Cpack. — To CRACK A CRIB —
to break into a house with the
intention of robbing it. S. A
burglar's phrase.

The captain had been their pal
(companion), and while they were all
three cracking a crib, had, with un-
exampled treachery, betrayed them.
— C. EEADE.

Any man calls himself a burglar
when he's once learned to crack a
crib.— BESANT.

To CRACK A BOTTLE — to drink
in a friendly way. F.

He was always ready to crack a
bottle.(drink) with a friend.

TO CRACK UP ANYTHING to

praise it highly. F.
Then don't object to my cracking

up the old schoolhouse, Kugby.—

HUGHES.
A CRACK HAND — one who is

expert ; an adept. F.
He is a crack hand (very clever) at

entertaining children.
To CRACK A CRUST — to get along

fairly well in the world ; to

make a small but sufficient

income. F.

TO CRACK A TIDY CRUST — to be

successful in life ; to make a
comfortable income. F.
IN A CRACK — instantaneously.
F.

Poor Jack Tackle's grimy ghost
was vanished in a crack (at once).—
LEWIS.

Cpeature. — CREATURE COM-
FORTS— what makes the body
comfortable ; good food and
clothing, and other necessaries
and luxuries. C.

For the first time her own sacrifice
of work and time could do nothing
for her friend compared with the

Credat I

soft words, the grapes, and the crea-
ture comforts so freely bestowed by
the new-comer.— BESANT.

An empty glass stood on a table
before him, which, with his somno-
lent condition and a very strong smell
of brandy and water, forewarned the
visitor that Mr. Squeers had been
seeking, in creature comforts, a tem-
porary forgetfulness of his unpleas-
ant situation.— DICKENS.

Credat. — CREDAT JUD.SUS —
a phrase implying disbelief.
C. Latin. The quotation is
from Horace — Credat Judceus
ApeUa, " Apella the Jew may
believe it 1 " (but no one else
will).

Would they for a moment dare to
hold up to public ridicule and con-
tempt the very persons to whom
they owe admittance within the
charmed circle? Credat Judceus.
Such incomparable baseness is
simply incredible. — Edinburgh Re-
view, 1887.

Creeps. — To GIVE ONE THE
CREEPS — to cause one to shud-
der. F.

They give me the creeps, the whole
lot of them, and that's a fact.-H. R.
HAGGARD.

Crispin. — A SON or KNIGHT
OF ST. CRISPIN — a shoemaker.
C.

Here the loyal shoemaker sat mer-
rily hammering at his last, regard-
less of the gathering shadows on the
wall, and of the eerie associations of
his little box, which at one time in
its career served the office of a dead-
house in connection with the hospi-
tal. The officer had nothing for the
knight of St. Crispin, and after
interchanging salutations with him
the company proceeded on their way,
leaving him still singing on his stool.
—Scotsman.

Crocodile. — CROCODILE TEARS
— hypocritical tears shed by an
unfeeling person. P.
And George did chief mourner. I

ie he blubbered freely; he

iways could blubber freely when a
1. I remember how he used to
le folks in as a lad, and then laugh
at them ; that's why they called him
" Crocodile" at school.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

He (Lord Lovat) laid all the blame

3' rising
saying, with crocodile tears, that he

of the Erasers' rising upon his son,

was not the first who had an unduti-
ful son.— G. A. SALA.

I Cross

Crooked. — A CROOKED SIX-
PENCE— a lucky thing ; a
talisman. P. It used to be
considered lucky for one to
carry about a crooked sixpence
on his person.

You've got the beauty, and I've got
the luck; so you must keep me oy
you for your crooked sixpence (to
bring you good luck).— GEORGE
ELIOT.

Crop. — To CROP OUT — to appear
above the surface. In geology,
inclined strata which appear
above the surface are said
to crop out. P.

The prejudice of the editor of the
newspaper against America crops
out (displays itself) in everything he
writes.— Hwgo News, 1887.

To CROP UP — (a) to rise in differ-
ent places unexpectedly. C.

He did not, he said, want to have
mushroom watering-places cropping
up under his nose.— Good Words, 1887.

(&) to happen or appear un-
expectedly. C.

So bitter is this feeling that it
crops up in all public meetings.—
Spectator, March 31, 1888.

But curious complications were to
crop up yet.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

Cropper. — To COME A CROPPER
— to get a fall ; to tumble at
full length ; to meet with a
sudden collapse. F.

He came a cropper yesterday while
out riding.

When the rejection of the measure
had practically decided the fate of
the ministry, Punch, completed its
allegory by another cartoon, in
which the horse and its rider lay
thrown and prone on the other side
of the hedge, with the legend,
" Come a cropper." — JUSTIN

M'CARTHY.

Cross. — To CROSS SWORDS —
to have a duel. C.

Captain Richard would soon have
crossed swords with the spark had
any villainy been afloat.— G. A. SALA.

TO CROSS THE HAND WITH SILVER.

Fortune tellers, who in England
and other countries are most
frequently of gypsy race, begin
their operations by having
their hands crossed with a
silver coin. They pretend

Crow

60

Crow

that this is an indispensable
preliminary to divination.

He went on his way with the
grenadier, a sweep, and a gypsy wo-
man, who was importunate that he
should cross her hand with silver, in
order that he might know all about
the great fortune that he was to wed.
— G. A. SALA.

The tawny sibyl no sooner ap-
peared, than my girls came running
to me for a shilling a-piece to cross
her hand with silver.— GOLDSMITH.

ON THE CROSS — unfair ; dis-
honest. S. Opposed to on
the square.

CPOW. — CROW'S FEET — the
wrinkles which age or trouble
causes to form about the eyes.
C.

Years had told upon George more
than they had upon Philip, and,
though there were no touches or
gray in the flaming red of his hair,
the bloodshot eyes and the puckered
crow's feet beneath them, to say
nothing of the slight but constant
trembling of the hand, all showed
that he was a man well on in middle
life.— H. R. HAGGARD.
To EAT CROW — to do what is
excessively unpleasant. S.
American. The crow has long
been the emblem of conten-
tion ; as Hudibras says : —
"If not, resolve before we go
That you and I must pulla crow.1'

The same idea is suggested
in Comedy of Errors, act iii. : —

"We'll pluck a crow together."
In common parlance, eating
crow, as an expression of
humiliation, is much the same
as eating humble pie, but
evidently is more expressive.
Its origin is too obscure to
be definitely reached, but it
came into use during the late
rebellion, and evidently was
born in the camp. Many years
ago I heard the late G. P.
Disosway, who was a confirmed
humorist, tell the following
story, which he had received
from a soldier ; and I also
heard it from Captain Ballou
of the 115th Regiment : —
A private in one of the Penn-

sylvania regiments got leave
to go hunting, and unfor-
tunately shot a tame crow
belonging to a planter, who
happened to come up just as
the bird was killed. The
unlucky hunter had rested
his musket against a tree,
and the planter seized it,
and pointing it at the hunter,
exclaimed, " You can eat that
crow, or die." There being
no escape, the hunter got
through with part of his dis-
tasteful meal, when the planter,
relenting, said, " You've done
pretty well ; here, take your
gun and get off right smart."
The soldier, as soon as he got
the piece in his hands, imme-
diately turned the tables by
levelling it at the planter,
exclaiming, " Now, you eat
the rest of that crow, or I'll
shoot you on the spot." There
being no escape, the thing was
done. In a few days the plant-
er had occasion to visit the
camp, and as the soldier re-
cognized him, one of the
officers inquired, " Do you
know that man ? " " Oh,
yes," replied the planter ;
•' we dined together last week."
— New York Correspondent
" Troy Times."

TO HAVE A CROW TO PLUCK WITH

ANT ONE — to have some fault
to find with one ; to have a
matter requiring explanation.
C.

I have a crow to pluck with (a
matter which I want explained by)
the butler. I want to know why he
sent the messenger off with an un-
civil word yesterday.

There was not a Prior there— least
of all John Prior— who could help
feeling astonished by the ease and
fluency with which Susie ignored
the crow to pluck between the two
houses.— SARAH TYTLER.

Ah, Master George, I have a crow
to pluck with you.— FLORENCE MAR-

RYAT.

As THE CROW FLIES — directly;
without any deviation from

Cry

the straight line to one's
destination. P.

He went, as the crow flies (in a
straight line), over the stubble and
by the hedge-sides, never pausing to
draw breath.— MRS. OLIPHANT.
To CROW OVER — to triumph
over ; to be exultant towards.
C.

The colonel, instantly divining the
matter, and secretly flattering nim-
self, and determining to crow over
Polly (prove that he was more know-
ing than Polly), said, to help him
out, "Aha, you rogue, I knew it."—
Harper's Magazine, 1886.

Cry. — To CRT OFF — to retreat
from a bargain ; to refuse to
carry out an engagement. C.

Osborne will cry off now, I sup-
pose, since the family is smashed.—
THACKERAY.

Miss Huntly and Miss Joy having
consented to take part in the expedi-
tion, Admiral and Mrs. Greenwood
promptly cried off from it. — Good
Words, 1887.

To CRY CUPBOARD — to be hun-
gry. F.

" Madam, dinner's upon the table."

" Faith I'm glad of it ; my belly
began to cry cupboard."— SWIFT.

To CRY QUITS. See QUITS.

TO CRY OVER SPILT MILK to

spend time in useless regrets.
C.

What's done, Sam. can't be helped ;
there is no use in crying over
spilt milk (indulging in unavailing
regrets).— HALIBURTON.

To CRY UP — to praise highly ;
to puff. C.

I was pi one to take disgust to-
wards a girl so idolized and so cried
up (praised), as she always was.—
JANE AUSTEX.

To CRY " WOLF " — to raise a
false alarm. P. A phrase
taken from one of ^Esop's
Fables. A shepherd boy,
who watched a flock of sheep
near a village, called out,
" Wolf ! wolf ! " When his
neighbours came to help him,
he laughed at them for their
pains. The wolf, however,
did truly come at last. Then
the shepherd boy called out
in earnest for help, but no one

61 Cup

paid any attention to his cry.
They had got accustomed to
it, and despised it. He lost
nearly all his flock.

Cudgel. TO TAKE UP THE

CUDGELS ON BEHALF OF AN-
OTHER— to defend him warmly.
P.

On my showing him the corre-
spondence, Delane immediately took
up the cudgels for the widow (es-
poused the widow's cause).— Black-
wood's Magazine, 1886.

To CUDGEL ONE'S BRAINS — to
make a painful effort to remem-
ber. C.

Cudgel thy brains no more about it.
—SHAKESPEARE.

In vain we cudgel our brains to
ask of what faith, what principle
these monsters may be the symbol.
— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

He did not have to cudgel his
brains long, for by-and-by Miss
Huntly said hesitatingly, "I have
heard a rumour that everything has
been left to your brother. Is it
true?"-W. E. NORRIS.

Cue. TO GIVE THE CUE to

give a hint ; to furnish an
opportunity. P. The cue, in
the parlance of the stage, is
the catch -word, from which an
actor knows where his part
comes in.

This admission gave the cue to
Todhunter (gave Todhunter an
opportunity) to take up his parable
and launch out into one of his
effusive laudations of Parr and all
his works.— Macmillan's Magazine.

Cul. — GUI BONO ? — to whom
f will it do any good ? F. Latin.
For the last generation or two a
feeling of Cui bono ? had led to the
discontinuance of the- custom.—
THOMAS HARDY.

Cum.— J-CUM GRANO SALIS — with
a grain of salt ; making some
allowance. P. Latin.

All his statements must be taken
cum grano salis (with some reserva-
tion).

Cup. — His CUP RUNS OVER — he
has more than enough. P.
A phrase borrowed from the
Bible (Ps. xxiii.).

I do not know exactly what it was
that Biver did at last ; it was some-

Cupboard

thing which not only broke the
camel's back, but made the cup run
over (was more than enough to
cause his dismissal).— BESANT.

IN ONE'S CUPS — intoxicated. P.
He had often signified, in his cups
(when drinking hard), the pleasure
he proposed in seeing her married
to one of the richest men in the
county.— FIELDING.

Cupboard. — CUPBOARD LOVE
— affection springing from an
interested motive. C.

A cupboard love is seldom true,
A love sincere is found in few.
— NARES.

Curled. — CURLED DARLINGS —
petted and pampered young
men. P.
He would show them of what a

En in his own right is capable, and
would go far past the "curled
•lings" who owed everything to
fortune and nothing to themselves.
—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

CUPPy. — TO OURRT FAVOUR —

to use mean arts to obtain
patronage. P.

Many changed their religion to
curry favour with (gain in a mean
way the patronage of) King James.

Cupse. — THE CURSE OF CAIN.
Cain, for the murder of his
brother Abel, was condemned
to be a wanderer and vagabond
on the earth.

Those in the provinces, as if with
the curse of Cain upon their heads,
came, one by one, to miserable ends.
— FBOUDE.

THE CURSE OF SCOTLAND — a
name given to the playing-
card called the nine of dia-
monds— the winning card in
a gambling game which ruined
many Scottish families ; or, ac-
cording to another explana-
tion, the card on the back of
which was written the message
authorizing the massacre of
Glencoe. C.

Cuptain. — [ CURTAIN LECTURES
— private admonitions given
by a wife to her husband. C.
The phrase, though of earlier
origin, is immortalized in the
celebrated Mrs. Caudle's Cur-
tain Lectures, by Douglas

62

Cut

Jerrold, published in the col-
umns of Punch, 1845. Cur-
tains = bed -curtains, the lec-
tures being delivered at night.
Beside what endless brawls by wives

are bred.

The curtain lecture makes a mourn-
ful bed.— DHYDEN.

THE CURTAIN FALLS — the per-
formance closes ; the scene
comes to an end. C.

Here the conversation ought to
have ended; the curtain ought to
fall at this point. What followed
was weak— very weak.— BESANT.

Cut. — To cur IN — to make a
remark before another speaker
has finished ; to throw in a
remark suddenly. F.

"Worked in the fields summers,
and went to school winters : regula-
tion thing?" Bartley cut in.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

TO CUT ONE'S LUCKY Or ONE'S

STICK — to run away ; to go off
in a hurry. S.

Jeremiah grinned, his eyes glit-
tered. " I'm in luck's way," he said ;
"and now, mother, give me a glass
of brandy and water, and I'll cut
my lucky."— B. L. FARJEON.
TO CUT OFF WITH A SHILLING to

leave a small sum as a legacy. P.

Spiteful testators used to leave
the disinherited one a shilling, that
he might not be able to say he had
been inadvertently omitted, and
it was all a mistake. — CHARLES
EEADE.

Because I'm such a good-natured
brother, you know I might get you
turned out of house and home, and
cut off with a shilling (disinherited)
any day.— GEORGE ELIOT.

To cur ONE SHORT — to interrupt
another while speaking. P.

Tom pulled himself together, and
began an explanation; but the
colonel cut him short (interrupted
him).— Harper's Magazine, 1886.

TO CUT or TO CUT DEAD to

refuse to recognize an ac-
quaintance in public. P.

She would cut her dearest friend
(pass her dearest friend without
recognition) if misfortune befell
her, or the world turned its back
(society frowned) upon her. —
THACKERAY.

To CUT A FIGURE, A DASH, Or

A DIDO — to make oneself

Cut I

prominent ; to do something
to attract notice. The last
is a slang phrase, the two first
are conversational.

It seems my entertainer was all
this while only the butler, who, in
his master's absence, had a mind

to cut a figure.— GOLDSMITH.

this sum they
use their own expression, they

With

. .

sum they thought, to

entitled to live in as great style a:
cut as grand a dash as any of the
first families in Monmouthshire.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Thus the humble artisan and his
elephant cut a greater dash than
lions and tigers, and mountebanks
and quacks, and drew more money.
— READE.

To cur UP ROUGH — to resent
any treatment ; to show a
disposition to quarrel. F.

He'll cut up so roughj Nickleby,
at our talking together without him.
—DICKENS.

To BE cur UP — to be distressed. C.

Poor master ! he was awfully cut
up (sorry) at having to leave you.

Well then, of course, I was
awfully cut up Jin great affliction).
I was wild.— C. READE.
To CUT ONE'S EYE-TEETH — to
become knowing ; to learn
how to cheat another man. S.

Them 'ere fellers (those fellows
there— Scotsmen) cut their eye-teeth
(learned crafty ways) afore they ever
sot foot in this country (America), I
expect.— HALIBURTON.
THE cur OF ONE'S JIB — one's rig,
or personal appearance ; the
peculiarities of one's dress and
walk. S. A sailor's phrase.

I knew him for a parson by the
cut of his jib (his appearance).

CUT AND COME AGAIN a hOS-

pitable phrase, signifying that
there is plenty for all guests.
C. Jane Carlyle uses the ex-
pression in one of her letters.

that evening).
TO CUT THE (GORDIAN) KNOT — to

solve a difficulty in a speedy
fashion. P. There was a
knot tied by a Phrygian
peasant, about which the
report spread that he who un-
loosed it should be king of

5 Cut

Asia. It was shown to Alexan-
der the Great, who cut it in two
with his sword, saying, " 'Tis
thus we loose our knots."

Decision by a majority is a mode
of cutting a knot (promptly solving
a difficulty) which cannot be untied.
—SIR G. C. LEWIS.

TO CUT THE GROUND FROM UNDER

ONE — to leave one in an

illogical position, with no

reasonable argument in his
favour. P.

he relied contained an important
erasure.

To cur our — to supplant ; to
secure another's place or privi-
leges. C.

In a few weeks some fellow from
the West End will come in with a
title and a rotten rent-roll _and
cut all us city men out, as
Fitzrufus did last year with
Grogram, who was actual"
to Fodder, of Fodder an
—THACKERAY.

To cur ONE'S THROAT — to act
so as to ruin oneself. C.

He saw it all now : he had let the
old man die after he had executed
the fresh will disinheriting him.
He had let him die ; he had effectu-
ally and beyond redemption cut his
own throat (ruined himself by his
own action).— H. K. HAGGARD.

Cur AND THRUST — keen; forci-
ble. P.

That is the way of doing business
—a cut -and -thrust style, without
any flourish : Scott's style when hia
blood was up.— PROFESSOR WILSON.

TO CUT AND RUN to gO Off

quickly ; to run off imme-
diately. S.
Thus spake Bavaria's scholar king,

Prepared to cut and run :
" I'ye lost my throne, lost everything,
Olola, I TO. undone."

—Epigram quoted in

" Quarterly Review" 1887.

I must cut and run, whatever

happens.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

To DRAW CUTS — to decide a

matter by drawing papers of

unequal length, presented so as

to have the same appearance :

equivalent to tossing up. P.

They drew cuts who should go out
of the room.

Dab

64

Darby

Dab. — A REGULAR DAB AT ANT-
THING — very skilful in any-
thing. S.

" I'm a regular dab at figures, you
know," said Jeremiah to his mother.
— B. L. FABJEON.

Daggers. — To LOOK or SPEAK
DAGGERS — to glare at; to
gaze upon with animosity. P.

There he sits, abaft (behind) the
mainmast, looking daggers at us
(glaring angrily upon us). — C.
KEADE.
I will speak daggers to her; but

will use none.

— SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet.
AT DAGGERS DRAWN — bitterly
hostile. P.

Lord Shelburne had always de-
sired to keep the Bedfords at a
distance, and had been at daggers
drawn with (bitterly hostile to)
them, ever since their introduction
into the Government.— TBEVELYAN.

Damn. — To DAMN WITH FAINT
PRAISE — to condemn anything
by praising it very slightly.
P.
Should such a man, too fond to rule

Bear, like the Turk,|no brother near

the throne. . . .
Damn with faint praise, assent with

civil leer,
And, without sneering, teach the rest

to sneer.— POPE.

For the first hour all had been
compliment, success, and smiles;
presently came the buts, and the
hesitated objections, and the damn-
ing with faint praise. — MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

Damocles. — THE SWORD OF
DAMOCLES — a sword suspended
by a single thread, and ready
to descend and kill the person
sitting below it. P. See
SWORD.

So they laugh and love, and are
to all appearance blissfully content
through the morning hours, and
descend to breakfast (but for that
sword of Damocles suspended over
their heads) as happy in their
mutual affection as ever were Eve
and Adam when first presented to
each other.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Damon. — DAMON AND PYTHIAS
— sworn friends. P. The

classical name of Pythian
is Phintias. He offered tc
die for his friend Damon.

"Such unscientific balderdash,'
added the doctor, flushing suddenlj
purple, " would have estrangec
Damon and Pythias."— R. L. STE
VENSON.

Dance. — To DANCE ATTEND
ANCE ON — to pay assiduouf
court to. P. A phrase usec
in contempt.
Welcome, my lord ; I dance atten

dance (wait obsequiously) here.
—SHAKESPEARE.

But he lives in 'town as a rul<
when he is not dancing attendance
on Lady Swansdown.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

TO DANCE, AND PAT THE PIPEI

— to labour to amuse, and havt
the expense of the entertain-
ment besides. F.

I'll either teach in the school onc<
a week, or give you a subscription
but I am not going both to danc<
and pay the piper (give my services
for nothing, and pay other per
formers).

TO DANCE UPON NOTHING tc

get hanged. S.

If you do not take care, you wil
soon dance upon nothing (be ex
ecuted).

TO LEAD A PERSON A DANCE Ol
A PRETTY DANCE to CaUS(

him unnecessary trouble. F.
You gave me the wrong address
and have led me a pretty danc<
(caused me much needless search).

Dander. — To GET ONE'S
DANDER UP — to grow angry:
to lose one's temper. S,
Dander = dandriff, scurf or
the head.

"I don't understand such Ian
guage," said Alden, for he was fairlj
riled (irritated) and got his dandei
up (lost his temper).— HALIBURTON.I

Darby. — DARBY AND JOAN —
a happy old couple devoted
to each other. P. They are
characters in a popular ballad.
You may be a Darby, but I'll bd
no Joan (devoted wife), I promise.—
GOLDSMITH.

Dark

Dark. — A DARK HORSE — a
competitor about whose chance
of winning the world knows
nothing. C. A sporting
phrase.

You see I was dipped pretty deep
and duns after me, and the Derby
my only chance, so I put the pot
on (betted heavily on the favourite
horse); but a dark horse won.— C
EEADE.

TO KEEP ANOTHER IN THE DARK
— to keep him in ignorance
of an event.

She was now resolved to keep
Harriet no longer in the dark (in
ignorance).

O KEEP DARK ABOUT ANYTHING

— to preserve secrecy about
it. C.

If you will (fight me), I'll keep
dark about it (never speak about
our fight).— HALIBURTON.

Darken. — To DARKEN AN-
OTHER'S DOOR — to cross the
threshold of his house. C.

He is a dishonourable scoundrel
and if, after this assurance, you
receive him, I shall never darken
your door again.— C. READE.

David. — DAVID AND JONATHAN
— inseparable friends. P. A
Biblical parallel to the clas-
sical friendship of Damon and
Pythias.

I was— everybody knows that— I
was his confidential factotum and
his familiar friend, as David was to
Jonathan.— BESA NT.

lavy. — DAVY JONES — a sailor's
term for death. S.

Keep my bones from Davy
Jones (death).— Popular Song.

>AVY JONES'S LOCKER — the place
where dead men go. A com-
mon expression with sailors.
It is also used for the sea, the
common receptacle of every-
thing thrown overboard.

I tell thee, Jack, thou'rt free;
leastways, if we get to Jamaica
without going to Davy Jones's
locker.— G. A. SALA.

The buccaneer has made his exit,
and so has his fierce brother the
pirate. That dreadful flag has long
been hauled down and stowed away
by Davy Jones in his locker.—
Gentleman's Magazine, 1887.

65 Daylight

Day. — To HAVE HAD ONE'S
DAY — to be past one's prime ;
to be no longer " in the swim;"
to be old-fashioned ; to be dis-
carded for something newer. C.
"Old Joe, sir," said the major,
"was a bit of a favourite in that
quarter once ; but Joe has had his
day. —DICKENS.

EVERY DOG HAS ms DAY. See
DOG.

THIS DAY WEEK (or YEAR, Or SIX

MONTHS) — a week counting
from this day ; the correspond-
ing day of last or next week.
P.

Let us go this day week— to-day is
Thursday— that is, let, us go next
Thursday.

Almost on that day year (the
corresponding day of the last year)
it (the House of Commons) had been
cheering Pitt while he declaimed
against the folly of a Hanoverian
war.— MAC A UL AY.
HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED he

has only a short time to live.
P.

Maroeco alone yet bars the way,
and Marocco's days are practically
numbered. — GRANT ALLEN, in
Contemporary Review, 1888.
TO CARRY THE DAY — to be vic-

torious ; to win a victory.
P.

It was the cry of " free education "
that carried the day (won the vic-
tory).

DAY OF GRACE — a day allowed
by the law before money is
called in, or the law is put
in execution. Three DAYS OF
GRACE are generally allowed
for the payment of a bill
beyond the date actually men-
tioned in the paper. Thus a
bill in which payment is
promised on the 1st Novem-
ber is duly paid on the 4th.

A DAY AFTER THE FAIR too late

to see anything. C.

You have arrived a day after the
fair (too late to see what you
wished). Your friends have gone.
Daylig-ht. — To THROW DAY-
LIGHT UPON — to reveal ; to
display to view. P.

But for that accident, the mystery
and the wrong being played out at
3

DC (

Caromel's farm might never have
had daylight thrown upon it.— MRS.
HENRY WOOD.

De (French). — DE HALT EN BAS
— in a lofty, condescending
fashion. C. French.

She used to treat him a little de
haut en bas.—C. READE.

DE TBOP — in the way ; not
wanted ; superfluous. C.
French.

To turn a young lady out of her
own drawing-room without assign-
ing any reason for it, except that
she is de trap (her presence is not
wished for), is a very difficult opera-
tion.—JAMES PAYN.

DE RIGUEUR — strictly required.
P. French.

His face was rather soft than
stern, charming than grand, pale
than flushed ; his nose, if a sketch
of his features be de rigueur for
a person of his pretensions, was
artistically beautiful enough to
have been worth doing in marble
by a sculptor not over-busy.—
THOMAS HARDY.

De (Latin). — DE JUBE — legal ;
having the sanction of law.
P. Latin.

DE FACTO — real ; having actual
possession. P. Latin.

It was, we believe, impossible to
find, from the Himalayas to Mysore,
a single Government which was at
once a Government de facto and a
Government de jure.— MACAULAY.

DE MORTUIS NIL NISI BONUM —

say only what is good of the
dead. P. Latin.

The proverb of de mortuis is foun-
ded on humbug.— A. TROLLOPE.
DE NOVO — from a new point ;
afresh. Latin.

Let us clear the stage, and begin
de novo (afresh).

Dead. — DEAD DRUXK — stupe-
fled with liquor. C.

Pythagoras has finely observed
that a man IR not to be considered
dead drunk till he lies on the floor
and stretches out his arms and legs
to prevent his going lower. — S.
WARREN.

THE DEAD -LETTER OFFICE the

department in the post-office
where unclaimed letters are
kept. P.

I took it for granted that it found
its way to the dead-letter office, or

Dead

was sticking up across a pane in the
postmaster's window at Huntingdon
for the whole town to see, and
it a love-letter! — MARIA EDQE-
•WORTH.

May not these wanderers of whom
I speak have been sent into the
vorld without any proper address
at all? Where is our dead -letter
office for such?— J. R. LOWELL.

TO PULL THE DEAD HORSE to

work for wages already paid.
I'1,

DEAD AS A HERRING or AS A
DOOR-NAIL — stone dead ; with-
out any life. F. The herring
is a fish which dies immediately
after it leaves the water.

" They caught him at work, and
gave him a rap over the head with
a spade. The more fool he for being
caught. Here is to his memory."
' ' Ugh ! What ! is he-is he-"
" Dead as a herring."— C. READE.
" What ! is the old king dead ? "
"As nail in door. — SHAKE-
SPEARE : 2 Henry IV.

DEAD SEA FRUIT — fruit fair to
the eye, but crumbling to
dust when the skin is broken.
P. See APPLE OF SODOM.

He had come across the fruit of
the Dead Sea, so sweet and delicious
to the eye, so bitter and nauseous
to the taste.— A. TROLLOPE.

DEAD HAND — the mysterious in-
fluence of a dead person
whom one has injured. P
An old superstition of this
kind still lingers.
' She must have been led, he
thought, to his office by the dead
hand of Tom himself. James Rolfe
was not a superstitious person, but
he had read novels, and he knew
very well that dead people do con-
stantly visit evil-doers with curses
and bring trouble upon them, es-
pecially when they have dealt
wickedly with wards.— BESANT.

IN A DEAD HAND — said of land
or property held by a cor-
poration (for example, the
Church) and not by a person-
ality. Latin, in manu mortuo.

A DEAD LETTER — something no
longer in force ; a rule never
attended to. P.

The rule about ready money was
soon a dead letter (soon fell into
disuse).— TRTSVELYAN.

Dear

A DEAD-HEAD — a person who
obtains entrance into an enter-
tainment without paying ; a
sponger. C.

Poor, hopelessly abandoned
loafers, wearing plainly the stamp
of dead-head on their shameless
features.— A. C. GRANT.

A DEAD -HE AT — a contest where
it is impossible to decide who
is victor. C.

He was up in a moment ; but he
was already overlapped, and al-
though he made up the difference,
it was a dead-heat, and they were in
neck-and-neck.— BESANT.

DEAD BEAT — thoroughly ex-
hausted. C.

I could not move from the spot.
I was what I believe seldom really
happens to any man — dead beat,
body and soul.— C. READE.

DEAD MAN'S PART — in law, the
portion of an intestate per-
son's movables beyond the
share which goes by right to
his wife and children. A
technical phrase.

DEAD MEN — empty bottles. F.

Lord Smart. Come, John, bring
me a fresh bottle.

Colonel. Ay, my lord ; and pray,
let him carry off the dead men, as
• we say in the army (meaning the
empty bottles).— SWIFT.

Deap. — DEAR ME ! OH DEAR !
or simply, DEAR ! — an ex-
clamation of surprise, com-
t miseration, or weariness, ac-
'i cording to the tone in which
it is uttered. C.

"Did you ever have your likeness
taken, Harriet?" said she.

"Oh dear! no— never." (An ex-
clamation of surprise.)

"You haven't got an egg upon
you, Mrs. Bormalack, have you?
Dear me! (how surprising!) one in
your lap. Actually in a lady's lap ! "
—BESANT.

Death. — To DO TO DEATH — to

kill. P.
This morning a boy of fifteen was

done to death by Mr. Hawes.— C.

READE.
WEARY TO DEATH — excessively

fatigued. C. This phrase

really contains no reference

to actual dying.

67 Delirium

The houses themselves were
mostly gable-roofed, with latticed
windows, which served excellently
to exclude the light, and which
gave .a blank and lack-lustre look
to the edifices, as though they were
weary to death of the view over the
way.— W. CLAKS RUSSELL.

To THE DEATH — fatally.

He was wounded to the death
(fatally).

AT DEATH'S DOOR — very near
dying ; on the point of
expiring. P.

Greaves had taken her marriage to
heart,' and had been at death's door
(very dangerously ill) in London.—
C. READE.

IN AT THE DEATH — present at
the final act of any exciting
series of events. C. The
phrase is borrowed from fox-
hunting.

DEATH ON ANYTHING — having a
great inclination for anything ;
skilful or sure in performance,
F.

He wandered about all day, step-
ping now and then, as he had prom-
ised his mother, into the business
places to inquire for employment ;
but no one wanted an honest lad who
could read, write, and was " death on
figgers" (clever at counting).— Life oj
President Garjield.

HE WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME —

he will cause me to die. F.
Generally used in a joking way.
Mrs. Squallop stared at him for a
second or two in silence, then,
stepping back out of the room, sud-
denly drew to the door, and stood
outside, laughing vehemently. . . .
"Mr.— Mr. Titmouse, you'll be the
death of me (kill me with laughter),
you will— you will!" gasped Mrs.
Squallop, almost black in the face.—
S. WARREN.

Debt. TO PAY THE DEBT OF

NATURE — to die. P. See PAY.

Delirium. — DELIRIUM TRE-
MENS — a dreadful disease re-
sulting from hard drinking.
P. Also known as D.T. and
Hue devils,

I am an Englishman, and proud of
it, and attached to all the national
habits, except delirium trcmens.—L.
READE.

Demand C

Demand. — IN DEMAND — much
sought after. P.

Pet rabbits are greatly in demand
(sought after) just now.
ON DEMAND — when asked for.
p.

He sent me a bill payable on de-
mand (when presented at the proper
time).

Depend. — DEPEND UPON IT
— you may be certain; I
assure you. C.

"If so," returned he, "depend
upon it you shall feel the effects of
this insolence."— GOLDSMITH.

Deuce. — PLAY THE DEUCE WITH
— disorganize ; ruin. S. Deuce
was a daemon among the Bri-
gantes, a tribe of the early
Britons.

" Yonder is the inn," he exclaimed,
"a handsome house enough, one
must allow, and standing in quite a
little park of its own ; but for all
that I nave a presentiment that the
cooking will play the deuce with
(completely spoil) my digestion, and
that we shall be poisoned with bad
wine."— JAMES PAYN.

Deus. — DEUS EX MACHINA — an
unexpected deliverer or helper,
who comes just at the very
time of danger or difficulty.
P. Latin. The phrase is a
classical one, and alludes to
the supernatural deliverance
of heroes on the Roman stage
by the descent of a god, by
mechanical contrivance, who
bears them off in safety.

Where, in this case, were we to
look for the deus ex machind who
should fulfil the father's vow and
sever the daughter's chains by one
happy stroke?— W. E. NORRIS.

Devil. — THE DEVIL'S ADVO-
CATE— the person in an eccle
siastical assembly who had
the ungracious office of op-
posing the canonization of
some saint. P. The Latin
form of the word is advocatus
diaboli. The advocatus diaboli
tried to throw doubt on the
sanctity and miraculous power
of the proposed saint. In the
following extract devil's ad-

Devil

vacate signifies " one who tries
to prove the existence of un-
pleasant qualities " : —

Mill was one of the sternest and
most rigid representatives of that
northern race which, notwithstand-
ing the very different qualities which
make it illustrious, has so continued
to retain its conventional reputation
for harshness and coldness that we
are almost forced to believe there
must be some truth in the imputa-
tion. There would be so if the
devil's advocate could produce many
such men as James Mill to counter-
balance Scott and Mackintosh as
specimens of the character of their
countrymen.— MRS. OLIPHANT.

DEVIL TAKE THE HINDMOST

the one who is last must
suffer. C.

Mr. Eames was very averse to the
whole theory of competition. The
"devil take the hindmost" scheme
he called it, and. would then goon to
explain that hindmost candidates
were often the best gentlemen, and
that, in this way, the devil got the
hindmost.— A. TROLLOPE.

Away we went, "Pug" ahead,
"Growler" and Gaylad" scarce
twenty yards from his brush, and
the devil take the hindmost. Well,
of course we made sure of catching
him in about a hundred yards.— C.
READE.

THE DEVIL TO PAY — a heavy
sum to pay back ; very
serious consequences. F.

And now Tom is come back, and
there will be the devil to pay.—
BESANT.

" There will be the devil to pay at
the hall," said Paston. "You don't
pump out a mine for a trifle, and
with all that building on hand."—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

DEVIL'S LUCK — great good for-
tune ; astonishing luck. F.

Mark my words, Gride : you won't
have to pay bis annuity very long.
You have the devil's luck in bargains
always.— DICKENS.

THE DEVIL. A phrase used to
contradict a statement that
has just been made, or to
express dissent from it. S.

"I'm Paddy Luck, and it's meself
(myself) will sell the baste (beast) for
twelve pounds, and divil a ha'penny
less " (not one halfpenny under that
sum).— C. READE.

The devil was sick, the devil a monk
would be ;

Diamond

The devil got well, the devil a monk
was he. — Old Rhyme.

Exp.— The devil, being sick, re

solved to become a monk, but when

he recovered he was anything but

monk.

A DEVIL OF A TEMPER — a very
bad temper. F.

Mrs. Churchill had no more heart
than a stone to people in general
and a devil of a temper (very bac
temper).— Miss AUSTEN.

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE
DEEP SEA — between two mena
cing dangers. P.

Kupert's position was desperate
his friends had forsaken him ; he
was caught between the devil and
thedeepsea.— Gentleman's Magazine,

To WHIP THE DEVIL ROUND THE

POST — to evade rules or pro-
visions. C.

It is asserted, indeed, in some
quarters that the devil might be
whipped round the Tientsin Con-
vention (provisions of the Tientsin
Convention might be evaded) by
persuading Korea to cede the Nan-
how group to China.— Japan Mail,

1887,

DEVIL - MAT - CARE — reckless ;
heedless. C.

I once had the honour of being on
intimate terms with a mute, who, in
private life and off duty, was as
comical and jocose a little fellow as
ever chirped out a devil-may-care
(reckless) song.— DICKENS.

GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE — allow

even the worst man credit for
what he does well. P.

Arthur Brooke was a straight-
forward and just young fellow ; no
respecter of persons, and always
' ?us to give the devil his due.—
NORRIS.

TO BEAT THE DEVIL'S TATTOO

— to drum with the fingers
on a window or a table.
P. See TATTOO.

Diamond. — A ROUGH DIA-
MOND— a person with an un-
attractive exterior who pos-
sesses good qualities of mind
and heart. C.

As for "Warrington, that rough
diamond had not had the polish of a
dancing master, and he did not
know how to waltz.— THACKERAY.

Dine

DIAMOND cur DIAMOND — a phrase
used when one sharp person
outwits another. P.

The Irish leaders are extremely
clever men, and hitherto English
administrators have only coped
with them in a blundering, dull-
witted way. Sir Redvers Buflergets
the credit of this diamond-cut-
diamond move.— St. Andrews Citizen,

1887.

Notwithstanding their difference
of years, our pair are playing a game
very common in society, called
diamond cut diamond. — G. J.

WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Dickens. — WHAT THE DICKENS
— what the devil. S. A strong
form of WHAT.

I cannot tell what the dickens his
name is.— SHAKESPEARE.
Why the dickens don't these people
go to bed ?— W. E. NORRIS.

Dickey. — ALL DICKEY WITH
ANY ONE — a hopeless case for
any one ; no chance of saving
him. S.
Here a monk . . .
Sobs out as he points to the corpse

on the floor,

'"Tis all dickey with poor Father
Dick— he's no more."— BARHAM.

Die. — THE DIE is THROWN or
CAST — the decision is made ;
the decisive step is taken.
P.

At all events, what use was there
in delaying? The die was thrown,
and now or to-morrow the issue must
be the same.— THACKERAY.
To DIE BY INCHES — to die slowly;
to waste away slowly but
steadily. P.

At the time, a sudden death always
seems something strange and hor-
rible, like a murder ; although prob-
ably most of us, if we could choose,
would rather be killed at a blow than
die by inches.— W. E. NORRIS.

Dine. — To DINE OFF — to make
to serve for dinner. P.

Sir Pitt, though he dined off boiled
mutton, had always three footmen
to serve it.— THACKERAY.

A DINER-OUT — a man who gener-
ally dines with friends. P.

To DINE WITH DEMOCRITUS —
to be cheated out of one's
dinner. P.

Dip

70

To DINE WITH SIR THOMAS
GRESHAM — to go without a
dinner. F. The London Ex-
change was founded by Sir
Thomas Gresham, a merchant
in Queen Elizabeth's time,
who gave his name to " Gres-
ham's Law " in political
economy. The Exchange was
a favourite lounging-place for
penniless men.

To DINE WITH DUKE HUMPHREY
— to get no dinner at all. C.
Some gentlemen were visiting
the tomb of Duke Humphrey
of Gloucester, and one of the
party was by accident shut
in the abbey. His where-
abouts remained undiscovered
until the party had risen
from dinner. The poor fellow
had been with Duke Hum-
phrey, and had got no dinner
at all — hence the phrase.

As for the duke in the family, I
hope it will not be Duke Humphrey,
and that Trip will not be invited to
dine with him.— S. BARING-GOULD.

To DINE WITH MOHAMMED — to
die. P.

To DINE WITH THE CROSS-LEGGED

KNIGHTS — to have no dinner
to go to. P. A London
phrase.

Dip. — To DIP IN GALL — to make
very bitter. P.

The famous Shakespearian critic
Malonewas the object of his specia.
aversion, which was most cordially
reciprocated, and often had they
transfixed one another with pens
dipped in gall (full of rancour).—
JAMES PAYN.

Dirt. — DIRT CHEAP — at an ex-
cessively low price. F.

Thirty pounds a week. It's toe
cheap, Johnson; it's dirt cheap.—
DICKENS.

To EAT DIRT — to submit tc
insult. C.

Though they bow before a calf, i
it not a golden one? though they ea
dirt, is it not dressed by a Frenc"
cook?— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Discount. — AT A DISCOUNT —
(a) not in demand ; no

Divine

highly ;

valued highly ; unpopular,
p.

There can be no doubt .that the
old-fashioned ideasof English policy
in the East are at a discount.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.
— (&) sold at less than the
market value. P.

Watch-guards and toasting-forks
were alike at a discount.

Dispose. — To DISPOSE OF —
(a) to get rid of ; to free one-
self from. P.

But Wilkes had still to be disposed
of.— PERCY FITZGERALD.

The many things he had had to
think of lately passed before him in
the music, not as claiming his atten-
tion over again, or as likely evermore
to occupy it, but as peacefully dis-
posed of and gone.— DICKENS.
— (&) to sell. C.

Madam is ready to dispose of her
horse and carriage if a good price is
offered.

Ditch. TO DIE IN THE LAST

DITCH — to resist to the ut-
termost ; to make a desperate
resistance. P.

Ditto. TO SAT DITTO TO —

to acquiesce in ; to accept
the conclusions or arrange-
ments of others. C.

Dr. Lavergne was a convinced Re-
publican ; his wife's conyictions
resembled those of the wise and
unassuming politician who was
content to say ditto to Mr. Burke. —
W. E. NORRIS.

Divine. — DIVINE RIGHT OF
KINGS — a theory, first ex-
plicitly held by James I. of
England, that the king is
above the law, and answer-
able for his actions to no one.
P. See Macaulay's History of
England, Introduction.
May you, my Cam and Isis, preach

it long,
" The right divine of kings to govern

wrong."— POPE.

While preachers who held the
divine right of kings made the
churches of Paris ring with decla-
mations in favour of democracy
rather than submit to the heretic
dog of a Be"arnois, . . . Henry bore
both parties in hand till he was con-
vinced that only one course of action
could possibly combine his own

Dixie

and those of France.—

jOWELL.

Dixie. — DIXIE'S LAND — a land
of plenty and happiness, cele
brated in negro songs. Dixi
was a planter in Manhattan
Island, who removed hi
slaves to one of the Southern
States, where they had les,
to eat and more to do, and
therefore sighed for their olc
home.

—Popular Song.

Do. — To DO up — (a) to make
tidy. F.

"But who is to do up your room
every day?" asked Violet.— BESANT.
I could almost fancy it was thirty
years back, and I was a little girl at
nome, looking at Judith as sne sat
at her work, after she'd done the
house up (set the house in order).
—GEORGE ELIOT.

(6) to ruin ; to make bank-
rupt. C.

He observed that there ,,c.D ^
pleasure in doing up a debtor which
none but a creditor could know.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

(c) to weary. F.

(fatigued) after her long walk.
To DO AWAY WITH — to remove ;
to get rid of. P.

Delightful Mrs. Jordan, whose
voice did away with (banished) the
cares of the whole house before they
saw her come in.— JAMES PAYN.
To DO FOR A MAN — to ruin him.
F.

No, you're done for (you are
ruined) ; you are up a tree, you may
end (be certain) ; pride must fall,
wn is like a ball-room after
—HALIBURTON.

d<

Your tow
a dance

Do TELL — you astonish me.
familiar American phrase.

"A dressmaker!" cried her lady-
ship. "Do tell (that's strange). I
was in that line myself before I
married. "—BESANT.

TO HAVE TO DO WITH to be

interested in ; to have busi-
ness with. P.

We have, l^wever, to do with (our
business is with) only one pair who
were sitting together on the banks
opposite Trinity.— BESANT.

71 Doctor

To DO (WELL) BY— to behave
(well) towards. C.
One does as one is done by.— WM.

. After administering such a scold-
ing as naturally flowed from her
anxiety to do well by (behave well to)
her husband's niece— who had no
mother of her own to scold her.
P°ur t¥nS !— she would often confess
to her husband, when they were safe
put of hearing, that she firmly be-
lieved "the naughtier the little hussy
behaved, the prettier she looked "—
GEORGE ELIOT.

WELL-TO-DO— in comfortable cir-
cumstances. P.

He's growing up fast now, and I am
pretty well-to-do (in fairly good cir-
cumstances).—HALIBURTON.

TO DO A PERSON BROWN — to

deceive him completely ; to

hoodwink him. S.

Not knowing what to do, I thought

I'd hasten back to town,
And beg our own Lord Mayor to

catch the boy who'd "done me

brown."— BARHAM.

TO DO A PERSON IN THE EYE

to cheat him. S.

The jockey did your friend in the
eye over that horse.

Exp.—The jockey cheated your
friend with that horse.

DOGtOP. — To PUT THE DOCTOR

ON A MAN — to cheat him. F.
Perhaps ways and means may be
found to put the doctor upon the old
prig.— TOM BROWN.

DOCTORS' COMMONS — the Gov-
ernment office in London
where wills are kept and mar-
riages registered. So called
because the Doctors of Civil
Law were required to dine
together (hold their common
meal) four days in each term,
called " eating their terms."
P.

She had a superstitious kind of
notion that she would do better in a
future state if she had been recog-
nized by the social law in this, and
that the power of Doctors' Commons
extended beyond the office of the

registrar -general.— MRS.

LlNTON.

L : LYNN

DOCTORS DIFFER or DISAGREE —
there exists a grave difference
of opinion. C. A phrase in

Doe

72

Dog

common use, employed some-
what playfully.

But the doctors differed in their
metaphysics (there was a difference
of opinion regarding the meta-
physics of the question). — M.
ARNOLD.
Who shall decide, when doctors

disagree?— POPE.

Doe. — DOE. See JOHN DOE.

Dog1. — THE DOG OF MONTARGIS
— a dog whose master was
slain, and which showed won-
derful intelligence and ferocity
in its behaviour to the
murderer. Its name was
Dragon ; its master's name
was Captain Aubri de Mont-
didier. The murderer's name
was Richard Macaire.

No doubt Diogenes is there, and no
dpubt Mr. Toots has reason to observe
him ; for he comes straightway at
Mr. To9ts's legs, and tumbles over
himself in thedesperationwith which
he makes at him, like a very dog of
Montargis.— DICKENS.

A DOG-IN-THE-MANGER — a Selfish

man, who refuses to allow
his neighbour to enjoy even
what he himself has no use
for. P. Used as an adjec-
tive— "a dog-in-the-manger
course of conduct."

A dog lay in a manger, and by his
growling and snapping prevented
the oxen from eating the hay which
had been placed for them. " What a
selfish dog!" said one of them to his
companions. "He cannot eat the
hay himself, and yet refuses to allow
those to eat who can."— ^sop's

"I suppose it is wrong and selfish,"
he said. " I suppose I am a dog in a
manger."— A. TROLLOPE.

TO DOG -EAR A BOOK — to turn

down the corners of its pages
so that they resemble a dog's
ears. P.

wTMt ar«v Quite young girls, who
blot their books, dog-ear their dic-
tionaries, make gjimy their gram-
mars, and vie with each other in
committing just as many faults as
can possibly be made in a given
number of words.— BESANT.

A DOG-IN-A-BLANKET — a kind
of pudding made of dough and

suet, and enclosing jam. C.
Also called roly-poly.

We had roast beef to dinner, fol-
lowed by an indigestible marmalade
dog-in-a-blanket (roly-poly filled with
orange jam).

DOG CHEAP — very cheap. F. A
corruption of god-chepe,
good bargain.

You got the fowls dog cheap at a
dollar forty the dozen (remarkably
cheap at one dollar forty cents for
the dozen).

DOG'S NOSE — a drink composed

oi gin and beer. S.
THE DOGS OP WAR — famine,

sword, and fire. P.

And Caesar's spirit, ranging for

With Ate'by his side, come hot from

hell,
Shall in these confines, with a

monarch's voice.
Cry. "Havoc," and let slip the dogs

of war.— SHAKESPEARE.

Note.— Ate is the goddess of re-
venge. To cry "Havoc" signifies

to order slaughter without mercy.'"

TO GO TO THE DOGS — to go to

ruin. C.

One candidate chap says, " Fellow-
citizens, this country is going to
the dogs (to destruction) hand over
hand " (at a rapid rate).

TO LEAD THE LIFE OF A DOG Or
A DOG'S LIFE to pass

miserable existence. C.

I am afraid I led that boy a dog's
life (made that boy's existence miser-
able).—11. L. STEVENSON.

"He is properly henpecked"
(harshly used by his wife), said he.
"He is afraid to call his soul his
own, and he leads the life of a dog"
(his existence is a wretched one).—
HALIBURTON.

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY — the
period of enjoyment allowed
to any creature is a short one.
C.
"Let Hercules himself do what he

may,
The cat will mew, and dog will have

his day."

—SHAKESPEARE : Hamlet.

And, Mr. Greaves, I am sorry for
you— you are out of luck— but every
dog has hisday(the period of success
and prosperity granted to each of us
soon passes away).— C. READE.

Fortune was ever accounted in-
constant, and each dog has but his
day.— CARLYLE.

Dolce

DOG LATIN — a debased medieval
form of Latin, used by phy-
sicians, lawyers, and others,
to whom the language was
only partially familiar. P.

It was much as if the secretary to
whom was intrusted the direction of
negotiations with foreign powers had
a sufficient smattering of dog Latin
to make himself under
MACAULAT.

GIVE A DOG AN ILL NAME AND

HANG HIM — when a person's
reputation is bad, all his
actions, even though well-
intentioned, are viewed with
suspicion. It is better to get
rid altogether of a man who
has lost his good name, exist-
ence being thenceforth a bur-
den to him. C.

You may say what you like in your
kindness and generosity— it is a case
of "give a dog an ill name and hang
him. The only question is whether
you are to be condemned with the
dog that has been justly regarded
as a ne'er-do-well till he has been
branded with an accusation of theft.
—SARAH TYTLER.

>lce. — DOLCE FAB NIENTE —
sweet do nothing, or idleness.
C. Italian.

The charms of the Italian climate,
the attractions of the too facile
Italian beauties, purposely thrown
in his way, and the seductive dolce
far niente sort of life Francis so
readily fell into, were fatal to his
military ardour.— LADY JACKSON.

Don't. — DON'T YOU KNOW ? —
a phrase frequently inserted
in conversation, sometimes
apologetically, sometimes to
secure the better attention of
the listener.

" Oh, you don't know what Brighton
isatthistimeof year," saidMr. Tom.
"All the resident people like our-
selves keep open house, don't you
know? and very glad to."— WM.
BLACK.

Door. — To LAT AT ONE'S DOOR
— to charge one with. P.

A great many faults may be laid at
their door, but they are not fairly to
be charged with fickleness.— J. R.
LOWELL.

I made the best of a bad case, and
laid it all at my lady's door t(attrib-

73 Double

uted it all to my mistress), for I did

not like her.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

NEXT DOOR TO ANYTHING —

approaching closely to it. P.

A seditious word leads to a broil,

and a riot undiminished is but next

door to (closely resembles) a tumult.

— L'ESTRANGE.

Dopcas. — A DORCAS SOCIETY
— a woman's association for
providing poor people with
clothing. P. It receives the
name from Dorcas, or Tabitha,
who made clothes for the poor
(Acts ix. 39).

About a year ago the ladies of the
Dorcas society at our church made
up a large quantity of shirts, trousers,
and socks.— MAX ADELER.

Dot. DOT AND CARRY ONE

irregularly ; spasmodically.
F.

I was not new to violent death. I
have served His Royal Highness the
Duke of Cumberland, and got a
wound at Fontenoy ; but I know my
pulse went dot and carry one.—
R. L. STEVENSON.

Double. — TO TAKE A DOUBLE-
FIRST — to pass for a degree at
Oxford with the highest hon-
ours in two schools or depart-
ments. P.

For instance, though I firmly be-
lieve that you could at the present
moment take a double-first at the
university, your knowledge of Eng-
lish literature is almost nil.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

A DOUBLE ENTENDRE — a remark
covering a concealed meaning,
which has generally a question-
able reference. C. French.

An agreeable old gentleman, who
did not believe in anything particu-
lar, and had a certain proclivity
toward double entendres. — RHODA
BROUGHTON.
THE DOUBLE LINES — the name
given in Lloyd's publications
to the record of losses and
accidents. C.

One morning the subscribers were
reading the 7< double lines, and
among the losses was the total
wreck of this identical ship.— Old
and New London.

DOUBLE OR QUITS. When two
persons have been playing for

Down

74

Draw

a stake, the loser or the winner
may give a second challenge
for the same amount. The
result of the second venture
either leaves the loser twice
as badly off as before, or makes
both parties even. In making
this second challenge the phrase
" double or quits " is used.
DOUBLE - DEALING — duplicity ;
trickery. P.

This young lady was quite above
all double-dealing; she had no
mental reservation.— MARIA EDGE-
WOKTH.

Down. — To BE DOWN UPON A
PERSON — to reprove or find
fault with him. F.

Poor Buswell ! his appearance isn't
aristocratic, I admit, and Mrs. Green-
wood was rather down upon me for
asking him here.— Good Words, 1887.

DOWN ON THEIR LUCK — (a) in
an evil plight ; very un-
fortunate. F.

I wouldn't turn you away, Alan,
if you were down on your luck.—
E. L. STEVENSON.

(5) in low spirits. F.

.The order for their execution ar-
rived, and they were down upon
their luck terribly.— C. READE.

DOWN IN THE MOUTH — dis-
pirited ; sad. F.

.Well, I felt proper (very) sorry for
him, for he was a very clever man,
and looked cut up dreadfully, and
amazin (exceedingly) down in the
mouth (melancholy).— HALIBUBTON.

Downy. — To DO THE DOWNY
— to lie in bed ; to sleep. S.
_ And then, being well up, you see,
it was no use doing the downy again,
so it was just as well to make one's
twilight (toilet) and go to chapel.—
Verdant Green, ch. vii.

Dozen. — A BAKER'S DOZEN —
thirteen. Formerly bakers
gave an extra loaf or bun
with every dozen sold to
customers. P. Giving a man
a baker's dozen is a slang
expression for " giving him
an extra sound beating."

Drag-. — To DRAG IN BY THE

HEAD AND SHOULDERS to in-

troduce abruptly and without
sufficient cause. C.

We have enough to do to think
of ourselves in these days, without
dragging in the absent by the head
and shoulders. — FLORENCE MAR-
RYAT.

Drag-on. — DRAGONS' TEETH —
things which bring future
destruction. P. Cadmus, the
founder of Thebes, succeeded
in killing a redoubtable
dragon, by Athene's aid, and
sowed its teeth in the plain.
From these teeth sprang up
armed men, who killed each
other, all except five, the an-
cestors of the Thebans.
_ French Clinton plunged headlong
into the abyss, and: orders went forth

like so many dragons' teeth sown by
a financial Cadmus.— MRS. E. LYNN
LINTON.

Draw. — To DRAW ON — to ap-
proach (of time). P.

And so the time of departure drew
on rapidly.— DICKENS.

TO DRAW REIN to stop J to

check one's course. P. A
phrase used in riding and
driving.

Lanfrey drew rein at the door.—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

To DRAW UP — to stop ; to come
to a halt. P. Almost the
same as TO DRAW REIN. There
is the notion of gradual
slackening of motion, as in a
railway train approaching a
station.

The soldier, who conducted the
baggage-cart in which she was, drew
up to (stopped at) the first amongst
a row of miserable cabins that were
by the roadside.

TO DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE

— to refuse to move outside
of a certain limit of conduct ;
to impose an arbitrary re-
striction on one's behaviour
from fear of going too far. C.
On the principle of " doing at Tur-
key as the Turkeys do" we should
even have ridden donkeys on the sand
f I had not put a firm veto on it, say-
ing, We must draw the line some-
where."— The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

To DRAW A PERSON OUT — to lead
i person to express his real

Dree

opinions or show
character. P.

There are many subjects on which
I should like to draw him out (induce
him to speak his mind freely).—
HALIBURTON.

He recollected that Miss Nugent
had told him that this young lady
had no common character ; and ne-
glecting his move at chess, he looked
up at Miss Nugent, as much as to
say, "Draw her out, pray."— MARIA
' EDGEWORTH.

TO DRAW THE WOOL OVER — to

hoodwink ; to deceive. C.

Sir Henry was the fortunate pos-
sessor of what Pat was pleased to
call " a nasty, glittering eye," and
over that eye Pat doubted his ability
to draw the wool as he had done over
Celtic orbs.— C. READE.

Exp.— Pat doubted his ability to
deceive Sir Henry as he had deceived
his Irish friends.

A DRAWN GAME — a game in

which neither party wins. P.

If we make a drawn game of it,

every British heart must tremble.—

ADDISON.

To DRAW IT MILD — (a) to refrain
from exaggeration. F.

But what I mean,

Fortification— haw !— in Indian ink,
That sort of thing; and though I

draw it mild,

Yet that— haw 1 haw !— that may be
called my forte.— G. J. CAYLEY.

- (&) to refrain from excess ;
to be moderate. F.

"I say," interposed John Browdie,
nettled by these accumulated attacks
on his wife, "dra' it mild, dra' it
mild."— DICKENS.

Dree. — To DREE ONE'S WEIRD
— to submit to one's fate.
Scotch.

Nevertheless, French must dree
his weird as a brave man should;
and having drawn his lot from the
hands of fate, he must obey the
mandate written on the card.— MRS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

Dress. — THE DRESS CIRCLE —
that part of a place of enter-
tainment which is set apart
for the upper classes who
come in evening dress. P.

Drive. — To DRIVE AT ANY-
THING — to speak with a cer-
tain end in view. F.

75 Drug

his real " What are you driving at?" (what

is your intention in speaking as you
do) he went on. "I show you a bit
of my hand (a part of my scheme),
and you begin talking round and
round" (ambiguously).— BESANT.

Drop. — To DROP IN — to pay
an informal visit. C.

If he could drop in (visit us in a
friendly way) on Sunday week, he
might go home the wiser.— BLACK-
MORE.

To DROP OFF — (a) to fall asleep.
F.

Every time I dropped off (fell
asleep) for, a moment, a new noise
awoke me.— MARK TWAIN.

(&) to leave (in a quiet way) ;

to disappear. C.

The matrons dropped off one by
one, with the exception of six or
eight particular friends, who had
determined to stop all night.— DICK-
ENS.

A DROP IN THE BUCKET — a con-
tribution scarcely worth men-
tioning. P.
The lack of good water was severely

felt, but this was only a mere drop
in the bucket (very small part) of
their misfortunes.
TO TAKE A DROP TOO MUCH to

get intoxicated. F.

He used often to take a drop too
much (be the worse for liquor).

Dpown. — To DROWN THE
MILLER — to mix water and
spirits in so unequal pro-
portions as to make the
concoction unpalatable (from
too much water). F.

Drowning1. — DROWNING MEN
CATCH AT STRAWS. When a
man is in a desperate situation
he seeks to save himself by
every possible means, even
when those which offer are
ridiculously inadequate. P.

Either because drowning men will
catch at straws, or because he had
really misplaced confidence in my
abilities, this assurance seemed to
comfort him a great deal.— W. E.
NORRIS.

Drug1. A DRUG IN THE MARKET

— an unsaleable commodity.
p.

Watch-guards and toasting-forks
were alike at a discount, and sponges

Dry

7G

were a drug in the market (found no
one to buy them).-DicKENS.
Dry. A STIRRING OF THE DRY

BONES — a revival of life where
all seems dead. P. Biblical.
See Ezek. xxxvii. 1-10.

Every nation, when first it feels
the stir and touch of a new life, will
commit follies and excesses: when
that new life is felt in the body of
literature and art, the follies and
excesses will be greater — not, of
course, of such national greatness,
but greater comparatively — than
when the dry bones of politics are
stirred.— Temple Bar, 1887.

Duck. — TO MAKE DUCKS AND
DRAKES OF A PROPERTY to

spend it foolishly. C. Mak-
ing ducks and drakes is a
game played with a flat piece
of stone or metal, which,
when flung with its broad,
surface almost parallel to
smooth water, skips up and
down like a bird. It would
be foolish to use coins for such
a purpose.

A fine thing for her, that was a
poor girl without a farthing to her
fortune. It's well if she doesn't
make ducks and drakes of it (fool-
ishly spend it) somehow.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

A LAME DUCK — a man who
cannot pay his debts on the
Stock Exchange. F.

A DUCK'S EGG — nothing. S. A
phrase used at schools and
colleges when a batsman in
cricket-match scores 0.

He got a duck's egg (no marks) at
the last examination.

Dull. — DULL AS DITCH-WATER
— wholly uninteresting. F.

What passed through his mind
was something like the following:
"Heigho! O Lord! Dull as ditch-
water ! This is my only holiday, yet
I don't seem to enjoy it."— S. WAR-
KEN.

Dumb. — A DUMB DOG — a person
who remains silent when ho
ought to speak out and pro-
test. P.

He will be afraid to tell them un
palatable truths. The minister will
be a dumb dog (silent, when he
should reprove them).— HALIBUR-

Dutch

THE DUMB Ox OF COLOGNE — •
Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274),
so called ^from his dreamy and
taciturn disposition ; known
afterwards as the " Angelic
Doctor " and the " Angel oi
the Schools."

Dumps. — IN THE DUMPS —
sulky ; in a bad temper. F.

Johnnie is in the dumps (sulky),
and won't play with the other boys.

Durance. — DURANCE VILE —
irksome imprisonment. C. A
phrase generally used playfully.
Found in a play of W. Ken-
rick's (1766). Burke uses the
form vile durance in Thoughts
on the Present Discontents
(Bartlett's Familiar Quota-
tions}.
In durance vile here must I wake

and weep,
And all my frowzy couch in sorrow

steep.— BURNS.

If he gave them into custody with
the railway people he could prove
nothing. They were two to one.
They would not hesitate to swear
blacK was white, and they might
easily turn the tables upon him,
and perhaps succeed in transferring
him to durance vile instead of them-
selves.—G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Dust. TO THROW DUST IN A

MAN'S EYES — to try to lead
him astray. P.

All of these knew whether Mr.
John was launching thunderbolts
(uttering threats) or throwing dust
(trying to deceive), and were well
aware that he had quite taken up
with the latter process in the Beckley
case.— BLACKMORE.

He cared to say no more ; he had
thrown quite dust enough into honest
Adam's eyes (deceived honest Adam
quite enough).— GEORGE ELIOT.

To RAISE A DUST — to make a
commotion. C.

There was small reason to raise
such a dust (cause such a disturb-
ance) out of a few indiscreet words.
— HACKET.

Dutch. — A DUTCH AUCTION —
an auction where goods are
started at an extravagantly
high price, and then gradually
lowered in price until the
people show a willingness to

Dutch 77

buy them. C. A common
method of business among
travelling peddlers.

They (the politicians) are always
bidding against each other in the
Dutch auction by which we are
being brought down surely, though
by a protracted process, to the aboli-
tion of every sort of qualification.—
GOLDWIN SMITH, in Contemporary
Review, 1887.

DUTCH COUKAGE — courage that
results from indulgence in
strong drink. P. Probably
the phrase arose from the
extensive use of Dutch gin,
known as Hollands.

We cannot easily believe that re-
fractory patients are plied with
spirits to give them Dutch courage
and induce them to undergo opera-
tions.— Spectator, December 17, 1887.

You shall have some fizz to give
you Dutch courage.— BESANT.

A. DUTCH CONCERT — a concert
or musical gathering at which
each person sings his own
song, without reference to
that of his neighbour. F.

Ease

A DUTCH UNCLE — a clumsy,
uncouth man.

You look like a Dutch uncle since
you shaved.

As will be seen from the
above instances, the word
Dutch is used somewhat con-
temptuously to signify what
is clumsy, foolish, or absurd.
See Lowell's remarks in his
essay On a Certain Conde-
scension in Foreigners (" My
Study Windows," Camelot
Classics, pp. 57, 58).
Dutchman. — THEN I'M A
DUTCHMAN. A phrase used
after a supposition has been
made, in order to show its
absurdity.

"Tom," said the other doggedly,
"if there is as much gold on the
ground of New South Wales as will
make me a wedding-ring, I am a
Dutchman."— C. READE.

There's mettle in that lad, and if
I can't lick him into shape, I'm a
Dutchman. — G. J. WHYTE-MEL-
VILLE.

E. — E. AND O. E. — errors and
omissions excepted. Often
added to an account when
presented.

Ear. — To GIVE EAR — to listen. P.
"Mr. Utterson, sir, asking to see
you," he called: and even as he did
so, once more violently signed to the
lawyer to give ear.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

ABOUT ONE'S EARS — in a con-
fused heap ; in a falling mass
of ruin. C.

You'll have those universities of
yours about your ears soon if you
don't consent to take a lesson from
Germany.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO SET BY THE EARS — to Cause

a quarrel. C.

I little thought when I ran in with
Miss Berry's good news that it would
have the effect of setting us all by
the ears (causing us all to quarrel).—
A. KEARY.
BY THE EARS — quarrelling. C.

Take any two men that are by the
ears (quarrelling) : they opinionate

all they hear of each other, impute
all sorts of unworthy motives, and
misconstrue every act.— HALIBUR-
TON.

LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE LONG
EARS. See PITCHER.

i. AT EASE IN ONE'S INN

— thoroughly at home and com-
fortable. P. An old-fashioned
phrase.
Shall I not take mine ease in mine

inn?
—SHAKESPEARE : 1 Henry IV.

On ordinary occasions he was
diffident and even awkward in his
manners, but here he was "at ease
in his inn," and felt called upon to
show his manhood and enact the ex-
perienced traveller.— WASHINGTON
IRVING.

STANDING AT EASE — a military
posture, which gives rest to
the legs. P.

So the ladies sat in a circle, and
the gentlemen stood at ease, tired
out before the close of the evening.
—Harper's Magazine, March 1888.

Easy

ILL AT EASE — in
state ;

78

an unquiet

._.. . restless. P.
But the general is ill at ease; he
cannot get that infernal anonymous
letter out of his head.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

EASE HER — the command given
when the engines of a steamer
are to be reduced in speed ;
generally followed by the
order, " Stop her." P.

TO EASE AWAY A HOPE to

slacken it gradually. P.

. — EASY COME, EASY GO
— what is gained without
difficulty is resigned or spent
without much thought. C.

Eat. — TO EAT ONE'S WORDS

to take back what one has
said ; to retract assertions
too boldly made. C.

" I will swear by it (my sword) that
you love me ; and I will make him
eat it that says I love not you."

"Will you not eat your word?"
(repent of what you have said).—
SHAKESPEARE.

"That's a first-rate notion, I must
say ! " exclaimed Mr. Hobday. " I'm
to begin by eating my words and
marrying my daughter to a man
whom I said she shouldn't marry."—
W. E. NORKIH.

To EAT FOR THE BAR — to pre-
pare oneself to be a barrister.
C. Those studying for en-
trance to the bar are required
to be present at a certain
number of dinners in the Tem-
ple or in Gray's Inn.

If you bind him with leading-
strings at college, he will break
loose while eating for the bar in
London.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO EAT OUT OXE'S HEART — to

suffer intensely from dis-
appointment and forced in-
activity. C.

She withdrew, covered with morti-
fication, to hide her head and eat
out her heart in the privacy of her
own uncomfortable home.— Gentle-
man's Magazine, 1888.

To EAT THE AIR — to be deluded
with hopes. P.

I eat the air (am deluded with false
hopes) promise-crammed. — SHAKE-
SPEARE.

Echo. — TO THE ECHO — T6h«-

mently ; enthusiastically. p.
When our philosophical Liberal
friends say that by universal suffrage,
public meetings, Church disestab-
lishment, marrying one's deceased
wife's sister, secular schools, indbs-
trial development, man can very
well live ; and that if he studies the
writings, say, of Mr. Herbert Spencer
into the bargain, he will be perfect
. . . the masses, far from checking
them, are disposed to applaud them
to the echo.— M. ARNOLD.

Edge. TO PLAY WITH EDGE-
TOOLS — to sport with what is
dangerous. P.

You jest; ill jesting with edge-
tools (on dangerous subjects). —
TENNYSON.

TO SET THE TEETH ON EDGE

to cause unpleasant sensa-
tions. P.
I had rather hear a brazen canstick

turned,

Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-
tree;
And that would set my teeth nothing

on edge,

Nothing so much as mincing poetry.
SHAKESPEARE.

Eel. TO GET USED TO ANY-
THING, LIKE AN EEL TO SKIN-
NING. A sarcastic phrase,
used of any painful experience
which is repeated. C.

It ain't always pleasant to turn out
for morning chapel, is it. Gig-lamps?
But it's just like the eels with their
skinning— it goes against the grain
at first, out you soon get used to it.
—Verdant Green, ch. vn.

Effect. — IN EFFECT — really ;
actually. P.

To say of a celebrated piece that
there are faults in it is, in effect
(really), to say that the author of it
is a man.— ADDISON.

To TAKE EFFECT — to operate ;
to act as intended. P.

The medicine took effect, and the
patient fell into a sound sleep.

Eg-g1. — To EGG ON — to urge;
to incite. P.

She would then be in a better posi-
tion to judge how far it was the girl's
own doing, and how far she had been
egged on to it by others.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

AS SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS

certainly ; assuredly. S. Per-

El Dorado

haps a corruption of "As sure
as a; is a; " — a dictum in
logic.

And the bishop said, " Sure as eggs
is eggs, this here is the bold Turpin."
—DICKENS.

lO HAVE ALL ONE'S EGGS IN
ONE BASKET — to risk all one's
goods in the same venture ;
to have everything dependent
on the security of one particular
thing or one particular under-
taking. C.

I know your happiness depends on
her. All your eggs are in that one
basket.— C. READE.

A BAD EGG — a worthless fellow.
S.

The parson's eldest son is a bad
egg (worthless fellow).

El Dorado. — AN EL DORADO
— a golden land ; a country
full of gold and gems. P.
The expression is a Spanish
one, and is generally associated
with the discoveries Spanish
adventurers made in the fif-
teenth and sixteenth centuries.

The whole comedy is a sort of El
Dorado of wit.— T. MOORE.

These public readings have proved
an El Dorado (a mine of wealth) to
the novelist, and form a new feature
in the modern literary life.— Cham-
bers's Cyclopaedia of English Litera-
ture.

"Why, the dollars come in by
handfuls, and silk's as cheap as
calico."

How could woman resist such an
El Dorado? — G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

VILLE.

Elbow. — ELBOW-GREASE — hard
scrubbing ; hard work. F.

"Not at all, Mrs. Broughton ; suc-
cess depends on elbow-grease."

" On what, Conway?

" On elbow-grease—hard work, that
is; and I must work hard now if I
mean to take advantage of to-day's
sitting."— A. TKOLLOPE.
ELBOW-BOOM — room in which
to move easily ; sufficient
space. F.

"You will have elbow-room out
here, eh?" said he. "You will not
crowd your neighbours off the pave-
ment."— WM. BLACK.

Whatever the result of the convul-
sion whose first shocks were begin-
ning to be felt, there would still be

79 En

enough square miles of earth for
elbow-room.— J. R. LOWELL.
OUT AT ELBOWS — shabbily
dressed ; wearing ragged
clothes. C.

When a man's getting out at elbows
(dress becomes shabby) nobody will
believe in him.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Elephant. — To HAVE SEEN
THE ELEPHANT — to be ac-
quainted with all the latest
movements ; to be knowing.

S.

He is quite well able to take care
of himself ; he has seen the elephant
(is a crafty fellow).

Elevation. — THE ELEVATION
OF THE HOST — the' part of the
Mass in which the celebrant
raises the consecrated wafer
above his head to be adored
by the people (Roman Catholic
Church).

Eleventh. — AT THE ELEVENTH
HOUR — just in time and no
more. P. See the parable of
the Labourers in the Vine-
yard, Matt. xx. 1.

Sir, have you no shame to come
here at the eleventh hour among
those who have borne the heat and
burden of the day?— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

Embarras. — EMBARRAS DE
RICHESSE — excess of material;
the perplexity which arises
from the difficulty of choice
among very many things. P.
French.

"I wonder if anybody ever had
half so much to say before in a letter
as I have to write to Jack," specu-
lated Miss Gray, leaning forward on
her crossed arms, and not knowing
where to begin from sheer embarras
de richesse.— SARAH TYTLER.

En. — EN RAPPORT — in sympa-
thetic connection. C. French.
Your primary object is, by organiz-
ing your brotherhood and putting it
e?i rapport with the leaders of educa-
tion in this country, to secure for it
increased respect.— Journal of Edu-
cation, 1888.

EN GARgoN — as a bachelor ;
in bachelor's style. C. French.
George came to dinner— a repast
en gar<;on— with Captain Crawley.—
THACKERAY.

End

EN MASSE — in a body. P
French.

They therefore turned to th
bourgeoisie en masse (in a body).—
National Review.

EN ROUTE — in the course of the
journey. C. French.

The Deepdale, en route from Japan
for Australia and New Zealand ports
was chartered to load part cargo o
coals for Hongkong at 1 dollar 5(
cents per ton.— Japan Mail, 1887.

Moreover, he had no intention o
paying en route (until the close).—
MBS. E. LYNN LINTON.

End. — ON END — in succession

without a break. C.
Peasants who have begun to sav.

constantly continue the way of living

we have described for years on end

—Spectator, 1887.
TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET to

make one's income cover one's
expenditure ; to keep out of
debt. P.

Even Mr. Whichelo, the head clerk,
whose children were often ailing, and
who had a good deal of trouble to
make both ends meet (keep out oi
debt with his small income), smiled
benignly upon Kate. — MRS. OLI

PHANT.

No END OF A FELLOW — a very
fine fellow. S.

Keats was no end of a fellow (a
grand man).— BESANT.

Enoug-h. — ENOUGH AND
ENOUGH — more than enough.

The play has wit enough and
enough.— MADAME D'ABBLAY.

ENOUGH is AS GOOD AS A FEAST —
what is sufficient serves the
purpose as well as if there
were an excess. C.

The Koh-i-noor had got enough,
which in most cases is more than as
good as a feast-0. W. HOLMES

Entpe. — ENTRE NOUS — " be-
tween ourselves." Used when
a confidential statement is
made. P. French.
TEntrenous, I protest I like my
Lady Blarney vastly; so very oblig-
ing. However, Miss Carolina Wfl-
helmina Amelia Skeggs has my warm
Lheart.— GOLDSMITH.

Equal. — EQUAL TO THE OCCA-
SION— not perplexed ; able to
act. P.

80 Evil

The "Raven," however, is
than equal to the occasion.— j
burgh Review, 1887.

Esprit. — ESPRIT DE coi
the desire to defend
institution or company
which one belongs. P. Frenc

But when her attention wks
arrested, as in the present case,
her esprit de corps and her friend-
ship were alike up in arms.— SABA.H
TYTLEB.

Bt. — ET HOC GENUS OMNE —

and everything of the sort ;
and all similar beings or
things. C. Latin.

And with these forlorn creatures
must be taken into account others-
older, but in this respect equally for
of sh

lorn— the whole race
errand-boys, young m,
genus omne. — Edinburgh Review,

op-girls,
errand-boys, young maidens, et hoc

Event. — AT ALL EVENTS —
whatever happens ; in any
case. P.

At all events (in any case), Con-
stance, you will go on to prove it by
your original papers when you pub-
lish your researches.— BESANT.

Ever. — EVER AND ANON — fre-
quently ; from time to time.
P.

Ever and anon a pamphlet issued
from the pen of Burke.— HENBY
MOBLEY.

Every. — EVERT BIT — quite 5
altogether. C.

The copy is every bit (quite) as good
as the original.

VERT NOW AND THEN — fre-
quently ; after the lapse of
short intervals. C.

Every now and then a countryman
would burst into tears. — THACK-
EBAY.

Evidence. — IN EVIDENCE —
actually present ; before the
proper authorities. P.

He persuaded himself that to get
a lucrative appointment from his
friends he (Moore) must keep him-
self in evidence. — Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Ninth Edition.

The sister whose presence she had
relied on was not in evidence.—
Blackwood's Magazine.

Evil. — THE EVIL ETE — malign
influence (supposed to exist

Ewe

in the glance of certain per
sons). P.

Evelyn himself informs us how Si
Stephen contrived to escape the evi
eye (bad influence) which ordinaril1
pursues a self-made man. — TRE"

VELYAN.

Ewe. — A EWE LAMB — a single
possession very much prized by
its possessor. See the parable
of the Ewe Lamb told by
Nathan to King David (2
Sam. xii. 1-14).

To be sure, there had been black
sheep here and there— a Covenanter
to shame his royal kinsmen ; a ruffian
in the dislocated times of the Second

fied God and the devil alike, devoured
of his flock such ewe lambs as pleased
nis fancy —MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Ex. — Ex CATHEDRA — made with
authority; dogmatic. P. Latin.
~ a it has happened, not rarely, that
icism has flagrantly blundered
and made itself ridiculous in its ex
cathedra decisions on the merits of
poetry and poets.— RAY PALMER
Ex OFFICIO — by virtue of one's
office. P. Latin.

All over the Continent the minis-
ters of the crown or of the republic
sit ex officio in either house from the
day they are appointed.— Spectator,

1887.

Ex PARTE — biassed ; one-sided ;
partial. P. Latin.
Or perhaps I ought to have sup-
ressed the note altogether on the
•ound that it was a mere ex varte

press

ground

statement.—

ex parte

UXLEY.

Ex PEDE HERCULEM — we recog-
nize Hercules from the size of
his foot ; that is, we judge of
the whole by a typical part.
P. Latin.

Ex pede Herculem may often prove
safe enough, but ex verruca Tullium
(to recognize Cicero from the wart on
his nose) is liable to mislead a hasty
judge of his fellow-men. — O. W.
HOLMES.

Ex POST FACTO — after the deed
is done. P. Latin. An
ex post facto law is a law made
to punish deeds already com-
mitted.

There were libels, no doubt, and
prophecies, and rumours, and sus-
picions, strange grounds for a law

81 Experto

inflicting capital penalties ex post
facto (of a retrospective nature), on a
large body of men.— MACAULAY.

Exception. — To TAKE EXCEP-
TION— to be offended. P.

Her manner was so perfectly re-
spectful that I could not take excep-
tion to (find fault with) this retort.-
FARJEON.

Execution. — To DO EXECU-
TION— to be effective; to
secure victims ; to win con-
quests. C. Generally used
of a lady's eyes, which are
supposed to capture a man's
heart. I

Sophia's features were not so strik-
ing at first, but often did more cer-
tain execution.— GOLDSMITH.

She is a stout, sturdy girl of two-
and- twenty, with a face beaming
with good nature and marked dread-
fully by small -pox, and a pair of
black eyes which might have done
some execution had they been placed
in a smoother face.— THACKERAY.

Exetep. — EXETER HALL — the
place in London where religious
gatherings take place ; the
religious community.

Thither (to Africa) Manchester
turns her longing eye, thither the
heart of Exeter Hall is yearning.—
GRANT ALLEN, in Contemporary Ke-
view, 1888.

Exeunt. — EXEUNT OMNES — all
go out (at the end of a scene).
P. Latin.

Expense. — AT ANOTHER'S EX-
PENSE— with a view to depre-
ciate the person. P.

These satirical observations were
made simply at Prince Albert's ex-
pense (solely with the view of de-
preciating Prince Albert), and were
not intended to reflect upon the
Queen or the Royal Family.— Fort-
nightly Review, 1887.

Expepimentum. — EXPERI-
MENTUM CRUCIS — the critical
test. P. Latin.

"Boiled just three hours longer
than the other." he said ; " six
hours in all. This is the experi-
mentum crucis."—O. W. HOLMES.

Expepto. — EXPERTO CREDE —
believe one who has gone

Eye

through the experience. C.
Latin.

"Well, if he wags his tail, you
know it is all right ; but say he puts
his tail between his legs, what will
he do if you pat him ?"

" Bite me, experto crede." — C.
READE.

Eye. — TO MAKE EYES AT — to

gaze upon amorously ; to look
at in a loving way. C.

On the other hand, he had a word
or two of serious warning to say
about Miss Sparks. "It is all very
well," he wrote, "to laugh at the
young lady who makes eyes at you,
but jokes of that kind sometimes
turn out to be no laughing matter."
-Good Words, 1887.
THE EYE OF THE BALTIC —

Gothland, or Gottland, an
island in the Baltic. P.

THE EYE OF GREECE — Athens.
P. A name applied to it by
Milton — Paradise Regained, bk.
iv., 1. 240 : —

Athens, the eye of Greece, mother
of arts.

TO HAVE A GOOD EYE TO

ANYTHING — to look well after
it ; to be quick in recog-
nizing. C.

I remember her, however, as a
sensible woman, and, having a good
eye to the main chance (being care-
ful of money), she had been a capital
wife to William.— HUGH CONWAY.
TO SEE WITH HALF AN EYE —

to see with great ease. F.

• Face

To CAST SHEEP'S EYES AT-f
to gaze at in a modest and
diffident but longing way,
like a bashful lover. C.

There came a wealthy stockbroker
who cast sheep's eyes at Helen*.—
The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

The knight acknowledged that he
had long been casting a sheep's pye
at a little snug place.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

UP TO THE EYES — completely ;
fully. C.

A neighbour's estate, mortgaged up
to the eyes, was sold under the ham-
mer (mortgaged to its full value, was
sold by auction).— C. READE.
IN THE WIND'S EYE — directly
opposed to the wind. C.

Proper scared they were to see a
vessel, without sails or oars, going
right straight ahead, nine knots an
hour, in the very wind's eye (right
against the wind).— HALIBURTON.

MY EYE ! — an exclamation of

astonishment. S.

Down comes Mr. Yates, and there
was the elephant standing across
Maiden Lane— all traffic interrupted
except what could pass under her
belly. And such a crowd— my eye !
— C. READE.

To SEE EYE TO EYE — to have the
same opinions on any subject.
C. A phrase mostly used in
religious circles.

Until we can see eye to eye (have
the same views) on this question of
Church government, it ia better that
we should worship apart.

F

Face. — A LONG FACE — a sad or
mournful countenance. C.

Everybody was punctual, every-
body in their best looks ; not a tear,
and hardly a long face (melancholy
countenance) to be seen.

To SET ONE'S FACE AGAINST — to

oppose with determination. P.

The old man set his face against

(sternly opposed) the marriage from

the very b eginning.

To MAKE FACES — to contort
the countenance. P.

One of the pupils, a mischievous
little fellow, was making faces (con-
torting his countenance) at the mas-
ter from a back seat.

To PUT A GOOD FACE — to bear up
courageously ; to show no
signs of flinching. C.

In a word, Mrs. Bute put a good
face against fortune, and kept up
appearances in the most virtuous
manner.— THACKERAY.
FACE TO FACE — in immediate
presence of each other.

She sent for Blanche to accuse her
face to face (in her presence.)— TEN-
NYSON.

To FACE A THING OUT — to refuse
to retire through shame or
for fear of obloquy. P.
She thinks with oaths to face the
matter out.— SHAKESPEARE.

Jfcep.-She thinks that she will be
able to maintain her innocence in
the matter by taking grave oaths.

TO PUT A BOLD FACE UPON - to

act boldly, as If there was
nothing to be ashamed of. P.
Dundas had little or rather nothing
to say in defence of his own consis-
tency ; but he put a bold face on the
matter, and opposed the motion.—
MACAULAY.

Facile. — FACILE PRINCEPS — an
easy victor ; admittedly first.
P. Latin.

The special line that Sir W. Har-
court has undertaken is political
tergiversation, and in that he is
facile princeps, and has left all com-
petitors behind.— LORD SALISBURY,
1887.

Facing-s. — To PUT ONE

THROUGH ONE'S FACINGS — to

examine ; to inspect. C.

The Greek books were again had
out, and Grace, not at all unwillingly,
was put through her facings.— A.
TROLLOPE.

Fag. — THE FAG END — the clos-
ing piece of any work, where
the interest flags. P.

The subject (of sympathy shown to
convicted criminals) is full of in-
terest as a problem m national psy-
chology; but involving, as it does,
the whole sphere of criminal pro-
cedure in Italy, is too large to be
dealt with at the fag end of an
article.— Times, 1887.

Fair. — FAIR GAME — open to
attack ; deserving of banter
or criticism. C.

Bourrienne is fair game, but the
whole of his statements are not
worthless.— Spectator, February 18,
1888.

FAIR AND SQUARE — honest ; just.
C.

His conduct all through the trans-
action has been fair and square
(honourable).

TO BE ON THE FAIR WAT Ot FAIR
ROAD TO ANYTHING - to have

every chance of attaining
anything. C.

The merchant gained largely over
the late demand for silk, and is now

on the fair way (almost certain) to
make a fortune.

3 rail

To BID FAIR — to promise well. P.

The lad bids fair to rival (gives
promise of rivalling) his elder
brother in scholarship.

FAIR PLAT — courteous and just
treatment of competitors or
enemies. P.

I did that to get clear of the crowd,
so that I might have fair play at him
(struggle with him on equal terms).
— HALIBURTON.

A wide career of unequalled se-
curity, with emoluments undoubt-
edly liberal for the average of good
service, and with the moral certainty
of fair play in promotion, has been
opened up to character and talent
throughout the land without dis-
tinction of class.— W. E. GLADSTONE.
FAIR AND SOFTLY GOES FAR IN

A DAT — courtesy and modera-
tion enable a man to effect a
great deal. C. An Irish
proverb.

"Slow and sure," said his friends,
" fair and softly goes far in a day.
What he has, he'll hold fast: that's
more than Marvel ever did."— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

Faith. — IN GOOD FAITH — with-
out treachery ; honourably.

There was no doubt in any one's
mind that Allen's father had acted
in good faith (honestly).-BESANT.

Fall, — To FALL AWAY — to de-
generate. P.

The temptations of the lower-
fourth soon proved too strong for
him, and he rapidly fell away.—
HUGHES.

To FALL AWAY FROM — to aban-
don ; to desert. P.

"We shall beat him yet," said
Hawes, assuming a firmness he did
not feel, lest this man should fall
away from him, and perhaps bear
witness against him.— C. READE.

To FALL FLAT — to cause no
amusement or interest. C.

It (the paper read by Warren Hast-
ings) fell flat, as the best written de-
fence must have fallen flat on an
assembly accustomed to the ani-
mated and strenuous conflicts of
Pitt and Fox.— MACAULAY.

Her remark fell flat— every one
knows the effect of the reproduction
of a worn-out jest— and had a sober-
ing effect upon the little company.—
JAMES PAYN.

To FALL FOUL OF — to collide
with ; to dash against ; to

Fall

84

Fall

unwittingly attack ; to quarrel
with. P.

In their sallies their men might
fall foul of (attack) each other.—

He had not been seated at table
five minutes before he had managed
to fall foul of everybody within
Teacb.-Good Words, 1887.
To FALL IN — (a) to take one's
place in the ranks. P. A
military phrase.

Ere Charlie had finished his ration,
dark though it was, the men had
fallen in.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.
— (6) to become the property
of a person after the lapse of
a certain time. P.

And then the inheritance fell in.—
BESANT.

At his lordship's death in the
Spanish campaign, in the year 1811,
his estate fell in to the family of the
Tiptoffs.— THACKERAY.
To FALL IN WITH — to meet with ;
to come across. P.

"Did you ever fall in with any
Yankees ? "

" One or two, sir."— C. R.EADE.
To FALL OFF — (a) to diminish ;
to lose ground ; to deterio-
rate. P.

One regrets to note that after her
engagement to Tom there came a sad
falling off in her thirst for know-
ledge.— BESANT.

"You have improved so upon the
old days," said the archdeacon.

"I hope we have not fallen off,"
said the bishop with a smile.— A.
TROLLOPE.

— (6) to become less attractive ;
to be less pretty. C.

She did not know how much her
beauty had grown since Valentine
found out and provided for her an
infallible remedy against the dread-
ful disease known to girls as " falling
off."— BESANT.

To FALL our — (a) to quarrel. P.
I did upbraid her and fall out with

her.— SHAKESPEARE.

She understood that he was a man
of rank who had fallen out with his
relatives, who held no communica-
tion with him ; but how the estrange-
ment had taken place she did not
underetand.-JAMES PAYN.

(&) to happen. P.

If all things fall out (happen) right.
1 shall as famous be by this exploit
As Scythian Thomyris by Cyrus'

death.— SHAKESPEARE.

And it fell out with me, as it fall*
out with so vast a majority of my
fellows, that I chose the better part.
— R. L. STEVENSON.

To FALL THROUGH — to be aban-
doned (of a scheme). P.

These arrangements would fall
through, and it was easy to know
what would follow.— FROUDE.

To FALL TO — to commence with
energy (generally said of eat-

ing). C.
"Th

e Bells do, father," laughed
Meg, as she set the basin and a knife
ana fork before him. " Well?"

"Seem to, my pet," said Trotty,
falling to with great vigour.—
DICKENS.
TO FALL TO THE GROUND - (a) to

fail from lack of support ; to
be abandoned (of some pro-
position). P.

You had better let them know that
Sir Abraham is of opinion that there
is no case at any rate against Mr.
Harding, and that as the action is
worded at present it must fall to the
ground.— A. TROLLOPE.
— (&) to have no practical
effect.

These were your words, sir: they
did not fall to the ground. — C.
READE.

If we were trying to hold Egypt
against France, the whole of these
calculations fall to the ground.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.
To FALL SHORT — to be defi-
cient. P.

Her place had been supplied by an

excellent woman, who had fallen

little short of (nearly equalled) a

mother in affection.— JANE AUSTEN.

TO FALL IN LOVE WITH - to

become enamoured of. P.

On our first acquaintance I clearly
saw that he was not disposed to pay
court to my fortune, and I had also
then coolness of judgment sufficient
to perceive that it was n9t probable
he should fall in love with my per-
son.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

To TRY A FALL — to engage in a
wrestling match. P.

You shall try but one fall (engage
only once in a wrestle with each
other).— SHAKESPEARE.

TO FALL UPON ONE'S FEET - to

escape injury ; to be fortunate.
C. The metaphor is borrowed
from the natural fact that
a cat, when thrown from a

Family 85

height, alights on its feet,
and thus escapes any serious
hurt.

As usual, I observe that you have
fallen upon your feet.— Macmillan's
Magazine, 1887.

Family. — A PERSON OF FAMILY
— a well-born person. P.

And Mr. Irwine's sisters, as any
person of family (lady or gentleman)
within ten miles of Broxon could
have testified, were such stupid, un-
interesting women.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Fancy. — FANCY FREE — with
the affections not engaged. P.
In maiden meditation, fancy free.
SHAKESPEARE.

Had she dared to say so, she might
have hinted very prettily that with
him the sunshine would return to
Norfolk Street; but she was no
longer fancy free (she was now de-
voted to a lover).— JAMES PAYN.

THE FANCY — sporting charac-
ters ; prize-fighters ; dog-
fanciers. S.

The patrons of the fancy (prize-
fighting) are proud of their cham-
pion's condition.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Fap. — FAR GONE — deeply affec-
ted by some strong influence,
such as disease, drink, or
love. C.

He felt a void in his heart that
quite startled him. He had no idea
he was so far gone (in love).— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVI LLE.

It was a fortunate circumstance
for Miss Fanny Squeers that when
her worthy papa returned home on
the night of the small tea-party, he
was what the initiated term too far
gone (too drunk) to observe the nu-
merous tokens of extreme vexation
of spirit which were clearly visible in
her countenance.— DICKENS.
A FAR CRY — a long distance. P.
A phrase borrowed from the
well-known saying, " It is
a far cry to Lochawe."

It is a far cry from Paris to Kair-
wan.— Fortnightly Revieiv, 1887.

It is a far cry from Portugal to
Bohemia. — Contemporary Review,
1887.

FAR AND AWAY — completely ;
beyond comparison. P.

Public opinion is not altogether
wrong in crediting the Jews with an
amount of wealth larger by a good
deal than is their due, and, what is

Fat

perhaps more to the point, a propor-
tion of rich families far and away
beyond anything that is found among

Gentiles.— Spectator, 1887.

FAR NIENTE — do nothing ; idle-
ness. An Italian phrase.
See DOLCE FAR NIENTE.

The far nimte of her Italian life
had entered into her very soul.—
A. TKOLLOPE.

FAR FROM IT — not at all ; by no
means. P.

"Mr. Dickson, you say, is not,
strictly speaking, handsome?"

"Handsome! Oh no; far from it
(any thing but that)— certainly plain."
JANE AUSTEN.

Farthest. — AT FARTHEST ; AT
THE FARTHEST — making the
largest possible allowance of
time. P.

Parliament will certainly rise the
first week in April at farthest (not
later than the first week in April).—
CHESTERFIELD.

Fashion. — AFTER A FASHION —
to a certain degree ; in a cer-
tain nominal way (generally
said disparagingly). P.

He knows French after a fashion
(has a certain knowledge of French ;
not a thorough knowledge).

Fast. TO PLAY FAST AND LOOSE

Or AT FAST AND LOOSE to act

in a way inconsistent with
one's promises or engage-
ments ; to behave with incon-
stancy ; to show no con-
sideration for. P.
And shall these hands, so lately

purged of blood,
Play fast and loose with (disregard)

faith ?— SHAKESPEARE.

I hoped you had more pride than
to let him play fast and loose with
you in this manner. — FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

"It's a shame, by heavens! said
George, "to play at fast and loose
with a young girl's affections."—
THACKERAY.

Fat. TO LIVE ON THE FAT OF

THE LAND — to have every
luxury. P.

It is well known that the family of
the Slopes never starve : they always
fall on their feet like cats ; and let
them fall where they will, they live
on the fat of the land.-A. TROL-

Father

THE FAT is IN THE FIRE — there
is a great splutter and con-
fusion. F.

He's a credit to your nation, that
man. He's actually the first pot-
hook on the crane ; the whole weight
is on him : if it weren't f9r him the
fat would be in the fire in no time
(things would very quickly be in
confusion).— HALIBUBTON.

TO KILL THE FATTED CALF — to

prepare the best food in the
house for an expected guest.
P. The phrase is used in the
parable of the Prodigal Son
(Luke xv.).

To be sure, he does not live on
husks (penunously), nor has he yet
returned to ask for the fatted calf
(a warm reception), and from all
they can hear he lives in a good
house.— BESANT.

Father. — THE FATHER OF
WATEKS — the river Nile. P.

Itasselas was the fourth son of the
mighty emperor in whose dominions
the Father of Waters begins his
course.— SAMUEL JOHNSON.

TO FATHER ANYTHING ON A

PERSON — to ascribe its origin

to him. P.

Of the poor pagan poets, it must be

confessed
That time, and transcribing, and

critical note.
Have fathered much on them which

they never wrote.— BYRON.

Fault. — To A FAULT — even
more than is required ; to
excess. P.

The golden youth is generous to a
fault.— WM. BLACK.

He was kind to a fault.— THOMAS
HARDY.

AT FAULT — puzzled ; in a diffi-
culty how to proceed. P. Said
of a dog when it has missed
the scent.

_ And then the two set about forag-
ing for tea, in which operation the
master was much at fault (puzzled
how to proceed).— HUGHES.

IN FAULT — to blame ; erring. P.
Is Antony or we in fault (to blame)
for this?— SHAKESPEARE.

To FIND FAULT WITH — to blame ;
to be displeased with. P.

We'd find no fault with (not blame)
the tithe-woman, if I were the

parson.-SHAKESPEARE.

i Feather

Faux. — A FAUX PAS — a false
step ; a breach of moral con-
duct. C. French.
Then it was he committed a faux
pas.—C. READE.

Feast. — FEAST OF REASON AND
FLOW OF SOUL — intellectual
intercourse where the con-
versation reaches a high point
of excellence. P.
There St. John (pronounce Siwjun)

mingles with my friendly bowl,
The feast of reason and the flow of

soul.— POPE.

The guest now escaped the pomp
of grand entertainments, was al-
l9wed to enjoy ease and conversa-
tion, and to taste some of that feast
of reason and that flow of soul so
often talked of and so seldom
enjoyed.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Feather. — To FEATHER ONE'S
NEST — to provide for one's
own personal comfort and
interests ; to lay by money
for oneself. C.

You have forgot this, have you,
now you have feathered your nest?
(since you have made a sufficient
provision for yourself).— CONGREVE.

Mr. Felspar, too, seems, by all
accounts, to have feathered his own
nest, which, from what I have heard
of him from Mrs. Jennynge— he be-
haved most graspingly about a
picture— I am not the least sur-
prised at.— JAMES PAYN.

A FEATHER IN ONE'S CAP an

honour. P.

The fellow's very carelessness
about these charges (accusations)
was, in Margaret's eyes, a feather in
his cap (something to be proud of),
and proved, for one thing, their
absolute want of foundation.—
JAMES PAYN.

IN FULL FEATHER — in elaborate
costume. C.
Annabella was at the ball in full

IN HIGH FEATHER — in high spirits;
exultant. C.

Martin leads the way in high
feather; it is quite a new sensa-
tion to him getting companions.—
HUGHES.

TO SHOW Or FLY THE WHITE

FEATHER — to betray signs of
fear ; to be a coward. C.
^ My blood ran a little cold at that
but I finished my liquor. It was

Fee

no use flying a white feather (show-
ing signs of fear) ; so say I (I said),
"Here's to the Corsair's bride."— C.
READE.

Fee. — FEE-FAW-FUM. See FIE-
FOH-FUM.

This is very good and original.
The "boiling" is in the first fee-faw-
fum style, and the old allusion to
the " old champion in the black cap "
has the real Ogresque humour.—
THACKERAY.

Fell. — DR. FELL — a character
mentioned in a verse of Tom
Brown's (1663 - 1704), and
often referred to in literature.
When a person is disliked,
but no specific reason can
be assigned for this dislike,
it is usual to quote the lines —
I do not love thee, Dr. Fell,
The reason why I cannot tell ;
But this alone I know full well,
I do not love thee, Dr. Fell.
Can it be the story of old Dr. Fell
(an instinctive dislike, impossible
to explain) ; or is it the mere radiance
of a foul soul that thus transpires
through and transfigures its clay
continent ?— R. L. STEVENSON.

Fiddle. — To PLAT FIRST
FIDDLE — to take the lead in
anything. F.

Tom had no idea of playing first
fiddle (taking the lead) in any
social orchestra (friendly gathering).
— DICKENS.

TO PLAT SECOND FIDDLE— to

take a subordinate position.
F.

She had inherited from her mother
an extreme objection to playing, in
any orchestra whatsoever, the second
fiddle (occupying, under any circum
stances, a secondary place).— JAMES
PAYN.

SCOTCH FIDDLE — the itch (so
called from the motion of the
hand in scratching). S.

FIDDLE-DE-DEE — an exclama-
tion of impatience and con-
tempt. C.

I told him I was discouraged
and unhappy ; his daughter's heart
seemed above my reach.

" Fiddle-de-dee ! " (away with such
talk), said he. " It all comes of this
new system— courting young ladies
before marriage spoils them."—
EEADE.

87 Field

Fiddler. — FIDDLER'S GREEN
— a fabled place of happiness
and jollity ; the Happy Land
of sailors. F.
Says the parson one day as I cursed

a Jew:
" Now, do you not know that is a

sin?
Of you sailors I fear there are but

a few
That St. Peter to heaven would

ever let in."
Fays I, "Mr. Parson, to tell you my

mind,
Few sailors to knock were ever yet

seen:
Those who travel by land may steer

against wind,

But we shape a course for Fiddler's
Green."

Song quoted in
H. R. Haggard's " Dawn."

FIDDLER'S NEWS — news that
comes very late. F.

" Have you heard that the Pope is
ill?"— "Oh, that's fiddler's news"
(known to every one).

Fiddlestick. — FIDDLESTICK or
FIDDLESTICKS — an exclamation
of impatience ; nonsense. F.
"A question of fiddlestick !" (mere
nonsense), cried the doctor angrily,
walking about the room.— MBS. OLI-
PHANT.

Fie. — FIE-FOH-FUM — words such
as would be uttered by a
bloodthirsty monster ; blus-
tering talk. F.

I smell the

Fie, foh, and fum,

blood of an Englishman.

SHAKESPEARE.

Field. — TO BE IN THE FIELD

— to be a competitor for any
prize. C.

From the very first, Mitchell per-
ceived that there could be little hope
for him so long as Gilbert Segrave
remained in the field (continued to
be a competitor).— Good Words,
1887.
TO KEEP Or HOLD THE FIELD -

to maintain one's ground
against all opponents. P.

There all day long Sir Pelleas kept

the field (proved himself victorious

against all competitors).— TENNY-

SON.

TO TAKE THE FIELD - to COm-

mence warlike operations. P.

Napoleon took the field (began the

campaign) with 100,000 picked troops.

Fig

88

Fish

Pig-. — A FIG FOB ANY ONE —

an expression of contempt =
"What do I care for him!" F.
Let it come, i' faith, and I'll pledge
you all; and a fig for Peter!—
SHAKESPEARE.
Yet, .whoop, Jack ! kiss Gillian the

Till she bloom like the rose, and a
fig for the vicar !— SCOTT.

Fight. — TO FIGHT SHY OF — to

avoid. C.

If you fight shy of him, miss, you
may remember this, that you will
fight shy of me at the same time.—
A. TROLLOPS.

TO FIGHT FOR ONE'S OWN HAND

— to §truggle for one's personal
interests. P.

In opposition you will recover
vigour and freedom ; you will fight
for your own hand.— The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

Each should fight for his own
.-WM. B

hand.

JLACK.

Figure. — To MAKE A FIGURE
— to distinguish oneself. P.

Besides, he would have been
greatly hurt not to be thought well
of in the world ; he always meant to
make a figure (distinguish himself),
and be thought worthy of the best
seats and the best morsels.— GEORG K
ELIOT.

To FIGURE OUT — to ascertain an
amount by careful computa-
tion. F.

I have figured out the expenses of
the trip, and find it will cost us at
least twenty pounds.

To FIGURE UP — to add items into
a total. F.

To cur A FIGURE — to make a
grand appearance. C.

He ruined his mother that he
might cut a figure (appear splendid)
at the university— THACKERAY.

Fin. — TO TIP ANOTHER YOUR

FIN — to shake hands with
him. S.

Come, old fellow, tip us your fin
(shake hands with me).

Find. — To FIND ONESELF — to
provide for oneself ; to buy
provisions for oneself. F.
Said of a servant or employe.
Otherwise he " found " himself in
childish fashion out of the six
or seven weekly shillings. — F
MARZIALS, in Life of Dickens

TO FIND IT IN ONE'S HEART — to

persuade oneself. P.

I could not find it in my heart
(persuade myself) to dismiss the old
man, who had been about the house
so long.

Fine. — IN FINE — in conclusion;
to sum up. P.

In fine, Rob was despatched for a
coach, the visitors keeping shop
meanwhile.— DICKENS.

Fing-ep. — To HAVE A FINGER
IN THE PIE — to be mixed up
in any affair. C.

But then they dearly loved having
a finger in the pie parochial.— HUGH
CONWAY.

Instead of every man airing his
self-consequence, thinking it bliss to
talk at random about things, and to
put his finger in every pie (interfere
in every affair), you should seriously
understand that there is a right way
of doing things.— M. ARNOLD.
To HAVE AT ONE'S FINGERS' ENDS
— to be able to repeat or use
without any trouble (gener-
ally of something committed
to memory). C.

He was the boy to talk (very clever
at talking) to the public : soft sawder
—dignified reproach— friendly inter-
course,—he had them all at his
fingers' ends.— C. READE.

He had Greek at his fingers' ends.
—A. TROLLOPS.

TO ARRIVE AT ONE'S FINGERS*

ENDS — to be reduced to pov-
erty ; to be in great straits.
C.

Before he was three months out of
his Governnient post, Brown had
arrived at his fingers' ends (come to
great poverty).

Fire. — To FIRE UP— to become
angry ; to show indignation.
C.

Now a high-minded, honest man
would have fired up at this.— B. L.
FARJEON.

First. — FIRST CHOP — first-rate ;
of the highest excellence. F.
An Anglo -Chinese expression.
"As for poetry, I hate poetry."—
Pen's is not first chop," says War-
nngton.— THACKERAY.

Fish. — NEITHER FISH, FLESH,

NOR GOOD RED HERRING

difficult to classify ; having
no pronounced character. C.

Fish i

A phrase used by Tom Brown
and Dryden.

Was he a Tory or a Liberal? or was
he neither fish, flesh, nor the other
thing?

NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL — odd ;
difficult to classify. C.

She would be a betwixt-and-be-
tween kind of thing, as the cook said,
with her nose in the air— neither fish
nor fowl— and very likely a spy and
a plague.— MBS. E. LYNN LINTON.
A FISH OUT OF WATER. Said of
a person who is placed in a
position which is strange and
distasteful to him. F.

Mr. Dance stood there, as he said,
"like a fish out of water."— K. L.
STEVENSON.

A LOOSE FISH — a man of dissi-
pated habits. F.

Mr. Henry Fielding, a writer of
plays and novels then much in
vogue, but a sad, loose fish.— G. A.
SALA.

A QUEER FISH — an eccentric
person. F.

" And what sort of fellow did you
find Crawley, Uncle Tom?"

" Such a queer fish— so unlike any-
body else in the world ! "—A. TROL-
LOPE.

ALL'S FISH THAT COMES TO HIS

NET — he is not very particu-
lar or scrupulous. C.

Everything is fish that comes to
Mr. Prey's net.— Spectator, February
18, 1888.
TO MAKE FISH OF ONE AND FLESH

OF ANOTHER — to treat two
persons in different fashions ;
to show partiality. F.

I mean to show no favouritism;

all the class will receive the same

treatment. I do not mean to make

fish of one and flesh of another.

TO FISH FOR COMPLIMENTS to

converse in a way that in-
duces people to pay compli-
ments to you ; to lead people
to praise you, because they
see you wish to be praised. C.
" But you did, perhaps," she added
innocently, fishing for a compliment.
—THOMAS HARDY.

OTHER FISH TO FRY — other busi-
ness to attend to. F.

"I never asked you about your
spill the other night," says she in her
loud voice ; "I had other fish to fry."
— KHODA BROUGHTON.

> Flag

"My dear girl," he said, "I have
no wish to tempt your feet from the
paths of domestic virtue— no wish to
harm you. I have finer fish to fry."
— H. CONWAY.

GIVE YOUR OWN FISH-GUTS TO
YOUR OWN SEA -MAWS give

what you have to spare to
those who belong to you,
and not to strangers. S.

The contracts should be given to
English companies ; let us keep our
own fish-guts for our own sea-
maws (our good things for our own
citizens).

Fit. — To FIT IN WITH — to agree
exactly with. P.

Under such temptations careless
or ill-educated people, even if they
would not invent circumstances or
dates, are extremely apt to twist
them so as to fit in with what they
have undertaken to prove.— Spec-
tator, April 14, 1888.

To BE FIT — to be in good health.
S.

" How are you ? "— " Very fit, thank
you ; never felt better."

FltS. BY FITS AND STARTS

spasmodically ; without steady
application. P.

He works by fits andJ starts (with
intervals of idleness), and will not
apply himself.

Flag1. THE FLAG AT HALF-
MAST. This is a sign of
mourning, observed especially
by vessels in harbour, when
any personage dies. P.

"I noticed that the flag on the
castle was half-mast high."

"Indeed!" sighed Ella; "then I
fear I have some fellow-sufferer"
(some one else has lost a near rela-
tive).—JAMES PAYN.

TO HANG OUT THE WHITE FLAG

— to show willingness to come
to terms, generally in token
of surrender. P.

Bazaine at length resolved to hang
out the white flag (intimate to the
enemy that he was willing to sur-
render).
TO HANG OUT THE RED FLAG

(a) to intimate danger. P.
The red flag warns of danger.
White is all right,
Red is all wrong,
Green goes gently bowling along.
Mnemonic Rhyme Jor

Railway Signalmen.

Flame

(&) to give signal for battle.

P.

The Chesapeake then hung out her
red flag (gave the signal for fighting),
and was answered by a broadside
from the Shannon.

Flame. — A FLAME — a sweet-
heart. F.

A few miles off in the valley, where
she never by any chance went, the
excursion trains used to vomit forth,
at Easter and in Whitsun week,
throngs of the mill hands of the
period, cads and their flames.—
OUIDA.

AN OLD FLAME — a former sweet-
heart. C.

I suppose she was an old flame of
the colonel's.— THACKERAY.

Flare. — To FLARE UP — to go
into a passion. C.

At this reference to her husband
she flared up (showed her indigna-
tion), and asked the man what he
meant.

Flash. — A FLASH IN THE PAN

— an abortive attempt ; a
failure of some ambitious
undertaking. P. The phrase
is taken from a flint-lock gun
which, though loaded, fails
sometimes to go off when the
flint is struck.

The rising at Kilrush was a
mere flash in the pan (an abortive
attempt).

THE FLASH GENTRY — thieves ;
professional rogues. F.

"Nice boys, both," said their
father. "They won't turn up their
noses as if they were gentlemen. A
pretty kind of flash gentlemen you
are!'— BESANT.

To FLASH FIRE — to throw angry
or passionate glances; to
make the eyes glisten with
strong emotion. P.
„ The eyes of the Indian monarch
flashed fire, and his dark brow grew
darker as he replied, " I will be no
man's {ributary.!'-pREscoTT;

Flat. — To FALL FLAT — to fail
to cause interest or amuse-
ment. P.

.She had a dry, queer humour, and
loved a joke ; but Phil's fell very flat
his jokes were very far from interest-
ing her) this mght.-BLACKMOKE

A FLAT— a dull-witted person. S.

nacular. " you try it yo
see if he don't put you dc
quick, or send you flying
in your ear "(with a sharp

90 Fling

He hasn't got these qualities yet,
or he wouldn't have been such a flat
to-night as to let Jack Raggles go in
out of his turn.— HUGHES.

Flea. — A FLEA-BITE — something
trifling; a thing of no impor-
tance. F.

Doubtless to a man of Mr. Aird's
fortune such things are but flea-
bites.— JAMES PAYN.
A FLEA IN ONE'S EAR — an annoy-
ing suggestion ; an unwel-
come repulse. S.

"I wouldn't do it, if it was ever
so !" exclaimed Mrs. Jennynge, who
in this extremity had utterly dis-
carded her French for the ver-
nacular. "You try it yourself, and
down pretty
ig with a flea
th a sharp rebuke).—

JAMESJPAYN.

Flesh. — FLESH-POTS, or THE

FLESH - POTS OF EGYPT

material welfare ; sordid con-
siderations. P. The refer-
ence is to the conduct of the
children of Israel in the
desert, many of whom grew
weary of the plain food. See
Ex. xvi. 3.

And he was grateful to her father
(on account or the dowry) for her,
not for himself, with whom the
flesh-pots did not count.— MRS. E.

AjYNN LlNTON.

I had forgiven her ; I had not felt
that it was anything but an escape
not to have marriea a girl who had
it in her to take back her given word
and break a fellow's heart for mere
flesh-pots.— HENRY JAMES, JUN.

FLESH AND BLOOD — human
nature. P.

Not as I wish to speak disrespect-
ful o' them as have got the power
i' their hands, but it's more than
flesh and blood (human nature) 'ul
bear sometimes.— GEORGE ELIOT.

TO MAKE THE FLESH CREEP to

cause a sensation of dread and
horror. P.

" My dear Mr. Aird, you make our
flesh creep ! " (you horrify us), re-
monstrated Mrs. Wallace; where-
upon he desisted.— JAMES PAYN.

Fling. — To FLING FROM — to
leave hastily in ill temper;
to quit in disgust. C.

He flung from her and went out of
the room.— S. RICHARDSON.

Flint

91

To FLING OVER — to desert ; to

cease to assist or patronize. C.

"Of course, the old girl will fling

him over, said the physician. -

THAOKEBAY.

TO HAVE A FLING AT ; TO IN-

DULGE IN A FLING AT — to

attack sarcastically. C.

I even went so far as to indulge
in a fling at (attack sarcastically)
the State House, which, as we all
know, is in truth a very imposing
structure.— HOLMES.
To HAVE ONE'S FLING — to indulge
in fun or in dissipation. S.

The time which Tom allowed him-
self away from his charge was from
locking-up till supper-time. During
this hour or hour-and-half he used
to take his fling (give way to unre-
strained fun).— HUGHES.
l

As for me, all I look forward to is
o have my little fling
little dissipation), and then to

to have my little fling (indulge in
little dissipation), and then to give
up the gaieties of London and take

a quiet villa and have a garden.—
BESANT.

FIX ANOTHER'S
HIM — to punish

Flint. — To

FLINT FOR

him. S.

"That is worse still," said I, "be-
cause you can't resent it yourself.
Leave him to me, and I'll fix his
flint for him " (castigate him).— HALI-

BUBTON.

To SKIN A FLINT — to be excess-
ively mean in one's dealings.
F.

Flipper. — A TIP OF THE FLIP-
PER— a shake of the hand.
Sailors' slang.

I say. old fellow, give me a tip of
your flipper (shake hands with me).

FlOOP. TO TAKE THE FLOOR

— to rise to address a public
meeting. P.

Mr. Hardcastle then took the floor
(rose to speak), and, in a long and
able speech, advocated the cause of
bi-metallism.

To HAVE THE FLOOR — to have
the right of addressing a
meeting by rising before other
intending speakers. P.

The chairman ruled that Judge
Ellis had the floor (possessed the
right to speak).

Flotsam. — FLOTSAM AND JET-
SAM— goods lost at sea, and

Ply

either floating in the water
or cast on shore. P.

But even Germans, like Herr von
Hartmann, who set such store by
a thorough knowledge of modern

languages— which

ow muc ey a os n rowng
overboard, as so much flotsam and
jetsam, the only intelligent clue to
the understanding of the long and
difficult words or English and of
French and her sister tongues of
Latin descent.— Journal of Educa-
tion, February 1888.

Fly. — FLY - AWAY — absurd ;
fantastic. F.

It was not easy to put her into a
fly-away bonnet now, or to keep the
bonnet in its place on the back of
her poor nodding head when it was
got on.— DICKENS.

TO FLY OUT AGAINST Or AT — tO

speak in a rash, impulsive
manner against. C.

It 'ud ill become a man In a public
office to fly out (speak rashly) again'
King George.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Poor choleric Sir Brian would fly
out at his coachman, his butler, or
his gamekeeper ; would use language
to them which, proceeding from any
other master, would have brought
about a prompt resignation on the
part of the aggrieved servant.— Good

TO FLY IN THE FACE OF — to

oppose directly and in a
reckless fashion. C.

Every evening before we left Paris
I saw her, and implored her to trust
herself to me and leave Paris as my
wife ____ But, with all this, she was
firm, and would not fly in her
parents' face.— C. READE.

TO FLY IN THE FACE OF PROVI-

DENCE — to do a deliberately
imprudent thing ; to court
danger or death. C.

Dr. Cooper had told her that to
sleep with the child would be to fly
in the face of Providence ; for if any
mischief was really brewing, she
would in that case be certain to
suffer from it.— JAMES PAYN.
WITH FLYING COLOURS — hon-
ourably ; triumphantly. P.

But for my part I have always
thought that their both getting their
degree at last with flying colours (in
a distinguished way) after three
weeks of a famous coach (private

Fold

tutor) for fast men, four nights with-
out going to bed, and an incredible
consumption of wet towels, strong
cigars, and brandy-and-water, was
one of the most astonishing feats
of mental gymnastics I ever heard
of.— M. ARNOLD.

THE FLYING DUTCHMAN — the
name applied to the express
train running from London
to Exeter on the broad-gauge
railway ; so called on account
of its speed. The term
originally belonged to a phan-
tom ship, which was sup-
posed to fly over the waves
till the day of judgment.

Then he went on to other supersti-
tions, the Flying Dutchman, etc.—
K. H. DANA, JUN.

TO FLY OFF AT THE HANDLE —

to become excited ; to act
impulsively. F.

lie was full of crotchets that way,
and the sight of the sea, or even a
mere flower, would make him fly
right off at the handle.— HALI-
BURTON.

Fold. — To FOLD ONE'S HANDS
— to be idle ; to do nothing
but rest oneself. C.

To no New Yorker, to no American,
would that (the possession of a
fortune) seem a reason for folding
his hands.— Nineteenth Century, 1887.

Follow. TO FOLLOW SUIT —

to behave in the same manner ;
to do as the person before you
has done. C. A phrase bor-
rowed from card-playing.

But when the fortunes of Kings-
cliff began to rise, the fortunes of
the gallant adniiral followed suit.—

Food. — TO BECOME FOOD FOR

FISHES — to be drowned. F.
. ,15ut he was dead enough, for all
that, being both shot and drowned,
and was food for fish in the very
Place where he had designed my
sla.ughter.-R. L. STEVENSON.

If you d been of the same kidney
as Sawney M'Gillicuddy," he said
^Peaking of the poor Scotch lad who
had died, Id have made you food
for fishes long ago."-G. A. SALA.

TO BE FOOD FOR WORMS — to be

in one's grave ; to be dead
and buried. F.

Foot

The certificates are all genuine:
Snawley had another son, he has
been married twice, his first wife
•is dead : none but her ghost could
tell she didn't write that letter ; none
but Snawley himself can tell that
this is not his son, and that his son
is food for worms.— DICKENS.
FOOD FOR POWDER — a con-
temptuous name applied to
soldiers. F.

There go the poor conscripts— food
for powder (soon to be shot down on
the battlefield).

Fool. TO BE A FOOL FOR ONE'S

PAINS — to take unnecessary
and thankless trouble. F.

If you propose to take him in and
board him for that small sum, you
will be a fool for your pains (trouble
yourself needlessly, and receive no
thanks).

A FOOL'S PARADISE — a state of
happiness where everything
is unreal and certain to be
shattered.
Into a limbo large and broad, since

called

The Paradise of Fools.— MILTON,
Paradise Lost, bk. iii., 1. 495.

I feel a little humiliated, Claire:
but I think I am the better for all
these lessons. See in what a fool's
paradise (deceptive state of happi-
ness) I used to live.— BESANT.

To MAKE A FOOL OF — to deceive ;
to make ridiculous. P.

It was all very well 'to have Mr.
Slope at her feet, and to show her
power by makingan utter fool of
a clergyman.— A. TROLLOPE.

To FOOL AWAY — to spend on
objects of little value. C.

Instead of learning your lessons
for to-morrow, you have been fooling
away (frittering) your time with the
animals.

Foot. — TO PUT THE BEST FOOT
FOREMOST Or FORWARD (a) to

walk as rapidly as possible; to
exert oneself to the utmost. C.

The girl made up her mind to put
the best foot foremost (put forth all
her powers of walking), and run
through her terrors at such a pace
that none of them could lay hold
of her.— R. BLACKMOKE.
— (&) to make the best display
possible. C.

Linlithgow put her best foot for-
ward (made her best appearance) last
Saturday, when the freedom of that

Foot

93

Force

ancient and royal city was presented
to the Earl of Rosebery.— St. An-
drews Citizen, 1886.

To PUT ONE'S FOOT IN IT — to
make an awkward mjstake ; to
say something embarrassing. C.
Women have such confounded
queer ways. You're sure to put
your foot in it if you intermeddle.—
WM. BLACK.

WITH ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE

— very feeble ; having but a
short time to live. P.

It is sometimes the fate of a poet
to succeed, only when he has one
foot in the grave (has but a short
time longer to live).— BESANT.

To PUT DOWN ONE'S FOOT — to
refuse to go further ; to be
firm in refusing. C.

I remember when the late Sir
George Cornwall Lewis wanted to
get some statistics about the reli-
gious denominations, your friend
Bottles, who is now a millionaire
and a Churchman, was then a Par-
ticular Baptist. " No," says Bottles,
"here I put down my foot (refuse
firmly). No Government on earth
shall ask me whether I am a Par-
ticular Baptist or a Muggletonian.
— M. ARNOLD.

AT ONE'S FEET — submissive ; in
a suppliant attitude. C.

It was all very well to have Mr.
Slope at her feet, to show her power
by making an utter fool of a clergy-
man.—A. TROLLOPE.

THE CLOVEN FOOT — one of the
marks of the devil. To dis-
play the cloven foot is to
betray an evil purpose. C.

At a subsequent meeting he (Dr.
Ritchie) had to answer the charge
that his party were showing the
cloven foot (displaying sinister
designs). The doctor was attired,
as was his wont, punctiliously—
knee-breeches, silk stockings, and
dress shoes. So, extending his
shapely limb, he asked with an
air of triumph, "Do you call that
a cloven foot?" Whereupon a
mechanic in the gallery shouted out
in a gruff voice, "Tak1 aff (take off)
the shoe, sir, and we'll see!"— DR.
GUTHRIE.

But they had not long been man
and wife ere Tom began to show
the cloven foot. — G. J. WHYTE
MELVILLE.

To FOOT IT — to dance. C.

Of course they found the master's
house locked up and all the servants

away in the close, about this time
no doubt footing it away on the
grass.— HUG HES.

To PUT ONE'S FOOT ON ANOTHER'S
NECK — to crush or trample
upon him. P.

She should tramp the roads as a
mendicant. He would put his foot
on her neck.— HALL CAINE.

TO FALL ON ONE'S FEET — to

meet with unexpected good-
luck. C.

I had certainly fallen on my feet.—
Temple Bar, 1888.

To FOOT A BILL — to pay the
expenses incurred. C.
Goa, in the case of final French

and foot the bills.— Harper'sMonthly,
September 1887.

THE FIRST-FOOT — the person who
is the first to cross the
threshold of a house on New-
Year's morning. P.

It matters not upon which side of
the Border it may be— and north-
ward the feeling extends far beyond
the Border— there is a mysterious,
an ominous importance attached to
the individual who first crosses the
threshold after the clock has struck
twelve at midnight on the 31st of
December, or who is the first-foot in
a house after the new year has begun.
—WILSON'S Tales of the Border.

To PAY ONE'S FOOTING- — to pay
the necessary fees or perqui-
sites on being admitted to any
club or society. P.

When he had paid his footing, the
members all wished him good-luck,
and drank his health.

Force. — To FORCE A MAN'S
HAND — to compel him to act
prematurely, or to adopt a
policy he dislikes. P.

The best guarantee against such
a course is the repugnance of the
German emperor to engage in a new
struggle ; but if it were determined
on by all but himself, the emperor s
hand might be forced (the emperor
might be compelled unwillingly to
declare war).— Spectator, 1886.

To COME INTO FORCE — (of a law
or regulation) to begin to be
enforced. P.

The law making paper money no
longer legal tender comes into force

Fore 94

(is put in actual operation) next
July.

Fore. — To THE FORE — present;
on the scene. C.

It never did really occur to him
that any one would have the wild
audacity to run away with one
of his sisters, while he, Mr. Tom
Beresford, was to the fore.— WM.
BLACK.

Forelock. — To TAKE TIME or

OCCASION BY THE FORELOCK

— to avoid delay; to be on
the alert for every available
opportunity. C. Time is
represented as an old man
with a single lock of hair on
the forehead, and an hour-
glass and a scythe in his
hands.

Time flies here with such a fright-
ful rapidity that I am compelled to
seize occasion by the forelock.—
THACKERAY.

Forget. — To FORGET ONESELF
— to be guilty of an un-
worthy act or word ; to lose
command of one's tongue or
temper. P.

The little gentleman shocked the
propriety of the breakfast-table by
a loud utterance of three words, of
which the two last were "Webster's
"Unabridged," and the first was an
emphatic monosyllable ("damn").
"Beg pardon," he added — " forgot
myself" (I have said hastily what
I should not).— HOLMES.

Fork. — To FORK OUT — to hand
out money ; to take from
one's pocket. S.

I'll fork out and stump.— DICKENS.

If I am willing to fork out a sum
of money, he may be willing to give
up his chance or Diplow.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

Forlorn. — A FORLORN HOPE —
a desperate venture. P.

He had not merely, as the French
say, the courage of his opinions ; but
his opjnions became principles, and
gave him that gallantry of fanaticism
which made him always ready to
head a forlorn hope.— J. R. LOWELL,
on Josiah Quincy.

Form.— IN FORM— in good con-
dition; able to do oneself
credit. C.

Free

"Were you in form, Babs?" asked
Mrs. Gaysworthy.— MRS. E. LYNN
LINTON.

Forty. — FORTY WINKS — a short
sleep during the day. F.
Then came forty winks ; and after-

wards he would play whist for high
stakes.— Saturday Review, 1888.

Fours. - TO GO ON ALL FOURS

— (a) to crawl on the hands
and feet or on the hands and
knees. P.

He looked up, and beheld what he
judged, by the voice, to be Mrs.
Armytage : her face was averted
from him, and kept close to the
cliff, down which she had been pro-
ceeding backward, and on all fours
(using hands as well as feet), until
fear and giddiness had checked her
progress.— JAMES PAYN.
- (&) to be exactly apposite.
P.

No simile can go on all fours.—
MACAULAY.

What was it Brabantio said to
Othello after the council scene?
"She has deceived her father, and
may thee." The quotation isn't
quite on all fours, but it's near
enough.— F. ANSTEY.

Fourth. — THE FOURTH ESTATE

— the press ; newspapers. P.
All these I have had to pass by,

and to confine myself to a broad and

general description of the origin of
those higher representatives of
journalism which we all have in our

minds when we speak of the activity
and power of the fourth estate.—
CHARLES PEABODY, in English Jour-
nalism.

THE FOURTH OF JULY — the
United States' national holi-
day. P.

We may prove that we are this, and
that, and the other— our Fourth of
July orators have proved it time

and again— the census has proved
— J. R. LOWELL.

it.

Free. — A FREE FIGHT — a fight
joined in by a whole crowd ;
a promiscuous combat. C.

So many free fights, brave robber-
ies, gallant murders, dauntless kick-
ings.— BESANT.

To MAKE FREE — to venture ; to
be bold enough. C.

My landlord made free to send up
a jug of claret without my asking. ~
THACKERAY.

Freedom

Freedom. — THE FREEDOM OF A
CITY — immunity from county
jurisdiction, and the privilege
of corporate taxation and
self-government held under a
charter from the crown. The
right to share in these privi-
leges is conferred, with the
parliamentary franchise or
right of voting, on distin-
guished persons whom the
city desires to honour. P.

Linlithgow put her best foot for-
ward last Saturday, when the free-
dom of that ancient and royal city
was presented to the Earl of Rose
bery.— St. Andrews Citizen, 1886.
French. — To TAKE FRENCH
LEAVE — (a) to go off secretly,
without notice or warning
to elope. C.

The truth is, she had quitted the
premises for many hours, and upon
that permission which is called
French leave among us.— THACK-
ERAY.

But as I was certain I should not
be allowed to leave the enclosure,
my only plan was to take French
leave, and slip out when nobody was
watching.— R. L. STEVENSON.

You must take French leave and
run away from Newly and your
charming wife for six months.—
AUSTEN PEMBER.

-(&) to enter without invita-
tion ; to do anything without
obtaining permission. C.

The solicitor, taking French leave,
led us across the spacious vestibule
to the library, much to the amaze-
ment of the servants.— B. L. FAR-
JEON.

To FRIGHTEN THE FRENCH — to

inspire great terror. F.

The look of you and your armed
companions is enough to frighten
the French.

Friday. — A MAN FRIDAY — a
constant and submissive at-
tendant. P. See Defoe's
Robinson Crusoe.

He flung himself down at little
Osborne's feet, and loved him. Even
before they were acquainted, he
had admired Osborne in secret. Now
he was his valet, his dog, his man
Friday.— THACKERAY.

Friend. — A FRIEND AT COURT
— a person with influence in
a powerful quarter. P.

Full

Not m that place, p'raps." re
turned the grinder, with a wink. " '
shouldn't wonder— friends at court

re-

------- friends aif court,

you know— but never you mind,
mother, just now; I'm all right,
that's all."-DicKENs.
To BE FRIENDS WITH — to be on
good terms with. C.

"Why were you so glad to be
friends with M. Paul?*' asks the
reader.— CURRER BELL.

To MAKE FRIENDS — to become
friendly ; to he reconciled
after a quarrel. C.

This was a stinger (sharp retort):
and so sudden, his hearers looked
rather sheepish at him. It was the
policeman who answered:—

"If you will come to the station,
I will undertake to find you that."

Patrick assented, and on the way
they made friends (became friendly)
— C. READE.

To BE FRIENDS — to be on friendly
terms. F.

Look here. Gilbert, I want to be
friends with you again.— "W. E.
NORRIS.

Front. — To COME TO THE
FRONT — to take a prominent
position ; to rise to a chief
place. P.

About this time Bismarck "began
to come to the front (take a promi-
nent position) in European politics.

Fpy. — SMALL FRY
cant people. C.

insignifi-

hi

fry (insignificant).— JAM-IS PAYN.

OUT OF THE FRYING-^AN INTO

THE FIRE — from a bad position
into a worse. C.

If it were not for Claire I would
jump out of this frying-pan, which
scorches and broils— yes, still, after
twenty years and more— into the fire
which burns.— BESANT.

"I'm out of the frying-pan into
the fire" (in a still worse predica-
ment), she said, laughing. "Instead
of one, I have now two to contend
with."

Full. — FULL DRESS — the dress
worn on occasions of ceremony.
For men, a black suit with
swallow-tail coat, and open
vest, and a white necktie
constitute full dross. Ladles'

Full 96

full dress leaves the shoulders
bare.

One round white arm rested on
the window-ledge, and her long
black hair fell in loose masses over
the snowy garments which, consti-
tuting a lady's deshabille, reveal her
beauties far less liberally than the
costume she more inaptly terms
"full dress."-G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

VILLE.

To THE FULL — quite as much,
certainly not less. C.

This place was a prison for debtors
as well as criminals, and was to the
full as foul as the Tophet-pit at
Aylesbury yonder.— G. A. SALA.

IN FULL CRT — hurrying fast ; in
hot pursuit. P. Cry here
means a pack of hounds.

Seven mutineers— Job Anderson,
the boatswain, at their head— ap-
peared in full cry at the south-west
corner.— R. L. STEVENSON.

IN FULL — without diminution,
deduction, or abatement. P.
I have received this day from John
Wallace the sum of eight pounds
six shillings, being payment in full
of his obligations to the Geographi-
cal Society.

FULL FIG— elegantly ; making a
great display. S.

Gallon

So all of us cabin party went and
dressed ourselves up full fig, and
were introduced in due formto the
young queen.— HALIBURTON.
IN FULL SWING — at its busiest ;
busy and thronged. C.

The street market was in full
swing.— BESANT.

Fun. — TO MAKE FUN OF — to

ridicule. C.

"Is the girl making fun of me?"
he thought.— THACKERAY.

Punk. — To PUT IN A FUNK —
to frighten ; to cause to
tremble. S.
Matcham said "he'd only been

drunk "—that his spirits had sunk
At the thunder— the storm put him

into a funk.— BARHAM.
IN A FUNK — frightened ; put
about. S.

If I were Foxy, I should be in a
funk myself.— BESANT.

Funny. — THE FUNNY BONE —
that part of the elbow which
is exposed to nervous shocks.
C.

They smack and they thwack,
Till your funny bones crack,
As if you were stretched on the rack.
BARHAM.

Gab. — THE GIFT OF THE GAB —
readiness of speech ; fluency.
F.

I always knew you had the gift of
the gab (were ready in speech), of
course.-DicKENS.

Gad. — UPON THE GAD — restless ;
always moving hither and
thither. F.

I have no good opinion of Mrs.
Charles s nursery - maid. I hear
strange stories of her ; she is always
upon the gad.— Miss AUSTEN.

To GAD ABOUT — to spend one's
time in frivolous visiting of
friends or places. C. Usu-
ally said of women.
By this time our friends

gaddlng

Gaff. — TO BLOW THE GAFF ON

— to inform against. S.

If I do not induce you and your
brother scoundrel to surrender your
present devices, I will take it upon
myself to blow the gaff on the whole
rascally three of you.— D. CHRISTIE
MURRAY.

Gain. — To GAIN GROUND — to
advance ; to make progress.
P.

The Jews are not only extraordi-
narily powerful and numerous there
(in Galicia), but are gaining ground
day \>y fay. —Fortnightly Review, 1887.

Gall. — GALL AND WORMWOOD
— said of what is excessively
bitter and distasteful. P.

The talk eddied even to the aris-
tocratic back-waters of Clinton Hall,
where it was so much gall and worm-
wood to the family.— MRS. E. LYNN
LINTON.

Gallows. — GALLOWS-BIRD — a
person who looks like a con-

Game

97

Gauntlet

demned criminal ; a person of
abandoned appearance. F.

"It is ill to check sleep or sweat
in a sick man," said he; "I know
that far, though I ne'er minced ape
nor gallows-bird." — C. HEADE.

Game. — GAME FOB ANYTHING
— ready to venture upon any-
thing ; full of life. F.

If you don't stop your jaw about
him you'll have to fight me; and
that's a little more than you're game
for, I'm thinking."— H. KINGSLEY.

THE GAME IS WORTH THE CANDLE

— the results are worth striv-
ing for ; one will be repaid
for one's trouble. C.

George can never take what I
mean to offer; if he should, the
Egyptian will be spoiled indeed, and
the_game will be worth the candle.—
H. E. HAGGARD.

To DIE GAME — to die in a
courageous manner. C.

I say that coachman did not run
away, but that he died game.—
DICKENS.

A GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY

— a course of action equally
open to another person. C.

" I'll have you both licked when
I get out, that I will," rejoined the
boy, beginning to snivel.

'TTwo can play at that game, mind
you," said Tom.— HUGHES.
To MAKE GAME OF — to ridicule ;
to turn into sport. P.

Now, in the Fleet Prison, where I
write this, there is a small man who
is always jeering and making game
of me.— THACKERAY.

Gang. — To GANG A-GLEY — to
go wrong. Scottish dialect.
The best laid schemes o' mice and

men
Gang aft a-gley.— BURNS.

As many things gang a-gley with
us in our plans and desires while
alive, it is not surprising thatmatters
turn out contrary to our expectations
after death.— JAMES PAYN.

Gapes. — THE GAPES — a fit of
yawning. F.

Another hour of music was to give
delight or the gapes, as real or
affected taste for it prevailed.—
JANE AUSTEN.

Gate. — To BREAK GATES — to
remain outside the college
gates after the hour for

closing. An Oxford and Cam-
bridge University phrase.

If you break gates again, we shall
have you rusticated (temporarily
expelled).

THE GATE OF HORN — a mytho-
logical term, signifying the
gate by which true dreams
came forth. P. From the
gate of ivory deceptive dreams
proceeded.

Then he (Laud) dreamed that he
had turned Papist, of all his dreams
the only one, we suspect, which came
through the gate of horn (was likely
to prove true).— MACAULAY.

Oath. — TELL IT NOT IN GATH
— do not let your enemies
hear of it. C. The phrase
is used when something sad
or shameful has occurred,
which might be used as a
taunt by one's enemies if
they heard of it. The words
were first used in David's song
of lamentation over Jonathan,
slain in battle : —

Tell it not in Gath, publish it not
in the streets of Askelon; lest the
daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of the uncircum-
cised triumph.— 2 Sam. i. 20.

Gather. — GATHERED TO ONE'S
FATHERS — dead and buried. P.
When his glitter is gone, and he is
gathered to his fathers, no eve will be
dim with a tear, no heart will mourn
for its lost friend.— A. TROLLOPE.

Gaudy. — A GAUDY-DAY — a holi-
day or festival. Old-fashioned,
but still in use at some of the
universities.

Just at onetime, about 1641, we
hear from our best authority,
Phillips, of his keeping a gaudy-
day. —MARK PATTISON.

Gauntlet. — To THROW DOWN

THE GAUNTLET Or GLOVE — to

challenge. P.

The company threw down the
gauntlet to (defied) all the maritime
powers in the world.— MACAULAY.
TO TAKE UP THE GAUNTLET Or

GLOVE — to accept a challenge.
P.

TO RUN THE GAUNTLET — to pass

through a severe course of
treatment in the way of
4

Gear

criticism or obloquy. P.
The phrase used in this figura-
tive sense comes from the
custom of inflicting a punish-
ment bearing this name. A
prisoner, stripped to his
waist, had to run between
two lines of soldiers armed
with gloves, and with sticks
and other weapons, with
which they struck him as he
passed.

We went to the jetty to see the
'usband's boat come in, and formed
part of the long row of spectators,
three deep, who had assembled to
watch the unfortunate passengers
land and run the gauntlet of un-
scrupulous comment and personal
remarks all down the line.— The Mis-
tletoe Bough, 1886.

Gear. — To THROW OUT OF
GEAR — to disturb the working
of. P.

Such delusions have happened to
many of us, and most commonly
when the mind has been disturbed
and thrown out of gear (put out of
good working order) by unwonted
circumstances.— JAMES PAYN.

Gentle. — GENTLE AND SIMPLE
— high-born and low-born ;
noble and peasant. P.

So, too, I am afraid it is a true bill
that torture was, in the bad old
days, indiscriminately used towards
both gentle and simple in some
gloomy underground places in this
said Tower.— G. A. SALA.

Every one runs to get a word with
them, gentle or simple.— C. READE.

Get. — Go ALONG ! or GET
ALONG WITH YOU ! — an ex-
clamation of impatience ,
often used in a bantering
way. F.

"Go, go, get along with you, do,"
she said at last, as her eyes .caught
his.— Murray's Magazine, 1887.

Oh, get along with you, Mr. [Se-
grave," returned Buswell, much de-
lighted by this delicate piece of

E- NoRRI8' 'n Go'd

To GET ALONG — to fare ; to be
in(a good condition. C.

''Well, doctor, how has the poor
Fngj late?6?" getting along (Pr°gress-
"y fairly; she is 8ti11 v«ry

5 Get

To GET AT — to obtain ; to find.
C.

When a doctor could be got at, he
said that, but for Mrs. Lapham's
timely care, the lady would hardly
have lived.— W. D. HOWELLS.

To GET ON — (a) to succeed ; to
rise in life. C.

Throughput the Continent, in Eng-
land, and in America, the enormous
majority of the population are striv-
ing for success in their several profes-
sions and callings ; every man, with
the doubtful exception of a few
Trappist monks, is trying to get on.
—Spectator, 1887.

To GET ON — (&) to make prog-
ress ; to improve.

He soon got on so well that he dis-
carded the other (crutch).— Murray's

Magazine, 1887.

TO GET ON WITH ANY ONE — to

find oneself in congenial com-
pany. C.

She could not get on with Mr.
Adair (Mr. Adair and she were not
congenial to each other).— JAMES
PAYN.

To GET UNDER — to obtain the
mastery over ; to suppress.
P.

Towards three o'clock the fire was
got under, and darkness and silence
succeeded.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

To GET UP — (a) to prepare with
a special practical object in
view — as, to get up Shake-
speare's Hamlet for a college
examination. C.

His readers are candidly informed
in the preface what books he has
consulted; and it appears that he
has got up the reign of Henry VIII.
from Brewer, Hook, Canon Dixon,
Ranke, Froude, and Friedmann.—
Athenccum, 1887.

(&) to organize ; to arrange.

C.

A few days afterwards a committee,
consisting of Lady Mona, "Beauty"
Strutt and Mrs. Walter Pullen, is
assembled in Lady Swansdown's
boudoir to discuss the best means of
getting up the proposed theatricals.
—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

To GET ONESELF UP — to appear
in a striking or elaborate
costume. C.

Like most men who are not in the
habit of "getting themselves up"
every day, he was always irritable

Ghost

when thus clothed in his
G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

GET-UP — style of 'dress ; fashion-
able way of dressing. C.

There is none of the colour and
tastiness of get-up which lends such
a life to the present game at Eugby.
—HUGHES.

To GET OVER — to recover from.
C.

She had been out of health for
some time. Her mother called it
" general debility ;" but I firmly be-
lieved that it was that love affair
with Frank Hayles which she had
never got over (recovered from).—
The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

She never thoroughly got over this
fall, and it doubtless hastened her
end.— S. BARING- GOULD, in The
Gentleman's Magazine, 1888.

To GET OVER A PERSON — to in-
gratiate oneself with him. F.

How you've managed to get over
your mother-in-law is a mystery to
me.— DICKENS.

To GET OFF — to escape. P.

He will get off. I'm the only wit-
ness. A jury won't believe a black
man in this country.— H. E. HAG-
GARD.

TO GET ONE'S BACK UP — to be

irritated ; to be angry. F.

"Are you?" I said, beginning to
get my back up.— H. E. HAGGARD.

TO GET BY HEART — to Commit

to memory. P.

" It is a very long play."

" The longer the better," murmured
the antiquary.

" But not when one has to get it
by heart" (commit it to memory),
observed William Henry dryly.—
JAMES PAYN.

To GET RELIGION — to become
pious ; to be religious. A
colloquial American phrase.

Irene Pascoe once met a knight on
a missionary platform, and found
he'd got religion (he was a pious
man).— BESANT.

Ghost. — To GIVE UP or YIELD

UP THE GHOST — to die. P.

So, underneath the belly of their

steeds,
That stained their fetlocks in his

smoking blood.
The noble gentleman gave up the

ghost (died).— SHAKESPEARE.

About four in the afternoon the
mountebank rendered up his ghost.
He had never been conscious since
his seizure.— E. L. STEVENSON.

J Give

TO HAVE NOT A GHOST OF A

CHANCE — to have no reason-
able prospect. C.

You do not tell me that Carswell is
applying for the Hebrew chair. He
has not a ghost of a chance (his
candidature is hopeless).

Gift. — BETTER NOT LOOK A

GIFT-HORSE IN THE MOUTH -

do not examine too critically
what is given to you as a gift.
C.

The poet gives as well as makes ;
the rest of us only receive : we criti-
cise these gifts ; we venture to look
into the mouth of the fairest gift-
horse (criticise the finest poems that
are given us).— BESANT.

Gig1. — GIG - LAMPS — a j ocular
name for spectacles, or for
one who wears them. S.
A gig is a tall two-wheeled
conveyance.

When Paul's father appeared he
was saluted with the irreverent name
of "old gig-lamps."

Gild. — TO GILD THE PILL — to

make an unpleasant thing
appear attractive. C.

I just lay myself out to get to the
blind side of them, and I sugar and

fid the pill so as to make it pretty
look at and easy to swallow (say
ings in so flattering a way that I
can coax them into doing anything).

— HALIBURTON.

Gills. — ROSY or RED ABOUT
THE GILLS — flushed with drink.
F. By the " gills " understand
the flesh about the jaws.

WHITE IN THE GILLS — showing

signs of terror or sickness. F.

"What's the matter, young 'un?"

asked Joe, surprised. " What makes

you so white in the gills ? "—BESANT.

GlPd. — TO GIRD UP THE LOINS

— to prepare oneself for hard
work. P. A Biblical expres-
sion.

The house awakes, and shakes it-
self, girds up the loins for the day s
work.— EHODA BROUGHTON.

. — TO GIVE AWAY — to act
the part of father to the bride
at a marriage. P.

Waxy came down to ratify the
deeds ; Lord Southdown gave away

Give

his sister. She was married by a
bishop, and not by the Rev. Bartho-
lomew Irons, to the disappointment
of the irregular prelate. — THACK-
ERAY.

To GIVE ONESELF AWAY — to make
oneself absurd by a heedless
remark ; to say unwittingly
what damages one's own cause.
C. In the following extract
the absurdity lies in the
" swell " unwittingly confess-
ing that he had dealings with
a pawnbroker : —

Swell. I am going to resign from
my club.

Friend. I thought you liked it so
much.

Swell. Used to be all right, but
society is getting too mixed. Why,
I met my pawnbroker there the other
night.— Harper's Monthly, May 1888.

TO GIVE IT TO A PERSON — to SCOld

or punish him ; to attack him
with angry words or with
blows. F.

M'Gregor pitched into him so
when he said it— gave it him right
and left (reproved him in the sever-
est manner).— RHODA BROUGHTON.

To GIVE ON TO or UPON — to lead
into ; to open upon. P.

Then we passed on up this till at
last we reached the top, where we
found a large standing space to which
there were three entrances, all of
small size. Two of these gave on
to (led into) rather narrow galleries
or roadways cut in the face of the
l>recjpiCe._H. R. HAGGARD.

To GIVE ONESELF OUT AS Or FOR _

to proclaim oneself to be. P

He gives himself out, sir, for what
"o^adays they call a patriot-a man
from East Prussia.-^. L. STEVEN-

n Last winter he called himself Lord
Charles Templeton, and took in the
whole society of Florence. This
year, as you are aware, he has se-
lected Cannes as his fiefa for opera-
tions, and has given himself out as a
cousin of Lord Bellingham's, with
whom, I need hardly tell you neisin
no way connected.-W. / NORMS.
To GIVE UP— (a) (transitive) to
discontinue the use of- to
abandon. P.

100 Give

The middle-aged it (the fog) de-
prived of their gastric powers, so
that they have had, ever since, to
give up all their beer, porter, port
and sherry, Burgundy and cham-
pagne, claret and Rhine wine.—
BESANT.

— (&) (intr.) to surrender ; to
confess oneself beaten. P.

Then, for fear of her place, and be«
cause he threatened that my lady
should give her no discharge without
the sausages, she gave up (yielded),
and from that day forward always
sausages, or bacon, or pig-meat in
some shape or other, went up to the
table.— MARIA EDGE WORTH.

A GIVE-AND-TAKE POLICY — a

policy of mutual accommoda-
tion and forbearance. C.

Nothing can be more annoying to
an ordinary man than to find the
wife of his bosom, who has jogged
along with him very comfortably in
a give-and-take (mutual forbearance)
style for many years, suddenly turn
round and lecture him upon his
amiable little weaknesses (faults).—
HUGH CONWAY.

TO GIVE FORTH Or GIVE OUT — to

announce or publish. P.

Soon after it was given forth (an-
nounced), and believed by many,
that the king was dead.— HAYWARD.

Mrs. Penrose was not at church ;
no doubt she had her reasons for
staying away, though I heard from
Miss Jones that it was given out
(published) that it was a bad head-
ache that kept her at home. — Cham-
bers's Journal, 1887.
She gives it out (states publicly)

that you shall marry her.

SHAKESPEARE.

To GIVE OUT — to come to an
end. P.

But before they had covered half a
mile poor Mrs. Mordaunt's strength
gave out (failed).— English Illustrated
Magazine, 1887.

To GIVE IN — to cease exertions ; to
confess oneself vanquished. P.
They did not yet give in (confess
themselves beaten) ; they had hither-
to gone only about the streets; they
would go to places where people
meet together.— BESANT.

To GIVE OVER — (a) (of a sick
person) to cease hoping for
his recovery. P.

.Valence told me that he had been
given over— that he could not live
more than six months or so.— FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

Gizzard

(6) to yield ; to commit. P.

They (the Protestant clergy) might
have attained to the influence which
is now Riven over entirely to the
priest.— THACKERAY.

TO GIVE ONESELF UP (a) to

surrender to the police. P.

News came that the Brighton mur-
derer had given himself up (surren-
dered himself to the police).

• (6) to lose hope of saving

one's life. P.

When I saw that the floods had
carried away the bridge, I gave my-
self up for lost (abandoned nope).

TO GIVE A PERSON UP (a) to

despair of seeing him. C.

It was at that unheard-of hour (11
P.M.) that Miss Huntly, whose ex-
perience of provincial habits was
limited, thought fit to put in an ap-
pearance, and her hostess's ejacula-
tion of " At last 1 Why, we gave you
up more than an hour ago!" drew
forth no apology from her.— Good
Words, 1887.

(&) to renounce ; to repu-
diate ; to refuse to acknow-
ledge. P.

He had been living what was a
wild, college life even in these wild
days ; ana his family had almost
given him up.— E. YATES.
To GIVE WAT — to yield ; to
break down. P.

I wished I had not given way (yield-
ed) to her in the matter of a private
sitting-room (which she would not
consent to have). — The Mistletoe
Bough, 1886.

On one occasion, as she was being
brought down from her look-out
chamber in a new carrying-chair, it
gave way.— S. BARING-GOULD.

Gizzard. — To FRET ONE'S
GIZZARD — to be anxious ; to
worry oneself. S. Gizzard
(primarily a fowl's stomach) is
used of the temper or dis-
position.

He'll fret his gizzard green if he
don't soon hear from that maid of
his.— THOMAS HARDY.

Glasgow. — A GLASGOW MAGIS-
; TRATE — a salt herring. F.

It is said that when George
IV. visited Glasgow, some salt
herrings were placed, in joke,
on the iron guard of the car-
riage belonging to a well-

101 Glove

known Glasgow magistrate,
who formed one of a deputa-
tion to receive the king.

Glass. — HE HAS TAKEN A GLASS
TOO MUCH — he is intoxicated.
F.

THOSE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES
SHOULD NOT THROW STONES
— people who are themselves
open to criticism ought not
to criticize. C. Compare
the opening verses of Matthew
vii.

And there is an old proverb about
the inexpediency of those who live
in glass houses throwing stones.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Glazier. — Is TOUR FATHER
A GLAZIER ? — a vulgar ex-
pression, signifying, " Do you
suppose that I can see through
you ? " It is used when a
person in front of you obstructs
your view.

Glout. — IN THE GLOUT — sulky.
F.

My mamma was in the glout with
her poor daughter all the day.— S.
RICHARDSON.

Glove. — To THROW THE GLOVE
or GAUNTLET TO — to challenge ;
to show readiness to fight with.
P.

I will throw my glove to Death
i tself (challenge Death itself to prove),
that there's no maculation in thy
heart.— SHAKESPEARE.

She was now, at the age of twenty-
two, very different from the girl who
so hastily threw down the glove to
her stepmother.— HUGH CONWAY.

TO TAKE UP THE GLOVE Or GAUNT-
LET— to accept a challenge
to fight. P.

Ontheother hand, Austriahad only
to conclude an offensive and defen-
sive alliance with King Milan, and
the Czar must take up the glove thus,
as it were, thrown in his way.— Spec-
tator, December 12, 1888.

TO BE HAND AND GLOVE WITH.

See HAND.

TO PUT ON Or WEAR GLOVES —

to attack an adversary in
a mild or generous way. P.

He (Macaulay) put on no gloves,
took in hand no buttoned foil, when

Glut

on well-chosen occasions, he came
down to the House to make a speech.
— J. COTTER MORISON.

Glut. TO GLUT THE MARKET

— to furnish an excess of goods
for the market, so that a sale
cannot be found for them. P.
Two years ago an excessive produc-
tion of woollen goods had glutted
the market (furnished too great a
supply, BO that no sale could be found
for them).

Go. — A GO — a curious or em-
barrassing state of affairs. S.
Well, I am blessed (to be sure),
here's a go (the position is embar-
rassing).—C. READE.

No GO — a failure. Said of what
is unworkable or impossible.

" What's a caveat ? " inquired Sam.
—"A legal instrument, which is as
much as to say it's no go," replied the
cobbler.— DICK ENS.

Exp— A legal instrument, or, in
other words, something which does
nothing, and with which nothing
can be done.

Of course, under the circum-
stances, no go for (I cannot give you)
the fifteen thousand.— Truly yours,
Arthur.— The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Go ALONG — an exclamation of
(feigned) anger or impatience.
F. See GET ALONG.

"May its poppet come in and
talk?"— "Certainly not," replied ma-
dam ; '"you know I never allow you
here. Go along."— DICKENS.

TO GO BAIL FOR ANOTHER to

become legal security for an
accused person's appearance
at his trial. P.

The world has not gone bail for us,
and our falling short involves not
the rum of others.— C. LEVER.
TO GO HARD WITH ONE — to

prove a troublesome matter
to one. P.

He jumped up with a great excla-
mation, which the particular record-
ing angel who heard it pretended
not to understand, or it might have
gone hard with (proved a serious
matter for) the Latin tutor seme
time or other.-H»LMEs.
T« GO HOME TO— to appeal di-
rectly to. P.

Mrs. Wallace spoke very slowly,
because it was not an easy matter
with her to express her ideas, and
with a certain gentle earnestness

102 GO

that went home (appealed directly)
to the young girl's heart, at least as
much as the logic of her argument. —
JAMES PAYN.

GO-TO-MEETING AIR or CLOTHES —
such as people have on when
they go to church ; respect-
able. F.

Catch him with his go-to-meetin*
est) clothes on a-rubbin' agin
;ainst) their nasty, greasy axles,
e a tarry nigger.— HALIBURTON.
Tom (was) equipped in his go-to-
meeting roof (respectable hat), as his
friend called it.— HUGHES.

TO GO WITH THE STREAM to do

as people around one do. P.
And then it is so much easier in
everything to go with the stream,
and to do what you are expected to
do.— MRS. OLIPHANT.

TO GO WITHOUT SATING — to be

an understood thing ; to be
an evident fact, or natural
conclusion. P. Translated
from the French, Cela va sans
dire.

Imagine all this, and you will have
some idea of the shackles with which
the literary class in Japan have
shackled their countrymen. It goes
without saying (the conclusion is in-
evitable) that, under such circum-
stances, a lively, natural style is im-
possible.—Japan Mail, 1887.

That such accusations were not
only utterly false, but were beneath
contempt, goes without saying (is, of

course, understood).—
Round, 1887.

Year

TO GO BT THE BOARD — to be lost.

C. A nautical phrase, now in
ordinary use.

During that long sickness my
wardrobe, and jewellery, and every-
thing went by the board (I had to
give up my wardrobe, and jewellery,
and everything).
Her rattlingj shrouds, all sheathed

in ice,

With the masts, went by the board.
LONGFELLOW.

To GO OUT OF ONE'S WAT — to
trouble oneself ; to discom-
pose oneself. C.

" My dear, I am sorry you did not
smell it; but we can't help that
now," returned my master without
putting himself in a passion or going
out of his way (showing signs of dis-
composure), but just fair and easy
helped himself to another glass.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Go

103

Golden

To GO ALL LENGTHS — to hesitate
at no act. P.

He is ready to go all lengths (risk
everything) m his advocacy of the
temperance question.

To GO TO THE BAD — to become a
wreck. C.

Think of my case, Miss Rawdon—
linked for life to a woman whom I
married to give myself a home, be-
cause all ties that bound me to
domestic life seemed broken when I
lost my darling, and because other-
wise I should eventually have gone
to the bad.— The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

To GO TO THE WALL — to be dis-

comflted ; to have to retire. P.

Everybody must go to the wall who

cannot serve that interest.— North

American Review, 1887.

TO GO FURTHER AND FARE WORSE

— to take extra trouble and
find oneself in a worse position
than before. C.

Well, upon my word, I don't blame
you ; you might have gone further
and fared worse.— H. R. HAGGAKD.

ALL THE GO — popular ; fashion-
able. S.

Folks ain't thought nothin' of (are
held of no account), unless they live
at Treemont; it's all the gojthat
place is very fashionable).— HAM-
BURTON.

ON THE GO — active ; running
about continually ; indulging
in liquor. F.

"Ma'ame Richard was on the go,"
as one of them said when he helped
to pick her out of the gutter and
carry her dead drunk into the back
kitchen, where she and others made
their filthy lair.— MRS. E. LYNN

LlNTON.

To GO BACK ON — to be unfaithful
to ; to fail to keep, especially
of promises. C. See BACK.

Why, don't you know, boss (mas-
ter)? They said they'd take me in-
stead of you, and they won't go back
on their word (break their promise).
—Temple Bar, 1886.

To GO DOWN — to be accepted ;
to be received with favour. C.

Fletcher, Ben Jonson, and all the
plays of Shakespeare, are the only
things that go down.— GOLDSMITH.
To GO FOR A MAN — to attack
him. S.

When he began to rail against
American institutions, I went for
(attacked) him.

To GO IN FOR — to give one's
attention to ; to apply oneself
to. C.

Skating was an accomplishment he
had never gone in for (attempted to
acquire). — Elackwood's Magazine,

1887.

To GO IT — to be extravagant or
headstrong in behaviour. F.

I heard Master George was going
it, from the Saunders. — F. MAR-
RYAT.

To GO OFF — to happen ; to take
place. P.

The wedding went off (happened)
much as such affairs do.— MRS. GAS-

KELL.

To GO OUT — (a) to be discon-
tinued ; to cease. P.

I think I must tell you, as shortly
as I can, how the noble old game of
backsword is played ; for it is sadly
gone out of late.— HUGHES.

— (&) to go out to service ; to
become a domestic servant.
F.

"I think you have mistaken my
aunt," put in that young person.
" She would be the last to hinder me
or any of us going out, if it were for
our good. "—MRS. J. H. RIDDLE.

TO GIVE ONE THE GO-BY- — to

neglect him ; to refuse to
acknowledge him. F.

Would you give Joey B. the go-by,
ma'am?— DICKENS.

But being made an honest woman

of, so to speak, Becky would not
consort any longer with these dubi-
ous ones, and cut Lady Crackenbury

,

consort any longer wit
us ones, and cut Lad
hen the latter nodded to her from

her opera-box, and gave Mrs. Wash-
ington White the go-by in the ring.—
THACKERAY.

God. — GOD'S ACRE — the church-
yard. P.

As her eye roamed from sea to
land it fell upon the little church
immediately beneath her, into whose
God's acre the footpath descended.
—JAMES PAYN.

Golden. — THE GOLDEN STATE
— California. P.

THE GOLDEN RULE — " Do unto
others as you would have
others do unto you." P.

My dear boy, have you not learned
the golden rule? In all human
actions look for the basest motive
and attribute that. (This s said
in satire; the real golden rule is as
above.)-BESANT.

Gone

THE GOLDEN BOWL IS BROKEN —

a euphemistic expression for
death. P. Taken from the
Book of EcclesiasteB (xii.
6) : " Or ever the silver cord
be loosed, or the golden bowl
be broken, or the pitcher
be broken at the fountain,
or the wheel broken at the
cistern. Then shall the dust
return to the earth as it was ;
and the spirit shall return unto
God who gave it."

And thus they go on from year to
year, until the golden bowl is broken
(they die).-H. R. HAGGARD.

TO WORSHIP THE GOLDEN CALF —

to bow down before something
unworthy. P. The reference
is to the action of the children
of Israel at Mount Sinai.
See Exodus xxxii.

The bourgeois mind is instantly
prostrated before the gplden calf
of commercial prosperity.— WM.
BLACK.

Gone. — A GONE 'COON — one
who is lost or ruined. S.
'Coon i; short for racoon.

Mr. Winchester did not stop
there— he forced a hundred pounds
upon George. "If you start in any
business with an empty pocket, you
are a gone 'coon."— C. READE.

Knowing the colonel's prowess,
the old racoon cried out, in the
voice of a man, "Hallo, there! air
you Colonel Crockett! For if you
air, I'll jist come down, or I know
I'm a gone 'coon."

A GONE CASE — something hope-
less ; a person who is despaired
of. F.

When officers are once determined
to ride a man down, it is a gone case
with him (there is no hope for him).

Too FAR GONE — in a hopeless
or desperate condition. C.

To use a phrase not often applied
to a young lady, she was too far
(hopelessly in love).— JAMES

GOOd. — AS GOOD AS A PLAT —

very interesting ; exceedingly
amusing. C.

He swore it was as good as a play
to see her in the character of a fine
dame.-THACKEBAV.

104 Good

And I have no space to tell of the
scene at Mrs. Tinkle's, which was as
good as a play.— MRS. H. WOOD.
As GOOD AS GOLD — thoroughly
good and trustworthy. C.
Generally used of persons.

Having said this, Grace walked
slowly out of the room, and neither
Mrs. Dale nor Lily attempted to
follow her.

"She's as good as gold," said Lily,
when the door was closed. — A.
TROLLOPS.

A GOOD THING — a clever saying.
C.

When we say a good thing, in the
course of the night, we are wondrous
lucky and pleased. Flicflac will
trill you off fifty in ten minutes.—
THACKERAY.

GOOD LADY — wife ; madam.

His good lady, indeed, was the
only person present who retained
presence of mind enough to observe
that if he were allowed to lie down
on Mr. Squeers's bed for an hour or
so, and left entirely to himself, he
would be sure to recover again al-
most as quickly as he had been
taken ill.— DICKENS.

As GOOD AS — virtually ; essen-
tially ; in every essential
respect. C.

She said that he was as good as
engaged to a girl out there, and that
he nad never dreamt of her.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

FOR GOOD — altogether ; com-
pletely. C.

"You are going away for good
(never to return), Mrs. Fortress?"
I said.

"Yes, sir," she answered, "for
good."— English Illustrated Maga-
zine, 1886.

FOR GOOD AND ALL — finally ;
never to be reversed. C.

When they were made sensible
(understood) that Sir Condy was
going to leave Castle Rackrent for
good and all (never to return), they
set up a whillalu (shout) that could
be heard to the farthest end of the
street.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
GOOD FOR ANY SUM — able or
willing to pay the sum. F.

One day a gentleman and lady
came in to lunch. A nice, quiet,
tidy little lunch they had, just the
same as in a good house of their
own. By-and-by I bring in the bill,
and wonder what they are good for
(how much money they will give
me).— All the Year Rownd.

Goody

To THE GOOD — on the profit
side. O.

'Well,", say si, "are you
m

'O nun-

pounds left to the good."—

;TON.

dead and gone the land
e good, Thady, my lad.
EWORTH.

GOOD GRACIOUS ! — an exclama-
tion of astonishment. F.

"Twenty years! Good gracious,
papa, I shall be six-and-thirty, so
frightfully old to talk about any-

stock and fluke— a total w
"No," says he; "I have fr
dred pounds left to the
HALIBURTOH
When I'm <
will be to th
—MARIA ED

•ig
thing!"

Papa looked a little grave. "Ob-
lige me, my dear, by not saying good
gracious; it is very unladylike."—
The Argosy, 1886.

A GOOD SAMARITAN. See SAMAR-
ITAN.

GOOD -MORNING TO ANYTHING

farewell to it. F.

When anything's upon my heart,
good-morning to my head ; it's not
worth a lemon. — MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

Exp.— The speaker means to say
that his head or judgment takes its
departure when his heart or feelings
are interested.

As GOOD AS ONE'S WORD — per-
forming one's promises. P.

It was evident to her that Frank
Muller would be as good as his
word.— H. E. HAGGARD.

Goody. — GOODY - GOODY —
weakly virtuous ; good, but
feeble. F.

If I find out the people I am quite
clever enough to play a goody-goody
part, if that suits them.— JUSTIN

M'CARTHY.
GoOSe. HIS GEESE ARE SWANS

— he places too high a value on
his own possessions ; he over-
estimates what is his own. C.

He (Dr. Whately) was particularly
loyal to his friends, and, to use the
common phrase, all his geese were
swans.— CARDINAL NEWMAN.

All the Lancastrian geese are
swans.— RHODA BROUGHTON.

THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE
GOLDEN EGGS the SOUTC6 of

one's wealth or most cherished
possessions. P.

This affectionate anxiety was
partly due to a certain apprehension
the old gentleman experienced when

105 Gooseberry

the goose that laid the golden eggs
for him was out of sight.— JAMES
PAYN.

TO KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAID

THE GOLDEN EGGS — to destroy
the source of one's income
or profit. P. A phrase taken
from one of M 'sop's Fables.

If Brian had only known how
immensely he had risen in her re-
spect by the not very extraordinary
display of talent and ability which
he had just made, he would doubt-
less have hastened to kill the goose
that laid the golden eggs by playing
classical compositions until he
wearied her.— Wood Words, 1887.
To COOK A PERSON'S GOOSE FOR
HIM — to cause his death. S.

"You see," said Tom, "that if you
should happen to be wrong, our
goose is cooked without the least
doubt. "—BBS ANT.

IT'S A GONE GOOSE WITH ANY ONE

— there is no more hope for
him. S.

Well, he took the contract for
beef with the troops; and he fell
astern (failed to make it profitable),
so I guess it's a gone goose with him.
;— HALIBURTON.

Gooseberry . — To PLAY UP OLD

GOOSEBERRY WITH PEOPLE — to

defeat them or silence them
sharply. S.

He began to put on airs, but I
soon played up old gooseberry with
him (snubbed him).

She can squander the income as
she pleases, and play old goose-
berry up to a certain point.— Miss
BRADDON.

TO PLAY GOOSEBERRY to act

as a third person for the sake
of propriety ; to appear with
two lovers in public. C.

There was Helena out of her chair
standing by a gentleman . . . while
I was reauced to that position which
is vulgarly but expressively known
as playing gooseberry.— The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.
A GOOSEBERRY-PICKER One who

plays gooseberry. C.

What do I care for old Thresher?
I brought Thresher to-day as a goose-
berry-picker.—S. BARING-GOULD.

LIKE OLD GOOSEBERRY With

great energy. S.

Take them by the tail . . . and lay
on like old gooseberry.— H. KINGS-
LEY.

Gordian

106

Gray

AS GBBEN AS A GOOSEBERRY —

very ignorant of life ; raw
and uneducated. S.

His name was Green, and he was
as green as a gooseberry.— CAPTAIN
MAERYAT.

Gordian.— To cur THE GOR-
DIAN KNOT — to solve a diffi-
culty in a bold or unusual
fashion. P.

Frank Muller must die. and die
before the morning light. By no
other possible means could the Gor-
dian knot be cut.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Grace. — To SAY GRACE — to
ask the Divine blessing before
commencing a meal. P.

Mr. Pickwick, having said grace,
pauses for an instant and looks
round him.— DICKENS.

TO GET INTO A PERSON'S GOOD

GRACES — to gain his favour
or friendship. P.

Major D'Orville is rapidly gaining
ground in the good graces of all
the Newton Hollows party.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

WITH A GOOD GRACE — gracefully ;
graciously. P.

WITH A BAD GRACE — ungracious-
ly, so as to leave an unpleasant
impression. P.

What might have been done with
a good grace would at last be done
with a bad grace.— MACAULAY.

THE THRONE OF GRACE — a figur-
ative expression, meaning
God's seat, heaven. P. To
come to the throne of grace
IB to pray.

THE MEANS OF GRACE — oppor-
tunities of hearing the gospel.
P. A religious expression.

The shop is next door but one to a
chapel, too. Oh, how hand

means of grace 1— BESANT.

ly for the

Grain. — AGAINST THE GRAIN —
unpleasant ; contrary to one's
Was or inclination. P.

I am deficient in the auri sacrc
fames— the passion for dying a mil
honaire that possesses BO many
excellent people. I had rather have
a little, and do what I like, than
acquire a great deal by working
against the grain (doing work which
is unpleasant).— JAMES PAYN.

WITH A GRAIN OF SALT — with

some reservation. P. Trans-
lation of the Latin phrase,
Cum grano sails.

They fear lest suspicious men
might take the story with a grain of
salt.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Some of the adventures narrated
may require to be taken with a grain
of salt.— Spectator, September 3, 1887.

Grape. — SOUR GRAPES — some-
thing which is despised because
it is unattainable. C. See SOUR.

"So it has got its big wax doll
after all. has it?" asks she with a
sneer: ''curly wig and long legs,
and all!"

I am roused to retort. I turn and
rend her.

"Spur grapes!" cry I, with red
cheeks, and in an elevated key.—
RHODA BROUGHTON.

Grass. — To LET THE GRASS

GROW UNDER ONE'S FEET — to

be inactive ; to be idle and
lazy. C.

Viola is not the sort of girl to let
the grass grow under her feet.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Captain Cuttle held on at a great
pace, and allowed no grass to grow
under his feet.— DICKENS.
GRASS WIDOW — a lady whose
husband is temporarily absent.
P. An Eastern term, especially
used in India.

A grass widow finds herself in
need of consolation for the cruel
absence of her liege lord. — The
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Gray. — THE GRAY OF THE
MORNING — the dawn. P. See
MORNING.

THE GRAY (OR GREY) MARE —
a man's wife. C. This term
is generally used with the
implication that the man in
the particular case is inferior
to his wife.

The vulgar proverb, that the gray
mare is the better horse, originates,
I suspect, in the preference gener-
ally given to the gray mares of
Flanders over the finest coach-horses
of England.— MAOAULAY.

It was also quite clear to those
who thought about things, and
watched this little lady, that there
may be meaning in certain pro-
verbial expressions touching gray
mares.— BESANT.

Grease

107

Grease. — To GREASE THE PALM
OP — to bribe ; to use money
for the purpose of corrupting.

F.

Grecian. — THE GRECIAN BEND
— an elegant stoop or curving
of the backbone, much affected
by ladies at one time. C.

Greek. — THE GREEK KALENDS
— a future time which will
never arrive. P. The Kalends
occurred at the beginning
of the month with the Latin
system of reckoning time ;
hence the term Calendar —
a table announcing when the
first day of each month fell.
The Greeks had no Kalends.

The London School Board have
since executed a strategical move-
ment to the rear, suspending the
obnoxious notice for a month, which
is the English equivalent for the
Greek Kalends.— Journal of Educa-
tion, 1887.

WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK,

THEN COMES THE TUG OP WAR

when one strong champion
meets another of equal prowess
the fight is a keen one. C.

"When Greeks joined Greeks, then
was the tug of war.— NATHANIEL
LEE.

GREEK TO ANT ONE — unintelli-
gible to him. C. See Shake-
speare's Julius Ccesart act i.
scene 2.

Cassius. Did Cicero say anything?

Casca. Ay, he spoke t > reek.

Cassius. To what effect?

Casca. Nay, an I tell you that I'll
ne'er look you in the face again ;
but those that understood him
smiled at one another and shook
their heads ; but, for mine own part,
it was Greek to me.

Green. — THE GREEN-EYED MON-
STER— jealousy. P.

Cherry was green with jealousy,
but tried to hide it under protesta-
tions of admiration.— The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

TO SEE GREEN IN ANOTHER'S

EYE — to consider him a simple,
gullible fellow. S.

"Now, soldier-boy," said I,
"Do you see green in my eye?
Oh, pray excuse the slang ! "
T. DAVIDSON.

I su

Grind

you intend to marry

Miss M., as I see you are paying her
such devoted attention."

"Do you see any green in my
eyes?" was the very vulgar reply.
"Why, as for marrying Miss M., I'd
rather be excused. She is too great
a flirt.— Si. Andrews Citizen, 1887.

THE WEARING OF THE GREEN.

Green is the Irish national
colour. To wear it shows
patriotic or rebel sympathies.
They are hanging men and women
for the wearing of the green.

Popular Song.

A GREEN HAND — a raw fellow
unaccustomed to the work
he undertakes. F.

"I thought everybody knew Job
Terry," said a green hand who came
in the boat to me, when I asked him
about his captain.— R. H. DANA.

THE «REEN ROOM — the private
chamber where actors dress
and undress. P. This room
is a notorious place for gos-
sip.

There was only one topic on which
Sir Henry C9uld converse, and he
was uncertain how it would be
received if he was to start it—
namely, actors' gossip and green-
room whispers.— BESANT.

Grief. — To COME TO GRIEF —
to be ruined ; to fail com-
pletely. P.

France and Bonaparte, driven by

the French fat (fool), as you are

British

driven by the

Philistine,—

and the French fat has proved a yet
more fatal driver than yours, being
debauched and immoral, as well as
ignorant, — came to grief (were
ruined).— M. ARNOLD.

Grin. — To GRIN AND BEAR IT

— to suffer anything painful
in a manly way, without com-
plaint. F.

"You scoundrel," he said between
his teeth, "you have made a fool of
me for twenty years, and I have
been obliged to grin and bear it."—
H. K. HAGGARD.

Grind. — To GRIND THE FACE
OF — £o oppress ; to tyrannize
over. P.

The agent was one of your middle-
men who grind the face of the poor.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Grips 108

HARD GRINDER — a hard-working
student or professional man.

Besides, there is a pension loom-
ing ever so far ahead which I must
go back and grind for.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

To GRIND ONE'S TEETH — to have
feelings of disgust, disappoint-
ment, or rage. C.

Everything annoyed and angered
me that day. ... I ground my teeth
(was intensely irritated) at the
luncheon-table, which would have
feasted half-a-dozen families.— -The
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Grips. — AT GRIPS WITH — strug-
gling hard against. C.

Tom was daily growing in manful-
ness and thoughtfulness, as every
high-couraged and well-principled
boy must, when he finds himself for
the first time consciously at grips
with self and the devil.— HUGHES.

OPist. — TO BRING GRIST TO

THE MILL — to procure needful
supplies ; to be a source of
profit. C.

A sly old Pope created twenty
new saints to bring grist to the mill
of (constitute a source of income
for) the London clergy.— BISHOP

HORSLEY.

The lawyer may be half-a-dozen
things at the same time— a trader, a
politician, a practical agriculturist,
a land-agent, a coroner, a steeple-
chase rider, a general jack-pudding.
Everything brings grist to his mill,
and the more irons he has in the
fire the larger will be the number
and the more varied the character
of his clients.— A. JESSOPP, in Nine-
teenth, Century, 1887.

Qpog. — GROG - BLOSSOMS — the
red pimples on a drunkard's
nose. F.

A few grog-blossoms marked the
neighbourhood of his nose.— THOMAS
HARDY.

Ground. — To BREAK GROUND
— to commence operations ;
to take the first step in any
undertaking. P.

TO GAIN Or GET GROUND — to

advance ; to make progress.

It was very tiring and slow work,

STEVENSON g ground--R- L:

Grub

At four in the afternoon we sighted
a sail under our lee-bow, gave chase,
and got ground of her apace till
night came on.— G. A. SALA.

To LOSE GROUND — to retreat;
to give way ; to become less
powerful. P.

But, on the whole, I am unable to
deny that the state and the nation
have lost ground with respect to the
great business of controlling the
public charge.— GLADSTONE.

TO HAVE THE GROUND CUT FROM
UNDER ONE'S FEET to SCO

what one relies on for support
suddenly withdrawn. C.

His was not a practical mind, and
it was sure to take him some time to
realize what it means to have the
ground cut from under your feet.—
Good Words, 1887.

To HOLD ONE'S GROUND — to
maintain one's authority or
influence. P.

Having shipped for an officer when
he was not half a seaman, he found
little pity with the crew, and was
not man enough to hold his ground
among them.— B,. H. DANA, JUN.

To STAND ONE'S GROUND — to
be firm ; to be unyielding. C.
Marvel, though with much diffi-
culty, stood his ground, and refused
to sell Cloverhill till he should be
perfectly sure that Mi ss Barton would
marry him, and till his relation
should arrive in town and give his
consent.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

But she made a supreme effort
over herself, and did her best to
stand her ground.— MRS. E. LYNX
LINTON.

DOWN TO THE GROUND — com-
pletely. S.

"America is the place," he said to
himself. "Some sea-coast city in
South America would suit me down
to the ground."— Miss BRADDON.

Grow. — To GROW UPON — to
obtain great influence over ;
to become prized. P.

It was a face rather lovable than
beautiful, rather sensitive than in-
tellectual—a face which grew upon
you as you looked at it, and which
was always pleasant to look upon.—

Grub. — GRUB STREET — the
name of a low quarter in
London inhabited formerly
by poor authors. As a noun.

Gruel

109

Gutter

Grub Street signifies poor,
mean authors ; as an adjective,
mean, poor, low. P. The
street is now called Milton
Street.

Johnson came among them the
solitary specimen of a past age, the
last survivor of the genuine race of
Grub Street hacks.— MACAULAY.
GRUB AND BUB — victuals and
drink. S.

Gruel. TO GIVE A PERSON HIS

GRUEL — to punish a person

severely ; to kill him. S.

He refused, and harsh language en-

Which ended at length in a duel,
When he that was mildest in mood
Gave the turbulent rascal his
gruel.— BABHAM.

Grundy. — MRS. GRUNDY —
jealous neighbours ; the scan-
dal-loving portion of the com-
munity. C. The name comes
from Morton's novel Speed
the Plough (1798), where one
of the characters, Mrs. Ash-
field, is always exclaiming,
" What will Mrs. Grundy
say ? " Mrs. Grundy was her
neighbour.

These awful rules of propriety,
nd that dreadful Mrs. Grundy (the
thought of what one's neighbours

will say), appear on the scene, and
of course spoil everything.— Black-
wood's Magazine, 1887.

Guard. — To BE ON ONE'S GUARD
— to be watchful and prepared
for an attack. P.

With a tiresome complaint, which,

in some seasons,
People are apt to be seized
With, who're not on their guard

against plum-seasons,
Their medical man shook his head,
As he could not get well to the root
of it.— BABHAM.

TO PUT A MAN ON HIS GUARD

to warn him ; to make him
careful. P.

It was in such an outburst of rage
that he had assaulted John in the
inn -yard of Wakkerstrom, and
thereby put him on his guard
against him.— H. R. HAGGARD.

OFF ONE'S GUARD — heedless ;
forgetful ; in a careless state.
P.

Isaac caught both faces off their
guard, and read the men as by a
lightning flash to the bottom line of
their hearts.— C. READE.

Gulf. A GREAT GULF FIXED

a complete and permanent
cause of separation ; a radical
difference and divergence. P.
The phrase comes from the
parable of Dives and Lazarus.
See Luke xvi. 26.

Between him and Mr. Carruthera
there was a great gulf fixed. — E.
YATES.

For forty years and more I lived
among savages and studied them
and their ways ; and now for several
years I have lived here in England,
and have in my own stupid manner
done my best to learn the ways of
the children of light, and what have
I found? A great gulf fixed? No,
only a very little one.-H. R. HAG-
GABD.

Gun. — A GREAT GUN — a noted
personage. C.

Time flew on, and the great guns
one by one returned— Peel, Graham,
Goulbourn, Hardinge, Herries. —
BEACONSFIELD.

TO BLOW GREAT GUNS — to be

very stormy ; to blow a heavy
gale. P.

At last it blew great guns; and
one night, as the sun went down
crimson in the Gulf of Florida, the
sea running mountains high, I saw
Captain Sebor himself was fidgety.—
C. READE.

GutS. — TO HAVE GUTS IN THE

BRAIN — to have sense ; to
be full of intelligence. Old-
fashioned.

The fellow's well enough, if he had
any guts in his brain.— SWIFT.

Gutter. — Our OF THE GUT-
TER— of low origin. P.

"We could never have supposed
one of our blood would commit the
crime of marrying a plebeian— and
for love ! "

"Then why do you marry your
sons to girls out of the gutter?"
(low-born girls), was sometimes the
rejoinder.— National, Review, 1887.

Hack

110

Halloo

Hack. — AT HACK (or HECK)
AND MANGER — profusely ; ex-
travagantly. F. Heck, or
hack, is Scotch for a manger.
The word is of Scandinavian
origin.

The servants at Lochmarlie must
be living at hack and manger.— Miss

Hail. — HAIL - FELLOW WELL-
MET — familiar ; on terms of
easy intimacy. C. Also used
as a noun.

It was not, I will frankly admit, a
very righteous beginning to a young
life to be hail-fellow well-met with a
gang of deer-stealers.— G. A. SALA.

His role was that of a hail-fellow
well-met with everybody.— SARAH
TYTLEB.

Hair. — To A HAIR — to an ex-
treme nicety. P.

Oh ! that's her nose to a hair,—
that's her eye exactly.— HALIBUR-
TON.

To SPLIT HAIRS — to dispute over
petty points. P. A hair-
splitter is a caviller.

Pray, don't let us be splitting hairs.
—A. TROLLOPS.

BOTH OF A HAIR — both alike. F.

For the peddler and tinker, they

are two notable knaves, both of a

hair, and both cousin-germans to

the devil.— GREENE.

HAIR STANDING ON END. This
is a sign of terror. P. See
STAND.

TO TAKE A HAIR OF THE DOG THAT
BIT YOU. This was at one time
supposed to be a cure for
hydrophobia. The expression
is commonly used now when
a man, after heavy drinking,
is advised to take a little more
brandy or other liquor.

Decidedly, too, the homeopathic
system must be founded on great
natural facts, and there is philos-
ophy, born of the observation of
human nature, in the somewhat
vulgar proverb that recommends a
hair of the dog that bit you.— H E
HAGGARD.

To TURN A HAIR — to show signs
of fatigue. C. A phrase

taken from horsemanship, and
properly only applicable to a
horse, but now used generally.

Flushington would toil manfully
through the most realistic descrip-
tions (in French novels) without
turning a hair.— F. ANSTEY.

Then the fiddlers began— the cele-
brated Mellstock fiddlers, who, given
free stripping, could play from sunset
to dawn without turning a hair.—
R. D. BLACKMORE, in Murray's
Magazine, 1888.

Half. — HALF-SEAS OVER — in a
semi-drunken state ; confused
with drink. F.

But Jason put it back as he was
going to fill again, saying, "No, Sir
Condy, it shan t be said or me I got
your signature to this deed when
you were half-seas over."— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

A BAD HALFPENNY — something
which is supposed to return
to the owner, however often
he tries to get quit of it. C.
It was not the first time, nor the

HAWTHORNE.
HALF THE BATTLE — no small
part of the difficulty over-
come. C.

To provide the patient with a good
bed, fresh air, and suitable warmth
is half the battle (will do as much as
all things else for his recovery).

BETTER HALF — a wife. See
BETTER.

Halloo. — DON'T HALLOO TILL
YOU'RE OUT OF THE WOOD —
be careful about showing pre-
mature signs of exultation. C.
A favourite saying of the Duke
of Wellington.

When Wellington had driven the
French out of Portugal, the Portu-
guese issued a print of the Duke,
bearing the legend underneath—" In-
vincible Wellington, from grateful
Portugal." A friend having sent the
Duke a copy of the print, ne struck
out the word "Invincible" with a
dash of his pen, and wrote below,
"Don't halloo till you're out of the
wood."

Halting

111

Hand

Halting:. — THE HALTING FOOT
^ OF JUSTICE — an expression
borrowed from Latin litera-
ture, signifying the slow but
Sure punishment which follows
\trong-doers. P.

Justice, though with halting foot,
had been on his track, and his old
crime of Egyptian days found him

Hammer. — To GO IT HAMMER
AND TONGS — to act violently
and recklessly ; to throw all
one's energies into anything.
C.

The ancient rules of a fair fight
were utterly disregarded ; both par-
ties went at it hammer and tongs,
and hit one another anywhere with
anything.— JAMES PAYN.

TO BRING TO THE HAMMER —

to sell by auction. P.

All Diggs's penates (household
effects), for the time being, were
brought to the hammer.— HUGHES.
TO SELL UNDER THE HAMMER —

to sell by auction. P.

He threatened to foreclose, and
sell the house under the hammer.—
C. READE.

Hand. — IN HAND — (a) under
control. P.

The other was laughed at behind
his back, and outwitted by the young
man he thought he had so well in
hand (completely under control).—
JANE AUSTEN.

(&) in present possession ;

ready for use. P.

" You are in the fortunate position
of having a competence of your own,
I conclude."

"Well, yes: that is, I come into it
on my majority— something in land
and also in hand."— BESANT.
(c) under discussion. P.

Mrs. Nickleby glided, by an easy
change of the conversation, occasion-
ally into various other anecdotes, no
less remarkable for their strict ap-

Blcation to the subject in hand.—
ICKENS.

To KEEP IN HAND — to direct
or manage. P.

As keeping in hand the home-farm
at Domwell, he had to tell what
every field was to bear next year.
—JANE AUSTEN.

To TAKE IN HAND — to take charge
of ; to pay attention to. P.

I have asked Herr Hoffman to

take me in hand.— Leisure Hour, 1887.

AT HAND — near ; close to one.

P. Used both of time and of

place.

. Mr. Woodhouse was to be talked
into an acquiescence of his daughter's
going out to dinner on a day now
near at hand (soon to arrive).— JANE
AUSTEN.

TO COME TO HAND - to be T6-

ceived. P.

"Your letter came to hand yester-
day morning, Dr. Tempest," said Mr.
Crawley.— A. TROLLOPS.

AT FIRST-HAND — directly ; with-
out any intermediate process.
P.

Could we not have a school for
great men, just as they used to have
a school of prophets ? . . . They would
be taught to speak ; they would be
taught to study mankind at first-
hand and not by reports ; they
would be taught to write, to reason,
to investigate ; above all, they would

, ,

come here at first-hand if you will
have me.— JANE AUSTEN.

AT SECOND-HAND — not directly ;
through an intermediary. P.

He kept up just so much com-
munication with them as to inform
them, at second-hand or at third-
hand, which measures to impede
and if possible to defeat.— TREYEL-

YAN.

Our OF HAND. — (a) directly; at
once. P.
Gather we our forces out of hand,

and set upon our boasting enemy.
SHAKESPEARE.

Sir Terence, in a tone of jocose,
wheedling expostulation, entreated
him to have the carriage finished
out of hand (forthwith). — MARIA
EDQEWORTH.

- (&) ended ; finished. P.
Were these inward wars once out of

hand (over),
We would, dear lords, unto the Holy

Land.— SHAKESPEARE.

HAND OVER HAND — at a rapid
rate. C.

He made money hand over hand.
— HALIBURTON.

HAND OVER HEAD — leisurely ;
easily. P.

He set his magnificent main-sail
and fore-sail and main-jib, and came
up with the ship hand over head,

Hand

112

Hands

the moderate breeze giving him an

advantage.— C. KEADE.
AN OLD HAND — an experienced

person. P.
Thomas was too old a hand (pru

dent a personage) to make light of

anything.-BLACKMORE.
I am an old Parliamentary hand.—

W. E. GLADSTONE.
A GREAT HAND AT ANYTHING —

very well skilled in it; very
prone to it. C.

He is a great hand at a flam (an
inveterate liar).— HALIBURTON.

Good is a great hand at talking.—
H. R. HAGGARD.

WITH A HIGH HAND — arrogantly ;
imperiously. P.

We have no time now for such
trumpery; we must carry things
now with a much higher hand (more
imperiously).— BLACKMORE.

TO GET OF GAIN THE UPPER HAND

— to obtain the mastery. P.

It seems to me that the old Tory
influence has gained the upper hand..
— J. CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.
FROM HAND TO MOT7TH — with-

out making any provision
for the morrow ; consuming
every day what is earned. P.

No winter passes without reports
of bitter distress in Korea. The
general mass of the inhabitants live
from hand to mouth, and can barely
support themselves at the best of
times.— Japan Mail, 1886.
TO FIGHT FOR ONE'S OWN HAND

— to look after one's own
interests. P.

He had won the respect of his
official superiors by showing that,
in case of need, he could fight for
his own hand (struggle on behalf of
nis own interests).— TREVELYAN.
HAND AND GLOVE or HAND IN
GLOVE — on very intimate terms.
P.
And prate and preach about what

others prove,
As if the world and they were hand

and glove.-Cowi>ER.

Ap.-On the most familiar terms.

We thought him just the same
man as ever-hand and glove (inti-

If we go hand and glove with oil
tobacco, corn, sugar, etc., we must'
at least, get confounded with these
es.— H. CONWAY.

half-nal

TO LEND A HAND to help. C

Here comes a huntsman out of ihe
woods dragging a bear which he has
shot, and shouting to the neighbours
to lend him a hand. - N. EAW-

THORNE.
TO BEAR A HAND to be quiet. F.

Stop, stop, daddy," said a little
naked imp of a boy, "stop till
I get my cock-shy." " Well, bear a
hand then, said he, or he 11 be off ;
I won't wait a minute." — HALI-
BURTON.

HAND IN HAND — (a) wioh the
hands joined ; close together ;
linked in friendly fashion. P.
Now we are tottering down, John ;

But hand in hand we'll go,
And sleep together at the foot,

John Anderson, my jo.— BURNS.

(&) in conjunction ; in uni-
son. P.

They were unable to see how paro-
chial affairs could go on unless they
worked hand in hand with the curate.
— H. CONWAY.

TO MAKE A POOR HAND AT to

make little impression upon ;
to make little progress with. C.
Notwithstanding the captain's ex-
cessive joviality, he made but a poor
hand at the smoky tongue.— DICK-
ENS.

TO MAKE NO HAND OF to be

unable to explain. C.

No, sir, I can make no hand of it ;
I can't describe him.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

To GIVE ONE'S HAND UPON ANT-
THING — to pledge one's honour
to fulfil a promise. P.

The moment I choose, I can be rid
of Mr. Hyde ; I give you my hand
upon that (promise you that sol-
emnly).—R. L. STEVENSON.

ON HAND — in one's possession. P.
Last year I believe it was some-
thing awful; you could see at the
end of the season how the mothers
were beginning to pull long faces
when they thought of having to
start off for Baden-Baden with a
whole lot of unsaleable articles on
hand.— WM. BLACK.

Hands. — To HOLD ONE'S HANDS
— to do nothing ; to refrain
from interfering. P.

So, with something of an ill grace,
Lord Salisbury bade those of his
inclining to hold their hands, and
the Land Bill of 1881 became law.—
JUSTIN M'CARTHY.

Handle

TO LAY HANDS ON to Seize

\to lay hold of. P.

\ Lay hands on the villain.

SHAKESPEARE.

TO SHAKE HANDS WITH to Bl

Itite by grasping the hand. P
The monarch is forced to shake
hands with the very politicians who
hare just brought before the House
the abolition of the royal preroga
tive,— OUIDA.

To HAVE UPON ONE'S HANDS —
to be responsible for ; to
have charge of. C.

The son made various unsucces
ful provisions for himself, and sti _
continued on his father's hands.—

IOWELLS.

Patty had all the business^ of the
house upon her hanc
EDGEWORTH.
TO TAKE OFF ONE'S HANDS —

to free from a burden. C.

No one will take Ugly Mug off my
hands, even as a gift.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

ON ALL HANDS — everywhere. C.

I believe it's admitted on all hands

that they (the young men at Oxford)

know what's good, and don't coddle

themselves.— DICKENS.

MY HANDS ARE PULL — I am

very busy; I have plenty of
work to do. C.

Robinson's hands were now full :
he made brushes, and every day put
some of them to the test upon the
floor and walls of the building.-C.
READE.

TO CHANGE HANDS to gO into

the possession of another. P.
And so they haggled on for a little
longer, but at the end of the inter-
view Dandy had changed hands, and
was permanently engaged as a mem-
ber of Mr. Punch's travelling com-
pany.—F. ANSTEY.

Handle. — To GIVE A HANDLE
TO — to supply with an occa-
sion. P.

The defence of Vatinius gave a
plausible handle (furnished a fair
opportunity) for some censure upon
Cicero.— MALMOTH.

As soon as it is known that we

have kept the child here so strangely,

we give a handle to suspicion and

scandal.— HUGH CONWAY.

TO HANDLE WITHOUT MITTENS,

or GLOVES — to treat without
any superfluous politeness or

113 Handwriting

gentleness; to attack vigor-
ously. P.

He declares that it is time for the
good and true men to handle the
impostors without gloves. — North
American Revieiu, 1887.
A HANDLE TO ONE'S NAME — a

title. C.

Now he has got a handle to his
name, and he'll live in clover all his
life.— A. TROLLOPE.

Foster went forward into the fore-
castle as a common sailor and lost
tne handle to his name (was no more
addressed as Mr. Foster).— R H
DANA, JUN.

TO GO OFF THE HANDLE — to

die. S.

My old gentleman means to be
mayor, or governor, or president, or
something or other before he goes
off the handle.-O. W. HOLMES.

Handsome. — To DO THE HAND-
SOME THING BY ANOTHER
PERSON — to behave liberally
towards him. P.

She hoped it would be a match,
and that his lordship would do the
handsome thing by his nephew.—
FIELDING.

Handwriting. — THE HAND-
WRITING ON THE WALL — the
announcement of an approach-
ing catastrophe. P. See
the Bible, Dan. v. 5-31.
At the feast of Eelshazzar,
the king of Babylon, the're
" came forth fingers of a
man's hand, and wrote over
against the candlestick upon
the plaster of the wall of the
king's palace : and the king
saw the part of the hand that
wrote. . . . And this is the writ-
ing that was written, Mene,
Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This
is the interpretation of the
thing: Mene; God hath num-
bered thy kingdom, and fin-
ished it. Tekel ; Thou art
weighed in the balances, and
found wanting. Peres; Thy
kingdom is divided, and given
to the Medes and Persians.
...In that night was Belshazzar
the king of the Chaldeans
slain. And Darius the Median
took the kingdom."

114

Hang*. — To HANG FIRE — to de-
lay the accomplishment ; to
come to no decisive result. P.
The plot, too, which had been sup-
ported for four months by the sole
evidence of Gates, began to hang
fire.— GREEN.

To HANG OUT — to lodge ; to
live. S.

I say. old boy, where do you hang
out?— DICKENS.

To HANG IN CHAINS — to suspend
a criminal's body in an iron
frame, as a public spectacle.
P.

They hanged him in chains for a
show.— TENNYSON.

TO GET THE HANG OP A THING to

understand the general mean-
ing, drift, or principle of any-
thing. F.

TO HANG BY A THREAD to be

in a very precar'ous position
or condition. P.

A sailor knows too well that his
life hangs by a thread to wish to be
often reminded of it.— R.\H. DANA,
JUN.

A HANG-DOG LOOK — a guilty,
depressed appearance. F.
"He, he!" tittered his friend,
you are so— so very funny ! "
"I need be," remarked Ralph
dryly, "for this is rather dull and
chilling. Look a little brisker,
man, and not so hang-dog like."—
DICKENS.

Hank. — HANK FOR HANK — on
equal terms. C.

If w? become partners, it must be
a hank- for -hank arrangement (an
arrangement where we shall have
equal profits).

Happy. — HAPPY-GO-LUCKY —
improvident; heedless. C

clasV-C. a8°-1UCky Way °f his

THE HAPPY DESPATCH — suicide ;
a name commonly given to
the Japanese method. C.

It was to .provide Lord Harry
Brentwopd with a seat (in Parlia-
ment) that I was to commit this
ac' -2fi hSSP?, despatch (political
suicide).— Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Hard.— HARD AS THE NETHER
MILLSTONE— very hard; un-

Hare

feeling and obdurate. ?.
Generally applied to human
character.

We in the wilderness are exposed
to temptations which go some way
to make us silly and soft-hearted.
Somehow, few of us are certain to
keep our hearts as hard as the aether
.-Ninet eentfi Century, 1887.

A HARD CASE — an irreclaimably
bad person. C.

He was a fellow-clerk of mine, and
a hard case.— £. L. STEVENSON.

HARD AND FAST — securely. P.
"You can't mean Smike?" cried

— DICKENS.

TO GO HARD WITH ONE. Said

where any one fares ill or has
bad luck. P.

It will go hard with poor Antonius.
SHAKESPEARE.

IT SHALL GO HARD BUT I WILL Or

IF I DO NOT — I shall most

surely. P.

It shall go hard if Cambio go with-

out her.— SHAKESPEARE.

Exp— Cambio shall certainly go
with her.

HARD BY — in the immediate
vicinity ; close to. P.

The news next obtained of the
elephant was that he had killed
several persons hard by.—Chambers's
Journal, 1887.

HARD LINES — harsh treatment;
unfortunate conditions. C.

That was hard lines for me, after
I had given up everything for the
sake or getting you an education
which was to be a fortune to you.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

HARD UP — having little money to
pay one's debts ; in monetary
difficulties. C.

Every man in England who was
had a hard-up friend,

hard u

wrote to him for money in loan, with

or without security.— BESA NT.

Hare. — As MAD AS A MARCH
HARE — crazy ; insane. P.
. "Oh," said the admiral, "then he
is mad?"

"As a March hare, sir. And I'm
afraid putting him in irons will
make him worse. It is a case for
a lunatic asylum."— C. READE.

l\

Bark

115

Haul

THE HARE'S FOOT — the brush
used by ladies for applying
rouge. C.

The heart of poor dear Babs gave
a bound which brought a colour into
her face brighter than that which
the hare's foot had left.-MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

Hark. — To HARK BACK — to
return to a subject which has
been dropped ; to begin again
where one has left off. P.

Had they gone and told Silver, all
might have turned out differently ;
but they had their orders, I suppose,
and decided to sit quietly where
they were and hark back again to
"Lilliburlero" (commence singing
" Lilliburlero" again).— R.L.STEVEN-
SON.

Harness. — To DIE IN HAR-
NESS— to continue at one's
occupation until one's death ;
to refuse to retire from active
life. C.

Nevertheless it was his (Lord
Shaftesbury's) constant prayer that
he might die in harness, and his
last years were full of unceasing
activity.— Leisure Hour, 1887.

Harp. — To HARP ON THE SAME
STRING — to continue speaking
on the same subject. C.

His mind, she thought, was cer-
tainly wandering, and, as often hap-
pens, it continued to harp on the
same string.— JAMES PAYN.

Harum. — HARUM - SCARUM —
wild; reckless. C.

They had a quarrel with Sir
Thomas Newcome's own son, a
harum-scarum lad, who ran away,
and then was>ent to India.— THACK-
ERAY. -

Hash. — TO SETTLE A MAN'S

HASH FOR HIM — to overthrow
his schemes ; to ruin him. S.
At Liverpool she (the elephant)
laid hold of Bernard, and would
have settled his hash for (killed)
him, but Elliot came between them.
— C. READE.

Haste. — THE MORE HASTE THE
LESS SPEED — excessive haste
is often the cause of delay. C.
Women are "fickle cattle," I re-
member—I am sure my dear wife
will excuse my saying so in her
presence— and "most haste" is often
K worst speed 'with them. -FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

Hat. — To HANG UP ONE'S HAT
IN A HOUSE — to make oneself
at home ; to enter into occu-
pation. F. Visitors usually
carry their hats in their handa
when making a short visit ;
to hang up the hat implies
special intimacy or a regular
invitation.

"Eight hundred a year, and as
nice a house as any gentleman could
wish to hangup his nat in, "said Mr.
Cumming.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO PASS ROUND THE HAT — to

solicit subscriptions. C.

A BAD HAT — a good-for-nothing
fellow. F.

There was a fellow in my Katie's
family who was formerly in the army,
and turned out a very bad hat in-
deed.— BESANT.

Hatches. — To BE UNDER
HATCHES — to be in a state of
depression or poverty ; to be
dead. C.

Well, he's dead now and under
hatches.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Hatehet. — To BURY THE
HATCHET — to cease fighting ;
to become friendly. C. A
phrase borrowed from a Red
Indian custom.

Dr. Andrew Marshall made it up
with his adversary, and they lived
on friendly terms ever afterwards.
Why don't some of our living medici
bury the hatchet with a like effective
ceremony?— JEAFFRESON.

TO DIG UP THE HATCHET — to

renew hostilities. C.

TO TAKE UP THE HATCHET — to

make war. C.

TO THROW THE HATCHET — to tell

fabulous stories. F,

Haul. TO HAUL OVER THE

COALS. See COAL.

To HAUL IN WITH — to sail close
to the wind, in order to ap-
proach more closely an object.
A nautical phrase.

To HAUL OFF — to sail close to
the wind, in order to avoid
an object. A nautical phrase.

To HAUL ROUND — (of the wind)
to shift to any point on the
compass. A nautical phrase.

Have 116

To HAUL THE WIND — to turn the
head of the ship nearer to that
point from which the wind
blows. A nautical phrase.

Have. — To HAVE AT A PERSON —
to try to strike or hit him. C.
A have-at-him is a stroke or
thrust.

And therefore. Peter, have at thee
(I'll hit thee) with a downright blow.
—SHAKESPEARE.

Well, come here and 111 have at
you in the vulgar tongue. — C.
EEADE.

To HAVE AT A THING — to begin
it or attempt it. C.

Have at (I'll begin) it with you.—
SHAKESPEARE.

TO HAVE IT OUT (WITH A PERSON)

— (a) to settle a disputed
point ; to challenge another
because of some offence of
which he has been guilty. C.

I marched back to our rooms feel-
ing savagely inclined to have it out
with Forbes for (demand from Forbes
an explanation of) his selfishness and
lack of consideration.— Macmillan's
Magazine, 1887.

(&) to finish it ; to enjoy the

, rest of it. C.

During the remainder of the day
Mr. Browdie was in a very odd and
excitable state; bursting occasion-
ally into an explosion of laughter,
and then taking up his hat and run-
ing into the coachyard to have it out
by himself.— DICKENS.

To HAVE A CARE — to be cautious.
C.

Have a care, Joe ; that girl is set-
ting her cap at you.— THACKERAY.

TO HAVE NOTHING FOR IT — to

have no alternative. P.

He had nothing for it but to dis-
perse his army.— BURTON.
HE HAD LIKE TO HAVE — he came
near having. P.

Wherever the Giant came, all fell
before him ; but the Dwarf had like
to have been (was nearly) killed more
than once.— GOLDSMITH.

Hawk. — To KNOW A HAWK

FROM A HERNSHAW— to be

clover; to be wideawake. C.
A hcrnshaw is a kind of heron
When the wind is southerly I kno\v
a hawk from a hernshaw (or haiUl-
EaW).— bHAKESPEAKE.

Head

Hawse. — To COME IN AT THE
HAWSE-HOLES — to enter the
navy at the lowest grade. F.

Hay. — To MAKE HAT WHILE THE
SUN SHINES — to take every
advantage of a favourable
opportunity. P.

If Patty had not been wise in her
generation— if she had not made her
hay while the sun shone, and lined
her nest while feathers were flying
abroad— on the death of her master
she would have come to cruel ends.
—MRS. E. LYNN LINXON.

BETWEEN HAT AND GRASS — in an
unformed state ; hobble-de-
hoy. F. An Americanism,
said of youths between boy-
hood and manhood.

To MAKE HAT OF — to throw into
confusion ; to disturb. F.

Oh. father, you are making hay of
my things.— MARIA EDGE WORTH.

Head. — To HAVE A HEAD ON
ONE'S SHOULDERS — to be pos-
sessed of judgment and dis-
cretion. P.

To be sure, her father had a head
on his shoulders, and had sent her
to school, contrary to the custom of
the country.— C. KEADE.

TO EAT HIS HEAD OFF (of a

horse) to do little or no work ;
costing more in food than he
is worth. C.

It was my duty to ride, sir, a very
considerable distance on a mare who
had been eating her head off (resting
lazily in her stable.— BLACKMORE.

TO TAKE IT INTO ONE'S HEAD

to conceive a sudden notion.
F. See TAKE.

Francis had taken it into his head
to stroll over to Whitestone's that
evening.

To TURN ONE'S HEAD — to make
vain or unreasonable. C.

Well, he fairly turned Sail's head ;
the more we wanted her to give him
up.nhe more she wouldn't.— HALI-

/ BURTON.

To PUT OUT OF ONE'S HEAD — to

forget ; to drive away the
thought of. C.

Emma at last, in order to put the
Martins out of her head, was obliged
to hurry on the news, which she had
meant to give with so much caution.
—JANE AUSTEN.

Head

117

Heart

HEADS OB TAILS ? — A cry used
in tossing up a British coin.
The face side and the reverse
side of the coin are known re-
spectively as heads (with refer-
ence tOjthe King's head stamped
on that side), and as tails, a
term which has no particular
significance.

If you come out heads (says Cripps,
addressing an old sixpence which he
is about to toss), little Ethy shall go :
if you come out tails, I shall take it
for a sign that we ought to turn tail
in (retreat from) this here job.—
BLACKMOBE.

TO MAKE NEITHER HEAD NOR TAIL

OF ANYTHING — to be unable
to understand or find meaning
in any statement or event. C.
You did say some queer things,
ma'am, and I couldn't make head
nor tail of what you said.— MBS.
OLIPHANT.

OVER HEAD AND EARS — com-
pletely. C.

Kit is over head and ears (in love),
and she will be the same with him
after that fine rescue.— BLACKMORE.

He's over head and ears in debt.—
THACKEBAY.

HEAD - OVER - HEELS — hurriedly ;
before one has time to consider
the matter. C.

This trust which he had taken on
him without thinking about it, head-
over-heels in fact, was the centre
and turning-point of his school life.
— HxraHES.

To GIVE THE HEAD TO A HORSE

to allow it freedom. C.
He gave his able horse the head.
SHAKESPEABE.

TO LET A MAN HAVE HIS HEAD

to allow him freedom. F.
A phrase borrowed from the
last, and originally only appli-
cable to a horse.

She let him have his head for a bit,
and then, when he'd got quite accus-
tomed to the best of everything and
couldn't live without it, she turned
him into the street, where there is no
claret and no champagne.— BESANT.

HEAD AND SHOULDERS — by the
height of the head and shoul-
ders. C.

My son is head and shoulders
taller than his mother.

To COME TO A HEAD — to ripen ;
to approach completion. P.

The plot was discovered before it
came to a head.

HEAD AND FRONT — the out-
standing and important part.
P.

" Your good conversation in Christ "
—"As he who called you is holy, be
ye holy in all your conversation."
This is the head and front of the
matter with the writer.— M. ABNOLD.
OFF ONE'S HEAD — crazy ; ex-
cited, and not under the
guidance of one's reason ;
delirious. C.

His three companions exchanged a
second look of meaning, and one of
the men whispered to his mate, "He's
clean off his head" (he is no longer
sane).— All the Year Mound, 1887.
TO BUT Or SELL A PROPERTY OVER

ONE'S HEAD — to buy or sell
without consulting the occu-
pants. C.

Now his return to Beaton Brows,
his crafty purchase of Mock Beggar
over their heads, and his reputed
wealth, bid fair to poison the whole
stream of social life for them.— MBS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

"What will become of Eed Win-

" It will be sold over my head."—
Chambers' s Journal, 1888.
To KEEP ONE'S HEAD ABOVE
WATER — to avoid bankrupt-
cy. C.

He is not, like our friend Sir Hya-
cinth O'Brien, forced to sell tongue
and brains and conscience to keep
his head above water.— MABIA EDGE-

WOBTH.

Heap. — STRUCK ALL OF A HEAP
— completely astonished. F.

I thought he'd fainted too: he
was so struck all of a heap.— HALI-

BUBTON.

Heap. — To HEAR TELL OF —
to hear by report ; to be in-
formed of. F.

I never heard tell of a man becom-
ing a dressmaker.— HALIBUBTON.

Heart. — To TAKE HEART — to
become hopeful ; to feel en-
couraged. P.

It is difficult for the farmer, par-
ticularly in some districts of Fife, to
take heart after the experience of the
last few days with their ceaseless
torrents.-Sii. Andrews Citizen, 1886.

Heart

TO TAKE ANYTHING TO HEART —

to feel deeply pained about
anything. P.

I would not shame you by seeming
to take them to heart or treat them
earnestly for an instant. -DICKENS.

To BREAK ONE'S HEART — to die
of disappointment ; to be mor-
tally disappointed ; to cause
bitter grief or sorrow to one.

He (Lord Aberdeen) entered into
the Crimean War, and it broke his
heart (caused his death from grief).
— M. ARNOLD.

But his friend talked, and told the
other officers how Greaves had been
jilted, and was breaking his heart
(dying of grief).— C. READE.

IN ONE'S HEART OF HEARTS —
in the inmost recesses of the
heart ; privately ; secretly. P.
In his heart of hearts he feared
lest there might be some flaw in the
young man's story.— JAMES PAYN.

TO CARRY Or WEAR ONE'S HEART

UPON ONE'S SLEEVE — to ex-
pose one's inmost thoughts to
one's neighbours. P.

In his youth, and in his unre-
served intercourse with his sisters,
lie (Beaconsfield) would have ap-
peared to carry a warm heart upon
nis sleeve (displayed unreservedly
inner feelings of kindness).— Edin-
burgh Review, 1886.

Tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my

sleeve
For daws to peck at.— SHAKESPEARE.

Ncte. — By "daws" are meant cap-
tious, ill-natured people.

HEART AND SOUL — enthusiastic-
ally. P.

Re went into the scheme heart
and soul (with enthusiasm).

HIS HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE

— he is of a kindly and sympa-
thetic disposition. C. Sec
EIGHT.

To HAVE AT HEART — to be deeply
interested in. P.

What a touching attachment that
is which these poor fellows show to
anyone who has their cause at heart
—even to any one who says he has.—
THACKERAY.

TO GET Or LEARN BY HEART — to

^commit to memory. P.

She fell to laughing like one out of
her right mind, and made nae say

118 Heart

the name of the bog over, for her to
get it by heart, a dozen times.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

To HAVE ONE'S HEART IN ONE'S
MOUTH — to be frightened or
startled. C.

" Old Thady," said my master just
as he used to do. "how do you do?"

" Very well, I thank your honour's
honour," said I ; but I saw he was
not well pleased, and my heart was
in my mouth as I walked along with
him.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

HEART WHOLE — not in love. C.

No young woman could reject such
an offer without consideration, if
she were heart whole.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

TO TAKE HEART OF GRACE —
to feel one's courage revive. C.
At length Mr. Turner, taking heart
of grace, ventured to doubt whether
the doings described would have
been tolerated by any head-master
worthy of his high and responsible
post.— W. E. NORRIS.

I told him I was come to the
Queensferry on business, and, tak-
ing heart of grace, asked him to
direct me to the house of Mr. Ran-
keillor.— R. L. STEVENSON.

HIS HEART BANK INTO HIS BOOTS

— he lost hope or courage ;
he became deeply disheart-
ened. C.

Perhaps it was this— perhaps it was
the look of the island, with its gray
melancholy woods, and wild stone
spires, and the surf that we could
both see and hear foaming and
thundering on the steep beach— at
least, although the sun shone bright
and hot, and the shore birds were
fishing and crying all around us, and
you would have thought any one
would have been glad to land after

the very thought of Treasure Island.
— R. L. STEVENSON.

AFTER ONE'S OWN HEART — just
such as one likes ; dear to
one. P.

It was, indeed, a representative
gathering after the Talberts' own
heart.— HUGH CONWAY.

OUT OF HEART — heavy ; sodden.
C.

The tillage-ground had been so ill

Eaged by his predecessor that the
was what is called quite out of
t.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Heaven

119

Hen

Heaven. — IN THE SEVENTH
HEAVEN — in a state of intense
delight or exaltation. P.
. William Henry, for his part, was
in the seventh heaven. . . . Those
days at Stratford were the happiest
days of bis life.— JAMES PAYN.

GOOD HEAVENS ! — an exclama-
tion of surprise. C.

Sir Henry Steele broke in loudly,
"Good heavens I well, he is an extra-
ordinary man. — C. READE.

Heavy. — HEAVY IN HAND —
deficient in verve ; requiring
to be urged on. C. A phrase
originally used in driving.

He was a kind, honest fellow,
though rather old-fashioned, and
just a trifle heavy in hand.— JAMES

j
P

AYN.

Heels. — LAID BY THE HEELS —
(a) prostrated. F.

When a very active man is sud-
denly laid by the heels, sad as the
dispensation is, there are sure to be
Borne who rejoice In it.— BL ACKMORE.

- (&) put under arrest. F.

TO TAKE TO ONE'S HEELS— to

run off. F.

Timothy's Bess'a Ben first kicked
out vigorously, then took to his
heels (scampered away), and sought
refuge behind his father's legs.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

DOWN AT HEELS, Or OUT AT

HEELS — having bad or un-
tidy shoes ; in poor circum-
stances. C.

I am almost out at heels (in
very low circumstances).— SHAKE-
SPEARE.

Sneak into a -corner . . . down at
heels and out at elbows.— DARRELL.

To COOL or KICK ONE'S HEELS —
to be made to wait when
calling upon some great per-
sonage. C.

We cooled our heels during the
ordinary and inevitable half-hour.—

I have been waiting, kicking my
heels since the train came in.—
SARAH TYTLER.

TO TREAD UPON THE HEELS — to

follow closely. P.

One woe doth tread upon another's
heels (follows another closely).—
SHAKESPEARE.

ACHILLES' HEEL — the only vul-
nerable part. P. When Thetis
dipped her son in the river
Styx to make him invulner-
able, she held him by the heel,
and the part covered by her
hand was the only part not
washed by the water.

Hanover is the Achilles' heel (only
assailable point) to invulnerable
England.— CARLYLE.

TO KICK UP THE HEELS — to

die. F.

His heels he'll kick up,
Slain by an onslaught fierce of hick-
up.— ROBERT BROWNING.

TO COME Or FOLLOW UPON THE

HEELS OP — to follow closely ;
immediately succeeding. P.

Bread, I believe, has always been
considered first, but the circus comes
close upon its heels.— Contemporary
Review, 1887.

Exp.— The multitude cries first for
food, but soon it demands amuse-
ments.

The news of the sudden decease of
old Mr. Caresfoot, of the discovery
of Philip's secret marriage and the
death of his wife . . . and of many
other things, that were some of them
true and some of them false, follow-
ing as they did upon the heels of
the great dinnerparty, and the an-
nouncement made thereat, threw the
country-side into an indescribable
ferment.— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO GET THE HEELS OF ANOTHER —

to outstrip him. F.

O rare Strap, thou hast got the
heels of me at last.— SMOLLETT.

TO SHOW THE HEELS TO to

outstrip. P.

My impatience has shown its heels
to my politeness.— R. L. STEVENSON.

TO SHOW A LIGHT PAIR OF HEELS

— to abscond. F.

The day after the discovery of the
fraud, Stanton thought it prudent to
show a light pair of neels.

Heltep. — HELTER-SKELTER — in
haste and confusion. C.

Colley held up a white handker-
chief in his hand, and Breytenback
fired, and down went the general all
of a heap, and then they all ran
helter-skelter down the hill.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Hen. — LIKE A HEN ON A HOT
GIRDLE — very restless. F.

Hercules

To SELL ONE'S HENS ON A RAINY
DAY — to sell at a disadvantage,
or foolishly. F.

"Never mind our son," cried my
wife. " Depend upon it, he knows
what he is about. 1 11 warrant, we 11
never seehimsell his henson a rainy
day. I have seen him buy such bar-
gains as would amaze one. — GOLD-
SMITH.

Hercules. — HERCULES' LA-
BOURS. Hercules, the myth-
ical strong man of Greece, per-
formed twelve labours or tasks,
requiring enormous strength,
for his brother Eurystheus.
P. See AUGEAN.

That, too, is on the lisu of Her-
cules'labours, Peter mine.— C H ARLES

KlNGSLEY.

Here. — NEITHER HERE NOR
THERE — of no importance. C.

"Touching what neighbour Batts
has said," he began in his usual
slow and steadfast voice, " it may
be neither here nor there."— BLACK-
MORE.

HERE AND 'A HERE — scattered
about thinly; occurring at
rare intervals. P.
I wind about, and in and put,
With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling.
TENNYSON.

The Unitarians are, perhaps, the
great people for taking what here
and there on the surface seems to
conflict most with common sense,
arguing that it cannot be in the
Bible, and getting rid of it.-M.
ARNOLD.

HERE'S TO YOU — I drink to your
good health. C. A somewhat
old-fashioned phrase, used be-
fore drinking a glass of wine
or cordial with a friend.
Here's to budgets, bags, and wallets !
Here s to all the wandering train !
BUKNS.

Exp. — The poet calls upon his
hearers to fill their glasses and drink
to the health of all jolly beggars.

Herod. — To OUT-HEROD HER-
OD — to be more outrageous
than the most outrageous ; to
pass all bounds ; to rant.
P. Herod was the blustering
tyrant of the Old English
mystery plays. See Shake-
speare's Hamlet, act iii. sc. 2.

120 High

But Lord Randolph out-Herods
Herod in the opposite direction.—

ng a romp
To kee

Fortnightly Review,
There is nothing li

1887.

, .

othing like givi
little boldness.

credit for a little boldness. To keep
up her character she will out-Herod
Herod.— BE ACONSFIEXD.

Hie. — Hie JACET — two Latin
words, signifying Here lies,
which frequently begin the
inscription on a tombstone.
P. Inscriptions were formerly
very commonly couched in
Latin.

On each brutal brow was plainly
written the hie jacet of a soul dead
within.— £. BELLAMY.

Hide-and-seek. — To PLAT

HIDE - AND - SEEK WITH ANY

ONE — to seem to elude his
pursuit. F. Hide-and-seek
is a children's game, in which
one hides and the others
try to find him, or vice versa.

Indeed, the time passed so lightly
in this good company that I began
to be almost reconciled to my resi-
dence at Shaws; and nothing but
the sight of my uncle and his eyes
playing hide-and-seek with mine
revived the force of my distrust.—
K. L. STEVENSON.

High. — ON HIGH — aloft ; in
or to heaven. P.
The lark mounts up on high (to

heaven).— SHAKESPEARE.
Thy seat is up on high (aloft).

SHAKESPEARE.

HIGH JINKS — uproarious fun ;
great sport. F.

There he found the eleven at high
jinks after supper, Jack Raggles
shouting comic songs and perform-
ing feats of strength.— HUGHES.

HIGH AND DRY — out of the water ;
in a dry place ; safe. P.

Just where the eastern curve be-
gins stands Kingscliff, a cluster of
white cottages, fronted by a white
beach, whereon some half-dozen of
stout fishing-smacks are hauled up
high and dry.— Good Words, 1887.

HIGH TIME — fully time. P.
Used where a limit of time has
been reached, and it is neces-
sary to delay no more.

It was now high time (very neces-
sary) to retire and take refreshment
against the fatigues of the following
day.— GOLDSMITH.

Hinges 121

HIGH WORDS — an angry discus
sion. P.

Their talk that day had not been
very pleasant ; words, very like higl
words, had passed between them.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

TO BE ON THE HIGH HORSE OF
THE HIGH ROPES ; TO RIDE
THE HIGH HORSE — to have

a haughty demeanour ; to
be overbearing. F.

Yes, I went there the night before
last, but she was quite on the high
ropes about something, and was so
grand and mysterious that I couldn't
make anything of her.— DICKENS.

He's an amusing fellow, and I've
no objection to his making one at
the Oyster Club : but he's a bit too
fond of riding the high horse (of
being arrogant).— GEORGE ELIOT.

HIGH-FALUTIN' — in a pretentious
style ; pompous. S.

His enemies have done their best
to enlighten her as to the hollowness
of his high - falu tin' professions.—
Edinburgh Review, 1882.

WITH A HIGH HAND — imperiously;
arrogantly. P.

Mr. Tolair would have carried his
mission with a very high hand if he
had not been disconcerted by the
very unexpected demonstrations
with which it had been received.—
DICKENS.

A HIGH TEA — " tea " — the even-
ing meal — with meats and
solid food. F.

Miss Gray need not trouble about
dress; she always looked nice. That
serge she was wearing would do cap-
itafly, if she did not grudge it, for
sauntering about the fields and gar-
den, being pulled about by the chil-
dren, and sharing their dinner and
high tea.— SARAH TYTLER.

Hinges. — OFF THE HINGES —
in disorder ; in a disturbed
state. C.

At other times they are quite off
the hinges, yielding themselves up to

tiie nmges, yielding themselves up to
the way of their lusts and passions.
— SHARPE.

Hip. — HIP AND THIGH — in no
half-hearted way ; showing
no mercy. P.

"Protestants, I mean," says he
(the priest), "are by the ears a-
drivm' away at each other the whole
blessed time, tooth and nail, hip
and thigh, hammer and tongs.'—
HALIBURXON.

Hit

TO SMITE HIP AND THIGH — to

overthrow with great slaughter.
C.

"We shall smite them hip and
thigh " (defeat them utterly ), he cried.
— H. CONWAY.

It was that seventeen pounds to
Grobury the baker, for flour, which
made the butcher so fixedly deter-
mined to smite the poor clergyman
hip and thigh.— A. TROLLOPS.

To HAVE ON THE nip — to gain
the advantage over in a strug-
gle. C. A wrestling phrase.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I

bear him.— SHAKESPEARE.

How would Crawley look at him—
Crawley, who had already once had
him on the hip?— A. TROLLOPE.

Hit. — To HIT OFF — to describe
in a terse and clever manner.
C.

Goldsmith concocted a series of
epigrammatic sketches, under the
title of Retaliation, in which the
characters of his distinguished in-
timates were admirably hit off with
a mixture of generous praise and
good-humoured raillery. — W. IR-
VING.

TO HIT IT OFF TOGETHER — to

agree ; to suit each other.
C.

You should have seen Kembleand
him together ; it was as good as any
play. They don't hit it off together
so well (find each other so congenial)
as you and I do.— JAMES PAYN.

TO HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD —

to speak appositely ; to touch
the exact point in question.
P.

We have already had Quintilian's
witness, how right conduct brings
joy. . . .And Bishop Wilson, always
hitting the right nail on the head in
matters of this sort, remarks that,
" If it were not for the practical diffi-
culties attending it, virtue would
hardly be distinguishable from a
kind of sensuality."— M. ARNOLD.

To HIT UPON — to light upon ; to
discover. P.

I can never hit on 's (recall exactly
his) name.— SHAKESPEARE.

I have hit upon (discovered) such
an expedient.— GOLDSMITH.

To HIT OUT — to strike with the
fists straight from the shoulder ;
to box in a serious fashion. P.

Hither 122

Hither. — HITHER AND THI-
THER— in various directions ;
to and fro. P.

H.M.S. — H.M.S. — an abbrevia-
tion for His Majesty's ship,
or His Majesty's service P.

Hob. — HOB AND NOB, Ot HOB-
NOB. A phrase used of com-
panions drinking together in
a friendly fashion. F. Hence
the verb to hob-nob, or to hob-
and-nob.

"Have another glass?"- With
you, hob -and -nob,' returned the
sergeant.— DICKENS.

I have seen him and his poor com-
panion hob-and-nobbing together.—
THACKERAY.

Hobby. — To RIDE A HOBBY —
to follow a favourite pursuit,
or introduce a favourite subject
into conversation with a child-
ish eagerness. P.

Nevertheless, some ladies have
hobbies which they ride with consid-
erable persistence. Mrs. Jennynge's
hobby was a sort of hearse-horse, for
it consisted in a devotion to the
memory of her late second husband
—JAMES PAYN.

TO RIDE A HOBBY TO DEATH —
to weary people utterly with
one's peculiar notions on a
subject. P.

Hobson. — HOBSON'S CHOICE —
no choice at all. C. Said tc
be derived from the name o
a Cambridge livery - stable
keeper, who insisted on eacl
customer taking the hors
that was nearest the door.

Nouniversitymanwould ridehin
even upon Hobson's choice (if h
could get no other to ride).— BLACK
MOKE.

Hocus-pocus. — HOCUS-POCU
— deception ; underhand deai
ing. F. Said to be a play o
the words Hoc est corpus, use
in the Mass.

Our author is playing hqcus-pocu
(hoodwinking his readers) in the ver
similitude he takes from that juggle
—BENTLEY.

The hostess was too adroit at tl._
hocus-pocus of the table which of te
is practised in cheap boardin

Hold

houses. No one could conjure a
single joint through a greater variety
of forms.— WASHINGTON IRVING.

>. — TO GO THE WHOLE HOG —

to" have everything that can
be got ; to refuse to be satis-
fied with merely a portion.
American slang.

But since we introduced the rail-
roads, if we don't go ahead it's a
pity. We never fairly knew what
going the whole hog was till then.—
HALIBURTON.

Hoist. — HOIST WITH or BY
ONE'S OWN PETARD — destroyed
by one's own machinations,
framed for the destruction of
others. P. See Shakespeare's
Hamlet, act iii. sc. 4.

It's too disastrous a victory. I m
hoist by my own petard— caught m
my own mouse - trap. — W. D.
Ho WELLS.

Hoity. — HOITY-TOITY. An ex-
clamation signifying that the
person addressed has been
speaking or acting petulantly
and absurdly. C.

"Hoity-toity!" cries Honour;
" madam is in her airs, I protest."—
FIELDING.

Hold. — TO HOLD BY — tO SUp-

port ; to approve of. C.

Even the paterfamilias who did not
hold by stage plays made an excep-
tion in honour of the Bard of Avon.
—JAMES PAYN.

To HOLD FORTH — to speak in
public, generally in praise of
something. P.

A pretty conjurer, telling fortunes,
held forth in the market-place.—

L'ESTRANGE.

The small boys, who are great
speculators on the prowess of their
elders, used to hold forth to (haran-
gue) one another about Williams s
great strength.— HUGHES.

To HOLD OFF — to remain at a
distance ; to refuse to join
in any undertaking. P.
If you love me, hold not off.

SHAKESPEARE.

To HOLD ON — to last ; to con-
tinue. P.

The trade held on (continued) for
many years after the bishops became
Protestants.— SWIFT.

Hold

To HOLD OUT — to offer resistance
not to succumb or yield.

A consumptive person may hoL
out (not succumb to the disease) f o
years.— ARBUTHNOT.

To HOLD GOOD — to be valid ; t<
be applicable. P.

No man will be banished, an<
banished to the torrid zone, fo
nothing. The rule holds good wit!
respect to (is valid for) the lega
profession.— MACAULAY.

To HOLD IN PLAY — to keep fullj
occupied with secondary mat
ters while the attention is
diverted from the main point
at issue. P.

Grouchy was to hold the Prussian?
in play until the emperor had routec
Wellington.

To HOLD ONE'S OWN — to contend
successfully ; to maintain what
one is struggling for. P.

So far as silent maledictions were
concerned, no profanity of theirs
could hold its own against the in-
tensity and deliberation with which
he expressed between his teeth his
views in respect to their eternal
interests.— Democracy.

Moreover, with all her retiring
ways, she was always quite capable
of holding her own.— WM. BLACK.

To HOLD WATER — to bear close
inspection. C. A phrase gen
erally used negatively.

Tales had gone about respecting
her. Nothing very tangible; and
perhaps they would not have held
water.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

To HOLD IN CHECK — to restrain ;
to control. P.

We should find difficulty in sup-
plying an army of eight thousand
men at Kandahar, which would be
sufficient to hold in check the ad-
vance of one hundredl thousand
Russians from the Caucasus.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.

NEITHER TO HOLD NOR TO BIND —
in a state of ungovernable ex-
citement. C.

"I tell you in turn,"saidtheyoung
man, who was neither to hold nor to
bind, gimply because something had
been said about his wife—" I tell you
in turn that I mean tocontest the seat
all the same ; and what is more, by
ry I mean to win it."—

123 Home

Hole. — HOLE - AND • CORNER —
secret; underhand. C.
But such is the wretched trickery
Butfery. —

the Lord Harry :
WM. BLACK.

of hole - and - corner
DICKENS.

No one could say that it was a

hole-and-corner business, far less

that the assembly was packed (filled

with confederates).— JAMES PAYN.

IN A HOLE — in a difficult position.

How he is going to prove that, I
want to know. I ve got him in a
hole, you'll see.— JUSTIN M'CARTH Y
There is little manoeuvring for
position and putting the other party
in a hole.— The Nation, May 1, 1890.
IN THE HOLE. A phrase used in
playing cards to signify that
the player has made a minus
score.

Holy. — HOLT WATER — water
blessed by the priests of the
Eoman Catholic and Greek
Churches. Catholics keep it
in their houses, and use it on
getting up, on retiring to rest,
and when about to go on a
journey. It is generally placed
in stone basins or fonts at the
entrance of churches, and is
sprinkled on the worshippers
at some of the more important
services of the Church.
Home. — AT HOME — familiar ; on
easy terms. C.

There was admiration, and more
even than admiration, in his eyes.
It was a beautiful expression that I
cannot define or put into words ....
that made me feel at home (friendly)
with him at once.— The Argosy, 1886.
AN " AT HOME " — a reception
or entertainment given in
the afternoon or even'ng. P.

Now it so happened that Mr. Yates
the manager was going to give an
entertainment hecallednisatnomes,
and this took but a small orchestra.
— C. READE.

TO BE " AT HOME '* TO PEOPLE —

to be ready to receive visitors.
C.

"Sir Charles Bassett I" trumpeted
a servant at the door, and then
waited, prudently, to know whether
this young lady, whom he had caught
blushing so red with one gentleman,
would be at home to another.— C.
READE.

Honour

124

Hook

rks

TO BRING A THING HOME TO

PEOPLE— to say something
which interests people, and the
meaning o which they fully

"You're like the wood-pigeon; it
says do, do, do all day, and never sets
about any work itself." That's bnps-
ing it home to people (a sayingwhich
rouses the attention of people).—
GEORGE ELIOT.

TO COME HOME TO A PERSON —

to reach one's conscience ;
to touch one's heart. C.

I've heard a good deal of the clerk
out of place, and now it comes home
to me.— BESANT.
TO MAKE ONESELF AT HOME — to

act as if one were in one's own
house. F.

"Do untie your bonnet-strings,
and make yourself at home, Miss
Nipper, please," entreated Jemima.
—DICKENS.

TO BRING ONESELF HOME — to

recover what one has pre-
viously lost. F.

He is a little out of cash just now.
However, he has taken a very good
road to bring himself home again,
for we pay him very handsomely.—
MADAME D'ARBLAY.

ONE'S LONG HOME — the grave.
P.

Whateveryou can see in cold water
to run after it so, I can't think. If I
was to flood myself like you, it would
soon float me to my long home (cause
my death).— C. EEADE.

Honour. — HONOUR BRIGHT ?

• — do you pledge your word for
it ? F. A phrase used when
a man wishes to be perfectly
sure that he is not going to
be deceived. It is also used
in affirmations to mean ' I
do pledge my word solemnly."

"I do not mean to marry Mr
Jacomb, if that is what you mean."
-"No! Honour bright?" — WM.
BLACK.

''Was it written in joke, pray?"—
"No, that's the best of it,'' returned
the actor; "right down earnest -
honour bright."— DICKENS.
AN AFFAIR OF HONOUR — a dispute
involving a duel. P.

He had to leave London owing t
a fatal result from an affair of honou
in which he was concerned.

A DEBT OF HONOUR — a debt in-
curred at play, which cannot
be recovered by legal process,
and is therefore considered
more binding in the social
code of laws. P.

He had all along meant to pay his
father's debts of honour; but the
moment the law was taken of him,
there was an end of honour, to be
sure.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

A POINT OF HONOUR — a scruple
arising from delicacy of feeling.
P.

" I will not," said Lochiel, "break
the ice. That is a point of honour
with me."— MACAULAY.

HONOURS OF WAR — the privilege
granted to a defeated army
to march out of a town or a
camp with colours flying. P.

The same day, at one P.M., arrived
a letter from General Stiels granting
permission to the officers to retain
their swords, and to the army the
honours of war.— Edinburgh Review,
1886.

THE HONOURS RESTED WITH HIM
— he was the most successful.
P.

The honours of the evening would
have rested with Ratcliff e, had he not
lowered himself again to his ordinary
level.— Edinburgh Review, 1882.
TO DO THE HONOURS to act

as host or hostess at an enter-
tainment. C.

Afterwards Miss Amelia did the
honours of the drawing-room.—
THACKERAY.
Hoof. — TO BEAT Or PAD THE

HOOF — to walk. F.

Charles Bates expressed his opinion
that it was time to pad the hoof.—
DICKENS.

Hook. — BY HOOK OR BY CROOK
— by some means or other ;
through some device. C.

"I do not think," he replied coldly,
after an unpleasant pause, "that
William Henry cares much about
Shakespeare ; but he has probably
asked for his holiday thus early in
hopes that, by hook or by crook, he
may get another one later on."—

JAMESPAYN.

OFF THE HOOKS — (a) in disorder ;
flurried. S.

While Sheridan is off the hooks,

And friend Delany at his books.

SWIFT.

Hop

125

- (6) dead ; no longer in

existence. S.
The attack was so sharp that

Matilda, as his reverence expressed

it, was very nearly off the hooks.—

THACKERAY.
ON ONE'S OWN HOOK — inde

pendently ; on one's own

responsibility. F.
The very eye-

the cane he carr

e very eye-glass, which headed
ane he carried so jauntily in his
hand, was out of keeping with their

eye-glasses, and looked like some
gay young lens who had refused to
be put into spectacles, and was wink-
ing at life on its own hook.— JAMES
PAYN.

To HOOK IT — to run away. S.

Every school-boy knows that the
lion has a claw at the end of his tail
with which he lashes himself into
fury. When the experienced hunter
sees him doing that, he, so to speak,
"hooks it."— H. KINGSLEY.
Hop. - TO HOP THE TWIG - to

die. See KICK THE BUCKET.

Horn. — To DRAW IN ONE'S
HORNS — to be reticent or
timid. C.

" This is not his opinion," said the
doctor dryly, who having been be-
trayed into frankness by the other's
seeming acquaintance with the sub-
ject in question, now once more
seemed inclined to draw in his horns.
—JAMES PAYN.

To SHOW ONE'S HORNS — to show
signs of a devilish nature.
C. " Hornie " is a popular
name for the devil, whose
characteristics, according to
the popular conception, are
his horns, his tail, and his
cloven feet.
"A fine day, Mr. Burchell."

A very fine day, doctor ; though I
fancy we shall have some rain by the
shooting of my corns" (callosities on
the feet).

"The shooting of your horns?"
cried my wife in a loud fit of laughter.
—GOLDSMITH.

Exp.— Mrs. Primrose suggests by
her remark that Mr. Burchell had a
devilish nature.

TO BE ON Or BETWEEN THE HORNS

OF A DILEMMA — to be in a
position of extreme difficulty,
from which there seems no
way of escape. P.

" We never cared for the money,"
said Mrs. Corey. "You know that."

Horrors

"No; and now we can't seem to
care for the loss of it. That would

be still worse. Either horn of the
.ilemma gores us."— W. D.HOWELLS.
Mr. Jeaffreson does not see that his

argument brings him between the
hornsof a dilemma.— Athenaeum, l'2th
November 1887.

The "Tabbies" were on the horns
of a dilemma.— HUGH CONWAY.
THE HORN OP PLENTY — a horn
wreathed and filled to over-
flowing with flowers, corn,
fruit — the symbol of prosperity
and peace. P. Known by
the Latin name cornucopia.
The goddess Ceres is frequently
pictured with it.

Nature, very oddly, when the horn
of plenty is quite empty, always fills
it with babies.— BESANT.

HIS HORN IS EXALTED he is

proud and happy. P. A
Scriptural phrase.

As he paced the walks with Amy
Shillibeer, and caused that young
person's horn to be exalted for
hope that his flirting chaff meant
serious business, he neard nothing
to which he could object. — MRS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

To LOWER ONE'S HORN — to hu-
miliate oneself ; to condescend.
P.

"If we could prevail on him to
abandon this insane affair," said my
Lady Jane, with the sublime self-
forgetfulness of pride when it has
lowered its horn as it skirted by
ruin, and now raises it again as it
touches success. — MRS. E. LYNN

LlNTON.

Hornet. — To BRING or RAISE
A HORNETS' NEST ABOUT ONE'S
EARS — to cause a host of
critics or enemies to rise up
against one. C.

The chief offenders for the time
were flogged and kept in bounds;
but the victorious party had brought
a nice hornets' nest about their ears.
—HUGHES.

HOPPOPS. — THE HORRORS —
the symptoms of delirium
tremens. C.

"It's a strange place," said the
squatter at length, speaking softly,
as though loath to break the curious
stillness. "It's enough to give one
the horrors."— All the Year Hound,
1887.

Hors

HOPS. — HORS DE COMBAT —

rendered useless for fighting;
disabled. P. A French phrase.
If the Board schoolmaster . was
placed korsde combat by professional
scruples and professional fatigue,
the same reservation might have
applied equally to Bennet Gray.—
SARAH TYTLER.

Hopse. — A HORSE-LAUGH — a
coarse, unmeaning laugh. P.

One night, Mr. Yates being funnier
than usual, if possible, a single horse-
laugh suddenly exploded among the
fiddles.— C. READE.

TO FLOG A DEAD HORSE — to

agitate for the revival of a
creed that is extinct. C.

Arguing against Tom Paine is like
flogging a dead horse.
HORSE-PLAT — rough amusement.
C.

To be sure it was a boy, not a man,
and child's-play is sometimes pre-
ferred by the theatre-going world
even to horse-play.— C. READE.
To TAKE HORSE — to journey on
horseback. P.

He took horse to the Lake of Con-
stance, which is formed by the entry
of the Rhine.— ADDISON.

ONE-HORSE — mean ; petty ; in
a small way. F. An Ameri-
canism.

The former (steam circus) was
literally a one-horse, or rather one-

1888.

Oh, well, Rhode Island is a one-
horse state, where everybody pays
taxes and goes to church. — WM.
BLACK.

ON ONE'S HIGH HORSE — puffed -
up ; arrogant. F.

Well, the colonel does seem to be
on his high horse, ma'am.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

Host. — To RECKON or COUNT

WITHOUT ONE'S HOST tO Cal-

culate without considering fully
the practicability of any plan.

His feelings, in fact, were precisely
the same as those on which Mr
Harris had counted -without his
host (rashly).— JAMES PAYN.

Napoleon had reckoned without
his host as regards the position to
be assumed by the South German

126 House

nationalities. — Illustrated London

News, 1887.

Hot. — HOT-FOOT — quickly. C.

The stream was deep here, but some
fifty yards below was a shallow, for
which he made off hot -foot.—
HUGHES.

IN HOT WATER — in a state of
trouble or worry. C.

He was far of tener in disgrace than
Richard, and kept me, I may Bayt in
continual hot water, wondering
what extraordinary trick he would
take it into his head to play next.—
ANNIE K.EARY.

HOUP. AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR

— just in time and no more to
obtain an advantage. P.

At the eleventh hour he is com-
pelled to take the last chance ap-
plicant.—AUGUSTUS JESSOPP.

THE SMALL HOURS — the morning
hours after midnight. C.

He was just playing that last rubbetr
which possesses such elastic attri-
butes, and has kept many a better
man up to the small hours (out of
bed until one or two o'clock), who
otherwise makes it a principle to be
in bed by ten o'clock.— JAMES PAYN.

To KEEP GOOD HOURS — to return
home at an early hour every
evening ; not to be abroad at
night. C.

The landlady said she would have
no lodger who did not keep good
hours.

IN AN EVIL HOUR — under the
influence of an unhappy in-
spiration ; acting from an
unfortunate impulse ; in an
unlucky moment. P.

In an evil hour he consented to give
his son a latch-key.

House. — A HOUSE - TO - HOUSE
VISITATION — a series of visits
made to neighbouring houses
in regular succession. P.

I am struck more and more with
the amount of disease and death I
see around me in all classes, which
no sanitary legislation whatsoever
could touch, unless you had a house-
to-house visitation of a Government
officer.— C. KINGSLEY.

To KEEP HOUSE — (a) to maintain
a separate establishment. P.

My mother no longer keeps house,
but lives with her married daughter.

How

127

— — (&) to manage domestic
affairs ; to act as housekeeper.
P.

When my dear brother was alive

(Ikepthouseforhim.MissNickleby),

we had to supper once a week two or

three young men.— DICKENS.

TO KEEP OPEN HOUSE — to be

hospitable to all comers. P.

colonel, and everybody knew Drink-
water Torm, and everybody who had

Everybody in the country kn^w the
olonel,

jrm, and everyl

been to the colonel's for several years
past (and that was nearly everybody
m the county, for the colonel kept
open house), knew Polly.— Harper's
Monthly, 1886.
TO CRY FROM THE HOUSE-TOPS

— to announce to the public.
P. An Eastern phrase. The
roofs of the houses in Syria
and the neighbouring coun-
tries are flat, and are used in
the evenings as family resorts.

Gabriel, rousing himself now and
again to listen, heard nothing that
might not have been cried from the
house-tops.— D. CHRISTIE MURRAY.
HOUSE OF CALL — a house where
workmen of a particular trade
meet, and where those in need
of workmen can engage their
services. P.

The inn served as a house of call
for farmers returning from Exeter
market.

LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE — very
rapidly and easily ; " swim-
mingly." F.

He has, besides, got his favourite
boots on, and feels equal to almost
any social emergency, so he is making
the agreeable to the heiress with
that degree of originality so pecu-
liarly his own, and getting on, as he
thinks, like a house on fire.— G. J.

a
th
W

HYTE-MELVILLE.

"Yes," said Jeremiah exultantly:
" I'm getting on like a house on fire.
— B. L. FARJEON.

How. — How MUCH ? — a satirical
expression, implying that the
person who is addressed has
used an absurdly learned
phrase. S.

" The plant is of the genus Asde-
viadacce, tribe Stapeliece."— "Genus
how much?"

HOW IS THAT FOR HIGH ? — a

vulgar phrase used after the

Bumble

telling of some wonderful
story. S.

Mr. Berry casually remarks, " I've
hanged one hundred and thirteen

had to explain how the unfortunate
accident occurred." How is that for
high? Truly, it must be a profitable
business that admits of such state
and dignity in a hangman.— St.
Andrews Citizen, 1889.

Hub. — THE HUB OF THE SOLAR

SYSTEM or OF THE UNIVERSE

the central city of the world.
A name often applied in jest
to Boston, Massachusetts. F.

Boston State-House is the hub of
the solar system. You couldn't pry
that put of a Boston man if you had
the tire of all creation straightened
out for a crowbar.— O. W. HOLMES.

Calcutta swaggers as if it were the
hub of the universe.— Daily Ncivs,
1886.

Hue. — HUE AND CRY — a clam-
our in pursuit of an offender.
P.

A hue and cry hath followed certain
men into this house.— SHAKESPEARE.

The Dodger and his accomplished
friend, Master Bates, joined in the
hue and cry which was raised at
Oliver's heels.— DICKENS.

Huff. — TO TAKE THE HUFF —

to be offended ; to be sulky.
F.

Suppose he takes the huff, and goes
to some other lawyer.— C. READE.

Hug1. TO HUG THE SHORE — to

keep close to the shore. P.

We were afraid to venture out to
sea, and decided to hug the shore.
To HUG ONESELF — to chuckle
with satisfaction. F.

He hugged himself at the idea of
their discomfiture.

Hum. — TO HUM AND HAW — to

hesitate in speaking. C.

There came a pause, which, after
humming and hawing a little. Philip
was the first to break.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

Humble. — To EAT HUMBLE-
PIE — to apologize abjectly.
P. Humble, mumble, or
umble pie was made from the

Hundred 128 Idol

"Not one word for me in his
will. ... A hunks," replied Mr.
Bunker; "a miserly hunks."—
BESANT.

Husband. — THE HUSBANDS'
BOAT. A name given to the
Saturday boat from London
which brings down to Margate
during the summer season
the fathers whose families
are at the sea-coast. C.

I never shall forget the evening
when we went to the jetty to see the
'usbands' boat come in.— The Mistle-
toe Bough, 1885.

SHIP-HUSBAND — a sailor who dis-
likes to quit his vessel when in
port. F.

He was, as we use the term at sea,
a regular ship-husband— fat is .to
say, he seldom put his foot onshore.
—CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

HUSBAND'S TEA — very weak tea.
F.

Hush. — To HUSH UP — to keep
concealed ; to suppress. P.

The matter is hushed up, and the
servants are forbid to talk of it.—
POPE.

"Ah," he said unpleasantly,
"you're beginning to be ashamed of
yourself, and wish the thing hushed
up."— F. ANSTEY.

HUSH-MONET — a bribe to secure
silence regarding some ini-
quitous transaction. P.

There was, besides, hush-money
for the sub-sheriffs (who had been
bribed to keep quiet).— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

There is much more black-mail
paid in the world than the world
has any idea of; but very little turns
out to be what it pretends to be,
hush-money.— JAMES PAYN.

umbles or entrails of the
deer, and fell to the lot of the
inferiors at a feast.

With the greatest alacrity the mal-
contents in France, the old Consti-
tutional party, take up your parable.
" France is eating humble-pie ! ' they
scream out; "the tyrant is making
France eat humble-pie! France is
humiliated ! France is suffocating !
— M. ARNOLD. I

Hundred. — NOT A HUNDRED
MILES OFF or FROM. — A phrase
often used to avoid a direct
reference to any place. C.
The place itself or its imme-
diate neighbourhood is always
intended. It therefore is
equal to " very near " or
" very close to."

Scene— chemist's shop, not a hun-
dred miles from Dumfries. Enter
small girl with a bottle of cod-liver
oil purchased on the previous day.
Small girl : " If ye please, sir, will ye
tak' this back? The man canna tak'
it, for he dee'd last nicht."— St.
Andrews Citizen, 1887.

Exp.— Small girl: "If you please,
sir, will you take this back? The
man cannot take it, for he died last
night."

The phrase is also used of
events not far distant in time.
From all of which wise reflections
the reader will gather that our friend
Arthur was not a hundred miles off
an awkward situation.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

Hungry. — As HUNGRY AS A
HAWK — very hungry. C.

I made a hearty supper, for I
was as hungry as a hawk.— R. L.
STEVENSON.

Hunks. — AN OLD HUNKS — a
niggardly, mean fellow. S.

Ice. TO BREAK THE ICE to

commence speaking after an
embarrassing si ence ; to begin
to speak on a delicate subject.
C.

After he'd a while looked wise,
At last broke silence and the ice.

S. BUTLER.

The ice having been broken in this
unexpected manner, she made no
further attempt at reserve.— THOMAS
HARDY.

Idol. — IDOLS OF THE TRIBE
(IDOLA TRIBUS) — errors of be-
lief into which human nature
in general is apt to fall. P.
A phrase, with the others which
fo low, invented by Francis
Bacon.

Teachers and students of theology
get a certain look, certain conven-
tional tones of voice, a clerical gait,
a professional neckcloth, and habits
of mind as professional as their

If

129

externals. They are scholarly men,
and read Bacon, and know well
enough what the idols of the tribe
are.—HoLMES.

Some of these (preconceived
shadowy notions) are inherent in the
human mind, as, for example, the
general prejudice in favour of sym-
metry and order. . . . Siich preju-
dices extend to the whole tribe of
men, and may be called the idols of
the tribe.— ABBOTT.

IDOLS OF THE CAVE (IDOLA

SPECUS) — errors of be ief into
which people living apart
from the world are apt to
fall. P.

The frigidities, leading to nothing,
of the old Sinico-Japanese scholar-
ship, a scholarship full of the idols
of the cave, must give way to the
open-eyed methods of the West.—
Japan Mail, 1886.

Again, individual men, circum-
scribed within the narrow and dark
limits of their individuality, as
shaped by their [country, their age,
their own physical and mental
peculiarities, find themselves as it
were fettered in a cave . . . they
only see the shadows of realities:
such, individual misconceptions or
idols may be called idols of the cave.
—ABBOTT.

IDOLS OF THE FORUM Or MARKET-
PLACE (IDOLA FORI) — errors
of belief arising from language
and social intercourse. P.

Language is a third imposture
tyrannizing over and moul
thoughts. It is the idol of inter-

moulding

course, deriving its influence from
all meetings of men, and may there-
fore be called the idol of the market-
place.—ABBOTT.

IDOLS OF THE THEATRE the

deceptions that have arisen
from the dogmas of different
schools. P.

In the place of the unobstrusive
worship of the truth, authority
substitutes the mere fictions and
theatrical stage-plays (for they are
no better) of the ostentatious philos-
ophers. It may therefore be called
the idol of the theatre.— ABBOTT.

If. — IF YOU PLEASE. This
phrase has often a peculiar
use when inserted in a sen-
tence. It calls attention to a
statement, of which the oppo-
site might have been taken for

In

granted, and may be trans-
lated, " Pray do not suppose
the contrary."

Rank is respected, if you please,
East End of London ;

even at the

and perhaps more there than in
fashionable quarters, because it is
so rare.— BESANT.

Ignis. — IGNIS FATUUS — decep-
tive light. P. Latin. See
WILL o' THE WISP.

Austria, who, beguiled by the ignis
fatuus of her great ally, had assisted
in discrediting the Bund and cover-
ing it with ridicule, returned to it in
her extremity.— Quarterly Reviev),
1887.

Ilk. — OF THAT ILK — of the place
with the same name ; as, BE-
THUNE OF THAT iLK = Bethune
of Bethune. A Scotch phrase.
I don't mean Beatrice to marry Mr.
Staunton, even if he is a Staunton of
that ilk.-W. E. NORRIS.

111. IT'S AN ILL, WIND THAT

BLOWS NOBODY GOOD — few

events are misfortunes to
every one concerned. C.
Sickness benefits physicians ;
death puts money in the pock-
ets of undertakers ; fires are
popular with carpenters.

Tis an ill wind that blows nobody
(any) good : the same wind that took
the Jew Lady Rackrent over to
England brought over the new heir
to Castle Rackrent.— MARIA EDOE-
WORTH.

Ill blows the wind that profits no-
body.—SHAKESPEARE.

Imperium. — IMPERIUM IN IM-
PERIO — a government within
a government. P. Latin.

Improve. — To IMPROVE THE
OCCASION — to draw moral les-
sons from any event when it
happens. C.

Holmes, who was one of the best
boys in the school, began to improve
the occasion. " Now, you youngsters,
said he, as he marched along in the
middle of them, " mind this— you're
very well out of this scrape. Don't
you go near Thompson's barn again ;
do you hear?"— HUGHES.

In. — THE INS AND OUTS OF ANY-
THING — its whole working ;
the details of anything. C.

Now so many things come cross
and across (happen in an unexpected

O

In

and contrary fashion) in the count
less ins and outs (varied experience
of life), that the laws of the Crippse
failed sometimes in some jot or
tittle.— BLACKMORB.

No; if you want to know the in
and outs of the Yankees (externa
and internal characteristics of the
people of New England), I've
wintered them and summerec
them; I know all their points
shape, make, and breed.— HALI

BURTON.

IN FOR IT— -in a critical or dan
gerous situation. F.

The Speaker, imagining I was
going to rise, called my name. J
was in f9r it (could not escape from
the critical position), put my hai
down, advanced to the table, anc
dashed along.— BEACONSFIELD.

There was indeed a fearful joy
about his playing at being a man oi
high family. He was in tor it now
and he would not draw back.— J
M'CARTHY.

IN WITH A PERSON — on friendly
terms with him. F.

That's the worst of being in
an audacious chap like that old
Nickleby.— DICKENS.

IN NUBIBUS — in the clouds ;
not having an actual ex stence.
P. Latin.

The above scheme is still, we be-
lieve, in nubibus.

IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND.

This phrase is used when the
same loss or danger is incurred
whether the previous respon-
sibility has been great or
small. C. Compare the say-
ing, " As well be hung for a
man as for a sheep."

You never know when he's done
with you, and if you're in for a
penny, you're in for a pound —
DICKENS.

.If there's anything queer about

most serious measures with him).—
DICKENS.

IN FLAGRANTE DELICTO — in the

very act of guilt. C. Latin.
• M?V S' Routh. while playing hazard
m Mr. Gruntzs rooms, had been
caught inflagrante delicto, in the act
of cheating. -EDMUND YATES.
IN EXTREMIS — at the last gasp ;
in a hopeless condition P
Latin.

130 Infra

The delimitation of the sphere of
influence which had been arranged,
of course, meant an agreement in
advance, whether Bulgaria or Greece
should conduct insurrections in par-
ticular villages whenever Turkey
was in extremis, and which should
annex them whenever Turkey was
extinct. —Fortnightly Review, 1887.
IN LOCO PARENTIS — in a parent's
place. P. Latin.

This stately personage, probably
for Miss Burt's sake rather than his
own, was about to place himself, as
respected Miss Josceline, in loco
parents. —JAMES PAYN.

IN MEDIAS RES — right into the
middle of a subject, P. Latin.
At last I desperately broke the ice,
rushing in medias res (introducing
the subject abruptly).— The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

IN MEMORIAM — to the memory

of. P. Latin. Used like

Hie jacet (q.v.).
IN SITU — in the actual spot

where anything has occurred.

P. Latin.
It is really worth while to get a

copy of the memoirs to see how

strange such language looks in situ.

—National Review, 1888.

IN TOTO — taken completely ; al-
together. P. Latin.

If you become a nuisance, I shall
either deny your statements in toto,
or I shall take the wind out of your
sails by confessing the truth to her
on my own account.— W. E. NORRIS.

Indian. — INDIAN FILE — a pro-
cession in which each person
follows after the other in a
long line. P.

Well, sir, as the four of us were
walking in Indian file, what did the
woman suddenly do but go up to
Jeremiah and accost him.— B. L.
FARJEON.

INDIAN SUMMER — the finest part
of the autumn season in North
America, a time noted for its
beauty and mildness. P.

In the one case there was Mr.
Josceline wooing and winning;
Mrs. Jennynge in an Indian sum-
mer (delightful state) of rapture;
and Miss Anastasia beginning to
suspect what was going on.— JAMES

nfpa. — INFRA DIG. — a con-
traction for infra dignitatem

Inside

131

Irony

(Latin), " beneath one's dig-
nity." F.

Beards continued in favour until
the seventeenth century, when the
magistracy, again opposing the
change of fashion as infra dig.,
declined as long and as resolutely
to part with their beards as their
predecessors had done to adopt
them.— LADY JACKSON.

I was thinking the other day that
in these days of lecturings and read-
ings a great deal of money might be
made (if it were not infra dig.), by
one's having readings of one's own
books.— DICKENS.

Inside. — To GET THE INSIDE
TRACK OF ANYTHING — to under-
stand its workings. F. An
American phrase.

Intention. — To HEAL BY THE

FIRST INTENTION (of a WOUnd)

— to close up without sup-
puration ; to come together
and grow well without in-
flammation. P.

He only strapped up my cut, and
informed me that it would speedily
get well by the first intention— an
odd phrase enough.— 0. W. HOLMES.

\ Inter. — INTER NOS — between
ourselves. C. Latin. Used
when speaking confidentially.
Compare the French entre nous,
which see.

I don't believe in Tom's sincerity ;
but that is inter nos.

\I.O.U.— I.O.U., "I owe you."
A form of acknowledgment
of debt common between
friends. The amount bor-
rowed and the name of the
borrower are added to these
letters.

But pay?— of course he must pay;
to talk of burning I. O.U.'s was mere
child's play.— THACKERAY.

Here he took out of his desk an
I.O.U. for £5, ready drawn up, dated.
— S. WARBEN.

Ipse. — IPSE DIXIT. A dogmatic
statement made by a writer
Wthout adducing reasons. P.
Yet Sir George Trevelyan evidently

Jpects that, on the other hand,
itionalist associations will be
tble to be suppressed on the ivse
dixit of the Lord Lieutenant that
they are acting illegally.— Special or,
1887.

Ipso. — IPSO FACTO — in the fact
itself. P. Latin. Used where
something is said to be in-
herent of necessity in some-
thing else.

Whatever the captain does is right,
ipso facto, and any opposition to it
is wrong on board ship.— R. H.
DANA, JUN.

Irish. — IRISH STEW — a dish
made with meat, potatoes,
and onions, mixed confusedly
together. P

Mrs. Grudden remained behind to
take some cold Irish stew and a pint
of porter in the box-office.— DICKENS.

TO HAVE MANY IRONS

IN THE FIRE — to have many
projects carrying on at one
time. F. Irons are here the
bolts used in the laundry to
heat the box-iron, and re-
newed from time to time.

And then he (Lamb) tells what
other literary irons are in the fire.—
A. AINGER.

Thus without risk he got his
twenty per cent. Not that he ap-
peared in these transactions ; he had
too many good irons in the fire to
let himself be called a usurer.— C.
READE.
IN IRONS — fettered. P.

"Overboard!" said the captain.
"Well, gentlemen, that saves the
trouble of putting him in irons."—
R. L. STEVENSON.

AN INCH OF COLD IRON — a stab
from a dagger or other weapon.
p.

An inch of cold iron brought this
wonderful career to a close.

THE IRON HAD ENTERED INTO

HIS SOUL — his spirit was
broken. P.

True, he wore no fetters, and was
treated with a grave and stately con-
sideration; but his bonds were not
the less galling, and the iron had not
the less entered into his soul.— G. A.
SALA.

TO STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS

HOT — to act with energy and
promptitude. C.

"Strike the iron while it's hot,
Bob," replied I.-CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

Irony. — THE IRONY OF FATE —
the curious providence which

Islands

brings about the most un-
likely events. P.
By the irony of fate, the Ten Hours

Bill was carried in the very session
" ~ey, having changed
his views on the Corn Laws, felt it

when Lord Ashley, having chans

his duty to resign his seat in Parlia-
ment.—Leisure Hour, 1887.

Islands. — ISLANDS OF THE
BLEST or BLESSED — imagi-
nary islands in the West,
thought to be the abode of
good men after death. P.
Soon your footsteps I shall follow
To the Islands of the Blessed.

LONGFELLOW.

Issue. — AT ISSUE — (a) in con-
troversy ; disputed. P.

This compromise, which was pro-
posed with abundance of tears and
sighs, not exactly meeting the point
at issue, nobody took any notice of
it.— DICKENS.

(&) at variance ; disagreeing.

We talked upon the question of
taste, on which we were at issue.
— SOUTHEY.

To JOIN ISSUE WITH — to dissent
from ; to find fault with ; to
oppose. P.

I must join issue with you on
behalf of your correspondent, who
says that cocky is bush-slang for a
small selector.— Illustrated London
News, 1887.

To JOIN ISSUES — to leave a
matter to the decision of a
law-court. P.

Plaintiffs joined issues, and the
trial was set down for the next
assizes.— C. READE.

Itching-. — AN ITCHING PALM —
an avaricious disposition. C.
Let me tell you, Cassius, you your-
self

132 Jack

Are much condemned to have an

itching palm ;
To sell and mart your offices for

gold
To undeservers.— SHAKESPEARE.

Ithupiel. — ITHURIEL'S SPEAR
— the weapon of the angel
Ithuriel, which exposed de-
ceit by the slightest touch. P.
Him (Satan) thus intent Ithuriel

with his spear
Touched lightly; for no falsehood

can endure

Touch of celestial temper, but re-
turns
Of force to its own likeness.

MILTON.

Miracles, the mainstay of popular
religion, are touched by Ithuriel's
spear. They are beginning to dis-
solve.—M. ARNOLD.

Ivories. — To SHOW ONE'S ivo-

KIES — to display one's teeth.

S.
The negress showed her ivories in

along, rippling laugh.— MARRY AT.
Jacky came instantly down.

showed his ivories, and admitted

his friend's existence on the word of

a dog.— C. READE.
To WASH ONE'S IVOBIES — to

drink. S.

Ixion. — THE IXIONIC WHEEL.
Ixion, as a punishment for
falling in love with Juno,
was hurled to Tartarus, and
there bound to a wheel which
perpetually revolved. In the
following extract the prison
tread-mill is jocularly called
the Ixionic wheel.

Defendant's brothers tread the
Ixionic wheel for the same offence.
—THACKERAY.

Jack. — A JACK-AT-A -PINCH —
a person suddenly called upon
to perform some duty. F.
Often applied to a clergyman
without a fixed position, who
.is frequently summoned to
act at a wedding or a funeral
in the absence of the regular
minister.

JACK AND JILL — common names
at one time among the Eng-
lish peasantry : Jack for a
man, Jill for a woman. Oc-
curring frequently in rhymes.
Jack shall have Jill;
Nought shall go ill ;
The man shall have his mare again,
and all shall be well.

SHAKESPEARE.

Jack

Fifty years ago and more, there was
one great East Anglian fair, whither
the squires and parsons for miles
around resorted, along with Jack
and Jill, and all the rest of them.—
Atherueum, 1887.

A JACK-IN-OFFICE — a person who
presumes on his official posi-
tion to be pert or rude. C.

I hate a Jack-in-office.— WOLCOT.
A JACK TAB — a British seaman.
C.

The pigeon-toed step, and the rol-
licking motion,
Bespoke them two genuine sons of

the ocean,
And showed in a moment their real

characters

(The accent so placed on this word
by our Jack Tars).— BABHAM.

A JACK OF ALL TRADES — a man
who devotes himself to many
different occupations. C.

He should, as I tell him, confine
himself entirely to portrait-painting.
As it is, he does landscapes also.
" A Jack of all trades," as I ventured
to remind him, " is master of none."
—JAMES PAYX.

A JACK WITH A LANTERN or
JACK o' LANTERN — the ignis
fatuus which flits about bogs,
and often leads travellers to
destruction. F.

He was a complete Jack o' lantern
—here, and there, and everywhere.—
HALTBURTON.

JACK SPRAT — a diminutive boy
or man. F. Immortalized in
the rhyme, —
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,

His wife could eat no lean ;
And so it was, between them both,

They licked the platter clean.
BEFORE YOU COULD SAT JACK
ROBINSON — in an instant ;
immediately. F.

"Minerva has too bad a character
for learning to be a favourite with
gentlemen," said Lord Clonbrony.

" Tut ! Don't tell me ! I'd get her
off (secure a husband for her) before
you could say Jack Robinson, and
thank you too, if she had £50,000
down (in ready money), or £1,000 a
year in land."— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
Found also under the contracted
form, " Before you could say
J. R."

These men are not the warriors of
commerce, but its smaller captains,

133 Jack

who, watching the fluctuations of
this or that market, can often turn a
thousand pounds ere we could say
J. R.-C. READE.

A CHEAP- JACK — a travelling ven-
dor of goods. P.

Cheap-Jacks have their carts be-
side the pavement.— BESANT.

JACK'S BEAN-STALK — a bean-
stalk which grew up in one
night. C. The story of Jack
and the Bean-Stalk is an old
and very popular nursery
tale. Compare JONAH'S GOURD.

For the affection of young ladies is
of as rapid growth as Jack's bean-
stalk.—THACKERAY.
JACK KETCH — the hangman. F.

Jos, who would no more have it
supposed that his father, Jos Sed-
ley's father, of the Board of Revenue,
was a wine merchant asking for
orders, than that he \yas Jack
Ketch, refused the bills with scorn.
—THACKERAY.

He will come back without fear,
and we will nail him with the fifty-
pound note upon him; and then-
Jack Ketch (he will be hanged).— C.
READE.

JACK -IN -A -BOX — something
which disappears and re-
appears with great sudden-
ness. C.

She was somewhat bewildered by
this Jack -in -a -box sort of appear-
ance.— WM. BLACK.

Some fools made a run on the bank,
as you know. I was cleaned out, and
; had nothing for it but to put up the
shutters, when in came this old
sphinx— for all the world like a Jack-
in-the-box with the lid open, or a
deus ex machind of the Greek stage.
—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
JACK HORNER — the self-indul-
gent, complacent little boy
who picked out plums from
the pie. Immortalized in the
nursery rhyme, —
Little Jack Homer sat in a corner,

Eating a Christmas pie ;
He put in his thumb, and he pulled

And saM!™'' What a good boy

We shall not do Mr. Edmund
Quincy the wrong of picking out hi
advance all the plums in his volume.
. . . But here and there is a passage
where we cannot refrain, for there is
a smack of Jack Horner in all of us,
and a reviewer were nothing without
it.— J. R. LOWELL.

Jail

JACK FROST — a playful name
for frost. C.

"I hope you don't expect grati-
tude."

" I only expect the blankets to keep
out Jack Frost."— Miss BRAD DON.

Jail. — A JAIL-BIRD — a hard-
ened criminal. C.

The jail-birds who piped this tune
were, without a single exception, the
desperate cases of this moral hos-
pital.—C. READE.

James. — COURT OF ST. JAMES
or ST. JAMES'S — the English
Court. P.

A third described, with gay ma-
levolence, the igorgeous appearance
of Mrs. Hastings at St. James's.—
MACAULAY.

Jap. — ON THE JAR — ajar ;
partly open. F.

The door was on the jar, and, gently
opening it, I entered and stood be-
hind her unperceived.— BROOKE.

" I see Mrs. Bard ell's street door on
the jar."

" On the what ? " exclaimed the little
judge.

"Partly open, my lord," said Ser-
geant Snubbin.— DICKENS.

Jaw. — STOP YOUR JAW — be
quiet. S.

If you don't stop your jaw about
him, you'll have to fight me.— H.

KlNGSLEY.

Jean. — JEAN CRAPAUD — a nick-
name for a Frenchman. F.
See JOHNNY CRAPEAU.

As true as the last century Eng-
lishman's picture of Jean Crapaud.
—J. R. LOWELL.

Jeddart. — JEDDART or JED-
WOOD JUSTICE — hanging the
criminal first, and trying him
afterwards. P.

The case of Lord Byron was harder.
True Jed wood justice was dealt out
to him First came the execution,
then the investigation, and last of
all, or rather not at all, the accusa-
tion.—MACAULAY.

Jeplcho. — To GO TO JERICHO
— to go away; to go into
retirement. S. An expres-
sion used contemptuously.
The allusion comes from the
Bible : " Hanun took David's

134 Jew

servants, and shaved off the
one half of their beards. . . .
When they told it unto David,
he sent to meet them, because
the men were greatly ashamed :
and the king said, Tarry at
Jericho until your beards
be grown, and then return "
(2 Sam. x. 4, 5).
Mrs. Jones was rather cross, she made

a little noise ;
She said she "did not like to wait on

little vulgar boys."
She with her apron wiped the plates,

and as she rubbed the delf,
Said I might "go to Jericho, and

fetch the beer myself."

BARHAM.

Seeing her. I wished Joe's scruples
had been at Jericho.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

Jeppy. — JERRY -WORK — unsub-
stantial work in building. P.
JERRY -BUILDER and JERRY-
BUILT have this significance.

Two lumps of plaster fall from the
roof of thej jerry-built palace; then
the curse begins to work.— Pall Mall
Gazette, 1884.

A JERRY or TOM-AND-JERRY
SHOP — a public-house where
only beer is sold. S. So
called from its inferiority to
a fully-licensed house.

We turned into a Tom-and-Jerry
shop to have some beer, and spin a
bit of a yarn about old times.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Jessie. — To GIVE A MAN JESSIE
— to thrash him soundly. S.
He at length lost patience, and
doubling up his sleeves made for
the man. And I can tell you he
gave him Jessie.

Jeunesse. — JEUNESSE DOREE
— the " gilded youth " of a
nation ; its fashionable young
men. P. French.

You could never get together a
jeunesse doree without our assist-
ance.—H. KlNGSLEY.

Jew. — A JEW'S EYE — some-
thing very valuable. S. Prob-
ably from French joaille.

It's the nerves, boy, the nerves ; and
a drop of the real stuff is worth a
Jew's eye for steadying a man after a
night of it, as the saying is.— HALL
CAINE.

Jib

135

Joe

Jib. — THE CUT OP ONE'S JIB —
one's personal appearance.
Sailors' slang.

She disliked what sailors call " the
cut of his jib."— SIB W. SCOXT.

Jiffy. — IN A JIFFY — without
any delay ; forthwith. C.

In a jiffy I had slipped over the
side.— K. L. STEVENSON.

Jingo. — BY JINGO — a mild
oath having no definite mean-
ing. S.

One of them, I thought, expressed
her sentiments on this occasion in a
very coarse manner, when she ob-
served that, by the living jingo, she
was all of a muck of sweat.— GOLD-
SMITH.

THE JINGOES. A war party
about the year 1877.

The refrain of the war-song (then
very popular) contained the spirit-
stirring words,—

"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."

Some one whose pulses this lyrical
outburst of national pride failed to
stir called the party of the enthusi-
asts the Jingoes.— JUSTIN M'CAR-
THY.

Job. — A JOB'S COMFORTER — one
who comes avowedly to com-
fort a friend, but who really
annoys him. P. See the
Bible (Book of Job). Job
had three friends who came
to him in his trouble as
comforters, but spent their
time in reproaching him.

What a morbid propensity sonie
people have, when visiting a sick
chamber, to relate all the melancholy
news they can remember, instead of
cheering the patient with light and
bright conversation ! No better ex-
ample, we would say, could be found
than the following :— One of our ac-
tors was taken suddenly ill, and was
confined to his bed for a fortnight.
When the turn for the better came
he rose, and a barber was sent for.
After some time a quaint little Ger-
man fussed into the room with. Ah,
my friend, you vas ill? Well, dis
weatherispopping'em off by dozens.
Suddenly he paused with the lather
brush in his hand, and looking at the
sick actor said, " Vy, I shave a man
like you on Tuesday, and on Wednes-
day—whiff—he was dead!"— St. An-
drews Citizen, 1886.

"I told you so, I told you so!" is
the croak of a true Job's comforter.
—A. TROLLOPE.

JOB'S COMFORT — consolation
which irritates instead of
soothing. C.

Did ever a young fellow go to the
dogs, but some old woman of either
sex found her way to the very ear
that ought not to be tormented with
Job's comfort, and whisper, "Aw,
dear! aw, dear! "and " Lawk-a-day ! "
and "I'm the last to bring bad newses
(news), as the saying is ;" and " Och,
and it's a pity, and him a fine, brave
young fellow, too ! " and " I wouldn't
have told it on no account to another
living soul."— HALL CAINE.

JOB'S NEWS — news of calamities.
C.

From home there can nothing come
but Job's news.— CARLYLE.

JOB'S POST — a bringer of bad
news. P.

This Job's post from Dumouriez
reached the National Convention.—
CARLYLE.

THE PATIENCE OF JOB — very
great patience. C.

Mr. Pratt has certainly the patience
of Job.— MARIA EDGE WORTH.

Job. — TO PAY A PERSON BY

THE JOB — to pay him for each
separate portion of work
done. P. A jobbing car-
penter is one who is ready
to do odd pieces of work when
sent for.

TO DO THE JOB FOR A MAN — t-O

kill him. F.

That last debauch of his did the job

for him (caused his death).

A BAD JOB — said of what is

hopeless or impracticable. F.

Indeed, the general opinion was

that, finding, we had reached the

mission station in safety, they had,

knowing its strength, given up the

pursuit of us as a bad job.— H. K.

I will not say that he had given the
whole thing up as a bad job, because
it was the law of his life that the
thing never should be abandoned
as long as hope was possible.— A.
TROLLOPE.

Joe. — A JOE MILLER or JOE —
a stale jest. F. Joe Miller was
a witty actor at the beginning
of the eighteenth century. His

Jog

136

Jolly

jests, with many others added,
were published in book form
in 1737. " I don't see the
Joe Miller of it" signifies,
" I don't see the wit in it."
Take hackneyed jokes from Miller,

got by rote,

ith

With just enough of learning to mis-
quote.— BYRON.

Not so these officers, however;
they
and wickedest old Joe Millers.—

so
tell

they tell each other the stalest

THACKERAY.

Jog. — To JOG ANOTHER'S
MEMORY or ANOTHER'S ELBOW

— to remind another of a
duty or a promise apparently
forgotten. F.

To JOG ON — to proceed lazily
and heavily. C.

Thus they jog on, still tricking,
never thriving.— DRYDEN.

John. — JOHN o' NOKES AND
JOHN o' STYLES — ordinary
peasants. C.

John o' Nokes and John o' Styles
were now more considered than I
was.— G. A. SALA.

JOHN COMPANY — a familiar
name given to the East In-
dia Company (E.I.C.), which
ruled in India until the
mutiny of 1857.

When he had thoroughly learned
this lesson he was offered a position
in India, in the service of John Com-
pany.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROE

— dummy names used in law
cases to represent the plaintiff
and the defendant in an
action of ejectment. This
form of words was abolished
in 1852.

Thus in a case lately decided before
Miller, Doe presented Roe a subscrip-
tion paper.-O. W. HOLMES.

Instead, therefore, of Jones and
Smith fighting out the matter in
their own proper names, they (the
lawyers) set up a couple of puppets
(called John Doe and Richard Roe),
who fall upon each other in a very

JOHN BTILL — a representative
Englishman. P. Dr. Ar-
buthnot's History of John Bull
made the expression current.

" Who is he when he is at home?"
"The Englishman's first question
about every stranger," remarked Mrs.
Lindsay, laughing. "What a thor-
ough John Bull you are, Arthur!"—
W. E. NORRIS.

JOHN ORDERLY — the signal to
shorten the performance at a
show. S. The master, who
remains on the outside plat-
form of the booth, and takes
in the money, cries to the
actors, " Is John Orderly
there ? " This is a signal
for them to cut short the
performance.

Johnny. — JOHNNY CRAPE AU
— a familiar term for a
Frenchman, especially in use
among sai ors. See JEAN.

Those vessels went armed, too, as
befitted the majesty of the bunting
under which old Dance had gloriously
licked Johnny Crapeau. — Gentle-
man's Magazine, 1887.

Join. — TO JOIN HANDS WITH

to take as a partner ; to asso-
ciate oneself with. P.

"I smoke my pipe and think how
unappreciated Keats was, and flatter
myself mine is a parallel case. Then,
like Bruce's spider, I try again."

"And, like him, vou will at last
succeed," said Ella confidently.
"When merit joins hands with
perseverance, success is certain."—
JAMES PAYN.

TO JOIN THE MAJORITY to die.

P. A classical phrase.

joined the majority.
Mall Gazette, 188T.

Joint. — OUT OF JOINT — in con-
fusion and disorder. P.

The times are out of joint.— SHAKE-
SPEARE.

"Why, minister," says I, "what
under the sun is the matter with
you ? You and Captain Jack look as
if you had had the cholera. What
makes you so dismal and your horse
so thin. What's out o' joint now?"
— HALIBURTON.

Jolly. — THE JOLLY ROGER — the
pirate's flag. F.

"Mr. Kentish, if that be your
name," said I, "are you ashamed of
your own colours?"

" Your ladyship refers to the 'Jolly
Roger'?" he inquired with perfect

Jonab

137

Keep

gravity, and immediately went Into
peals of laughter.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

Jonah. — JONAH'S GOURD — a
phrase applied to what grows
in a night and withers with
equal rapidity. P.

"I expect I belong to the order of
Jonah's gourds," said Campion bit-
terly.—F. ANSTEY.

Jonathan. — BROTHER JONA-
THAN— a typical American. C.
An American republic in stars
and stripes was also represented
from Yokohama ; and two brothers
Jonathan, one from Tokio, another
from Yokohama, supported their
countrywoman.— Japan, Mail, 1887.

Jump. TO JUMP A CLAIM to

seize upon a mining claim by
force, or in the absence of one
who has a prior claim.

To gain possession of this old wood
and iron, and get a right to the water,
Rufe proposed, if I had no objec-
tions, to jump the claim. — R. L.
STEVENSON.

To JUMP AT — to accept with
eagerness. C.

To his surprise, Susan did not
jump at this remuneration. — C.
READE.

TO JUMP Or JUMP OVER THE

BROOMSTICK — to marry in an
informal way. S.

Well, the other gipsy man is no
other than Joe Smith, who jumped
the broomstick with the lovely Prin-
cess Cinnaminta.— BLACKMORE.

A Romish wedding is surely better
than jumping over a broomstick,
which, unless \ve had adopted the
uncouth Moresque custom, would
have been all the ceremony of matri-
mony we could have had.— G. A.
SALA.

Justice. — To DO ONE JUSTICE
— to display one's good quali-
ties or good looks. P.

In one bracelet was a photograph
of dear little Charlie, taken from
a picture done in oils, very like, but
not doing him justice (making him
appear as pretty as he actually was).
— The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

IN JUSTICE TO — desiring to treat
fairly ; doing what justice
demands to. P.

In vain poor Lady Clonbrony fol-
lowed the dowager about the rooms
to correct this mistake, and to repre-
sent, in justice to Mr. Soho, though
he had used her so ill, that he knew
she was an Englishwoman.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

Kaow. — To KAOW-TAOW — to
behave in a submissive manner.
F. From the Chinese.

To have to kaow-taow to Arnold
too, as I must do of course.— ANON.

Keen. — KEEN OF A JOB — eager
for work. S.

If you offer to take charge of those
young brats, I must say you are keen
of a job.

Keep. — To KEEP ABREAST OF
— to advance at an equal pace
with ; not to fall behind. P.

He yet found abundance of time to
keep abreast of all that was passing
in the world.-Athenccum, 1887.

To KEEP UP — to continue along-
side of ; not to fall behind. P.
"Please, sir, we've been out Big-
side hare and hounds a ad lost our
way."

"Hah! you couldn't keep up (fell
behind), I suppose."— HUGHES.
To KEEP COMPANY — to have a
sweetheart ; to court. F.

This is Miss Kennedy, and I hope
—I'm sure— that you two will get to
be friendly with one another, not to
speak of keeping company (becom-
ing lovers).-BESANT.

TO KEEP AN EYE TO Or ON — to

watch. C.

Whilst they were eating it, leaving
Mouti to keep an eye to them, he
went some way off and sat down on
a big ant-heap to think.-H. R. HAG-
GARD.
TO KEEP IN WITH A MAN — to

remain on friendly terms with
him. C.

I always told your father he thought
too much of that Watson ; but I would
keep in with him if I were you, for
they say he's coining money.— The
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Keep

To KEEP ONE'S HAND IN — to
employ one's energies ; to con-
tinue in practice. C.

You'll find plenty to keep your
hand in at Oxford, or wherever else
you go.— HUGHES.

TO KEEP BODY AND SOUL TO-
GETHER — to maintain bare
existence. P.

One of the maids having fainted
three times the last day of Lent, to
keep body and soul together we put
a morsel of roast beef into her mouth.
—MARIA EDGE WORTH.

TO KEEP DARK ABOUT ANYTHING

— to preserve secrecy. C.

If you have tastes for the theatre
and things, don't talk about them;
keep them dark.— BESANT.

TO KEEP TO ONESELF — to be

retiring in one's habits ; of
a reserved disposition. C.

We do not see much of our neigh-
bours; they live very quietly, and
keep to themselves.

To KEEP IN VIEW — to have one's
aim or attention fixed in a
certain direction. P.

He had always kept in view the
probability of a dissolution of the
firm.

TO KEEP COUNTENANCE or IN

COUNTENANCE — to lend moral
support to. P.

Flora will be there to keep you
countenance.— R. L. STEVENSON

He might as well be a West India
planter, and we negroes, for anything
he knows to the contrary— has no
more care nor thought about us than
if we were in Jamaica or the other
world. Shame for him ! But there's
too many to keep him in counte-
nance.—MARIA EDGEWORTH.
To KEEP ONE'S COUNTENANCE
— to preserve one's gravity ;
to refrain from laughing. P.

The two maxims of any great man
at court are, always to keep his coun-
tenance, and never to keep his word.

To KEEP HOUSE. See HOUSE.

TO KEEP PACE WITH. See PACE.

To KEEP IN — (a) to refuse to
disclose ; to preserve secret.
C.

But, please, don't think old Grizzel
mean for keein in what had taken

138 Kick

(&) to detain schoolboys after

the regular hours as a punish-
ment. C.

He was no more moved than the
Roman soldiers, or than the school-
master is moved by the sad face of a
boy kept in.— BESANT.

TO KEEP UP APPEARANCES to

behave as if everything was
right. C.

Captain Cuttle kept up appear-
ances, nevertheless, tolerably well.—
DICKENS.

Keeping-. — IN KEEPING — suit-
able ; harmonizing. P.

It was in keeping (harmonized)
with the scenery around.— MRS. H.
WOOD.

OUT OF KEEPING — unsuitable ;
inappropriate. P.

It was an old room on which
George Dallas looked— an old room
with panelled walls, surmounted by
a curious carved frieze and stuccoed
roof, and hung round with family
portraits, which gave it a certain
grim and stern air, and made the gay
hothouse plants with which it was
lavishly decorated seem out of keep-
ing.—EDMUND YATES.

Kettle. — A KETTLE OF FISH —

a confused state of affairs ; a

muddle. F. " Kettle " is here

for KIDDLE, a net.

There, you have done a fine piece

of work truly there is a pretty

kettle of fish made on't at your
house.— FIELDING.

Key. — THE KEY OF A POSITION
— the point whose possession
gives control over a position
or a district. P. A military
phrase.

TO HAVE THE KEY OF THE

STREET — to be locked out. F.
"There," said Lowten, "you have
the key of the street."— DICKENS.
GOLD KEY — the badge of a
chamberlain. P.

Hardly will that gold key pro-
tect you from maltreatment.— COLE-
RIDGE.

Keystone. — THE KEYSTONE
STATE — a popular name for
Pennsylvania.
He comes from the Keystone

State.

Kick. TO KICK OVER THE

TRACES — to become violent and

Kick

139

Kinchin

insubordinate. F. A phrase
taken from horse-driving.

You must not kick over the traces,
or I shall be forced to suppress you,
Lady Anne. . . . You are growing a
trifle too independent.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

Who on earth would have thought
that a girl like Janette Lisle, brought
up in that kind of way, and in such
a household, would have been so
carried away by her love as to kick
right over the traces and run off ?—

J. M'CARTHY.

To KICK THE BEAM — to be de-
ficient in weight ; to fly into
the air. P. Said of a scale
in a balance.

But in his present survey of the
age as his field, he seems to find that
a sadder colour has invested all the
scene. The evil has eclipsed the
good, and the scale, which before
rested solidly on the ground, now
kicks the beam.— GLADSTONE.
The latter (scale) quick flew up and
kicked the beam.— MILTON.

To KICK UP DUST — to carry on a
valueless discussion. C.

Amongst the manuscript riches of
the Bodleian, there was a copy of a
certain old chronicler about whose
very name there has been a consider-
able amount of learned dust kicked
up.— DE QUINCEY.

TO KICK THE BUCKET — to die.

S.

"The cap'n (captain) will inherit
the property after the old bird hops "
(his old aunt dies).

"Hops?" repeated Josephine, not
understanding him.

"Ay-kicks?

" Kicks ? I don't understand."

"Hops the twig— kicks the bucket.
How dull you are!" — Chambers' s
Journal, 1887.

TO KICK UP THE HEELS — to die.
F.

His heels he'll kick up.
Slain by an onslaught fierce of hick-

up.— ROBERT BROWNING.

TO KICK UP A ROW or A SHINDY

— to cause a disturbance ; to
be violent in behaviour. F.

Master Mash, who prided himself
upon being a young gentleman of
great spirit, was of opinion that they
should kick up a row. and demolish
all the scenery. - THOMAS DAY:
Sandford and Merton.

Hawes shrank with disgust from
noise in his prison. . . . "Beggars
get no good by kicking up a row,
argued he.— C. READE.

TO GET MORE KICKS THAN HALF-
PENCE— to receive more abuse
than profit ; to be badly or
roughly treated. F.

Let the sweet woman go to make
sunshine and a soft pillow for the
poor devil whose legs are not models,
whose efforts are blunders, and who
in general gets more kicks than half-
pence.—GEORGE ELIOT.

TO KICK AGAINST THE PRICKS —

to struggle with an over-
mastering force ; to refuse
to move in a clearly mapped-
out path. P. The phrase is
used in the Bible (Acts ix. 5).

Like most such men, who are sent
into seclusion for the good of the
community, Maurice Hervey was
able to realize, without such severe
treatment as was needed to convince
the apostle, that kicking against the
pricks is foolishness.— HUGH CON-

My father had quite as little yield-
ing in his disposition, and kicked
against the pricks determinedly.—
T. A. TROLLOPE.

Kidney. — OF THE SAME KID-
NEY— of the same nature. P.

Fellows of your kidney will never
go through more than the skirts of a
scrimmage.— HUGHES.
Kilkenny.— To FIGHT LIKE
KILKENNY CATS — to fight till
the combatants are all torn
to pieces. C. See CATS.

The tactics of the Kilkenny cats
by which the Sultan kept hold of
the wretched island were hideously
cruel.— Spectator, December 1887.

Kill. TO KILL TWO BIRDS

WITH ONE STONE to effect two

results with one expenditure
of trouble; to Igain two ob-
jects by one exertion. C.

We will kill two birds with one
stone — disinter a patient for our
leathern gallows, and furnish a fresh
incident of the Inquisition. — C.
READE.

To KILL ONE'S MAN — to fight a
duel with fatal results to one's
opponent. C.

He was a famous shot, had killed
his man before he came of age, and
nobody scarce dared look at him
whilst at Bath. — MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

Kinchin. — ON THE KINCHIN
LAY. See LAY.

Kind

Kind. (TRIBUTE) IN KIND

tribute paid, not in money,
but in articles of produce. P.

The Turk, who was a man of strict
honour, paid the count by embez-
zling the tribute in kind of the pro-
vince he governed.- BEACONSFIELD.
King1. — KING'S ENGLISH — the
standard English, such as is
regarded as good by the
highest authorities. P.

She was the most ignorant old
creature that ever was known, could
neither read nor write, and made sad
jumble of the King's English when
she spoke.— G. A. SALA.

KING'S EVIDENCE — the evidence
of one of a band of criminals
who, in order to obtain a
pardon, informs against his
fellows. P.

The unhappy man, to save his life,
had betrayed his master and turned
King's evidence.— G. A. SALA.

KING LOG — one1 who, having en-
joyed a short popularity, is
afterwards treated with con-
tempt. P. See ^Esop's Fables,
" The Frogs asking for a
King." To change King Log
for King Stork is to change a
stupid but harmless ruler for
an oppressor and tyrant.

It is a singular fact that Mr.
Emerson is the most steadily attrac-
tive lecturer in America. Into that
somewhat cold-waterish region ad-
venturers of the sensational kind
come down now and then with a
splash, to become disregarded King
Logs before the next session.— J. R.
LOWELL.

TO BE UNWILLING TO CALL THE
KING ONE'S COUSIN — to be in

a state of perfect satisfaction
or elation. F.

He wouldn't condescend to call
the king his cousin just at this pres-
ent time (he is so much elated with
his prosperity }.-H A LIBURTON.

THE KING OF TERRORS— a name
for death. P. From the Bible
(Job xyiii. 14).

Her rival was face to face with
that king of terrors before whom all
earthly love, hate, hope, and ambi-
Mon must fall down and cease from
troubling.-!!. R. HAGGARD.

Kingdom. — KINGDOM COME —
the next world. F.

140 Knee

If the face of the master is to be
taken as a barometer, we shall all
be in kingdom come before long.—
CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

Kiss. — To KISS HANDS — to kiss
the hand of the sovereign on
accepting or retiring from
high office. P.

TO KISS AND BE FRIENDS — to

become reconciled. F.

"It is not generous of you, Mr
Heigham, to throw my words into
my teeth. I had forgotten all about
them. But I will set your want of
feeling against my want of gratitude,
and we'll kiss and be friends."

"I can assure you, Mrs. Carr, that
there is nothing I should like better.
When shall the ceremony come off?"

"Now you are laughing at me, and
actually interpreting what I say
literally, as though the English lan-
guage were not full of figures of
speech. By that phrase"— and she
blushed a little, that is, her cheek
took a deeper shade of coral— "I
meant that we would not cut each
other after lunch."— H. E,. HAGGARD.
To KISS THE ROD — to submit to
punishment meekly and with-
out complaint.

Kite. — To FLY A KITE — to sus-
tain one's credit by obtaining
accommodation bills. A col-
loquial phrase among com-
mercial men.

Here's bills plenty— long bills and
short bills— but even the kites, which
I can fly as well as any man, won't
raise the money for me now.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Kith. — KITH AND KIN — rela-
tives, and connections by
marriage. C.

Jason had none of his relations
near him. No wonder he was no
kinder to poor Sir Condy than to
his own kith or kin. — MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

It was a sair vex (sore trouble) to a'
(all) her kith and kin.— SCOTT.

Kittle. — KITTLE CATTLE TO
SHOE — a difficult person to
manage. F.

But I am not so sure that the
young lady is to be counted on. She
is kittle cattle to shoe. — GEORGE
ELIOT.

Knee. — To BOW THE KNEE TO
BAAL — to conform to the pre-
vailing or fashionable worship

Knife

141

Knuckle

of the day. P. See the
Bible: "Yet I have left
me seven thousand in Israel,
all the knees which have not
bowed to Baal " (2 Kings
xix. 18).

Whiggism is always the scorn of
thorough-going men and rigorous
logicians— is ever stigmatized as a
bending of the knee to Baal.— J.
COTTER MORISON.

TO BOW THE KNEE BEFORE

to submit to. P.

In the course of the year 1859
several of those eminent Frenchmen
who refused to bow the knee before
the Second Empire had frequent
and friendly conversations with
Macaulay on the future of their un-
happy country.— G. O. TREVELYAN.
Knife. — WAR TO THE KNIFE —
deadly strife. P.

War to the knife now.— C. KEADE.

So the strife settled down into a
personal affair between Flashman
and our youngsters; a war to the
knife, to be fought out in the little
cockpit at the end of the bottom
passage.— T. HUGHES.
Knock. — A KNOCK-OUT — an
auction where the bidders
are in collusion. C.

There are occasional knock-outs
and other malpractices in every sale-
room in London.— A thenceum, 1887.

This was a knock-out transaction.
Twelve buyers had agreed not to bid
against one another in the auction
room ; a conspiracy illegal but cus-
tomary.—C. READE.
To KNOCK UNDER — to submit
completely. F.

Our government is not going to

knock under because they have

suffered a few reverses. — H. R.

HAGGARD.

To KNOCK UP — (a) to fatigue. F.

This is my only holiday, yet. I
don't seem to enjoy it— the fact is,
I feel knocked up with my week's
work.— S. WARREN.

(6) to awake by rapping at
the door. P.

Then I knocked up old Macniven
out of bed.— R. L. STEVENSON.
(c) to call upon ; to visit. F.

He would go home some of these
days and knock the old girl up.— H.
KINGSLEY.
TO KNOCK ON THE HEAD to

frustrate ; to break up ; to
destroy. F.

Mr. Hfnckley told us some very
interesting facts connected with the
original survey, and knocked several
t delusions on the head.—
USSELL.

To KNOCK OFF — (a) to discon-
tinue. F.

When the yarlet knocked off work
for the day it was observed that he
was possessed of a strange manner.—
BESANT.

(&) to cease work. F.

They gradually get the fidgets.
This is a real disease while it lasts.
In the workroom it has got to last
until the time to knock off .—BESANT.

(c) to prepare ; to get

ready. F.

Rover, too— you might easily get
up (the part of ) Rover while you are
about it, and Cassio and Jeremy
Diddler. You can easily knock
them off: one part helps the other
so much. Here they are, cues and
all.— DICKENS.

To KNOCK ABOUT — to wander ;
to travel without definite aim.
F.

I am no chicken, dear, and I have
knocked about the world a good
deaL— H. R. HAGGARD.

Know. — To KNOW WHAT ONE
is ABOUT — to be far-sighted
and prudent. C.

She makes the most of him, be-
cause she knows what she is about
and keeps a mean.— M. ARNOLD.

To KNOW WHAT'S WHAT. See
WHAT.

Knuckle. — To KNUCKLE DOWN
— to acknowledge oneself
beaten ; to submit. F.

We knuckled down under an ounce
of indignation.— BLACKMORE.

I had to knuckle down to this man
—to own myself beaten but for his
help.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

To KNUCKLE UNDER — to yield ;
to behave submissively. C.

The captain soon knuckled under,
put up his weapon, and resumed his
seat, grumbling like a beaten dog.—
R. L. STEVENSON.

To RAP A MAN'S KNUCKLES — to
administer a sharp reproof. C.

The author has grossly mistrans-
lated a passage in the Dcfensio pro
Populo Anglicano ; and if the bishop
were not dead, I would here take the
liberty of rapping his knuckles.— DE
QUINCEY.

Labour

142

Late

Labour. — A LABOUR OF LOVE
— work undertaken spontane-
ously, and not for pay. P.

That his own thoughts had some-
times wandered back to the scenes
and friends of his youth during this
labour of love (the composition of
the Deserted Village), we Know from
his letters.— BLACK'S Goldsmith.

Lady. — LADY BOUNTIFUL — a
charitable matron. P.

Every one felt that since Mrs.
Armytage was playing the part of
Lady Bountiful, it was better that
she should go through with it.—
JAMES PAYN.

Laissez. — LAISSEZ-FAIRE — let
alone ; allowing things to go
as they will ; absence of
intervention or control. P.
French.

Laissez-faire declines in favour;
our legislation grows authoritative.
—Contemporary Review, 1887.

Lamp. — THE LAMP OF PHCEBUS
— a poetical name for the sun.

Lance. — A FREE LANCE — one
attached to no party ; one
who fights for his own hand.
P.

That he (Defoe) wrote simply as a
free lance, under the jealous suffer-
ance of the government of the day.—

MlNTO.

Land. — To SEE HOW THE LAND
LIES — to see in what state
matters are. C.

Now I see how the land lies, and
I'm sorry for it. —MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

Her hostess clearly perceived how
the land lay, and was exceedingly
indignant at the supposed neglect of
her favourite.— JAMES I'AYN.

TO MAKE THE LAND — to Come in

sight of the land as the ship
approaches it from the sea. P.
He made the land the sixth day
after leaving Melbourne.

THE LAND OF THE LEAL — heaven.
P. Originally a Scottish
phrase. On one celebrated
occasion Mr. Gladstone used
the expression erroneously, as
applying to Scotland.

We'll meet and aye be fain (loving)
In the land of the leal.

BARONESS NAIBNE.

Lapsus. — LAPSUS LINGUAE — a
slip of the tongue ; something
said by mistake. C. Latin.

" I will not answer for anything he
might do or say. I only know— *

'^Vhat do you know?"

"More than I choose to say. It
was a lapsus linguae" (I should not
have said that I knew anything).—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Large. — AT LARGE — (a) free ;
at liberty. P.

It was thus that the little party in
the prior's hostel conversed together
on a footing more confidential and
familiar than would have been pos-
sible had they been at large in the
world without.— JAMES PAYN.

If you are still at large, it is thanks
to me.— R. L STEVENSON.

(&) in a wide sense ; gener-
ally. P.

Their (the English people's) in-
terests at large are protected by
their votes.— W. E. GLADSTONE.

A GENTLEMAN AT LARGE — a

person without any serious
occupation. C.

He was now a gentleman at large,
living as best he might, no one but
himself knew how.— Miss BRADDON.

Lark. — To HAVE LARKS — to
indulge in boyish tricks. F.

What larks we had when we were
boysj

WHEN THE SKY FALLS WE SHALL
CATCH LARKS — an absurd state-
ment, used to throw ridicule
on any fanciful proposition.
C.

The stationary state may turn out
after all to be the millennium of
ecpnomic expectation, but for any-
thing we know the sky may fall and
we may be catching larks before that
millennium arrives.— Contemporary
Review, 1880.

Late. — LATE IN THE DAY —
behind time ; too late. C.
Used with reference to long
periods.

"I am not going to stand your
eternal visits to him."

\
1

Laugh 143

'You have stood them for twenty
years. Rather late in the day to
object bow, isn't it?" she remarked
.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Lay

.— TO LAUGH TO SCORN

— to treat with ridicule. P.

Lochiel would undoubtedly have
laughed the doctrine of non-resist-
ance to SCOm.— MACAULAY.
TO LAUGH IN ONE'S SLEEVE — to

smile inwardly while pre-
serving a serious countenance.
P.

His simplicity was very touching.
. . . "How they must have laughed
at you in their sleeves, my poor
Willie!" she answered pityingly.—
JAMES PAYN.

To LAUGH OFF — to dismiss with
a laugh. P.

Our baronet endeavoured to laugh
off with a good grace his apostasy
from the popular party. — MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

TO LAUGH OUT OF THE OTHER
CORNER Or SIDE OF THE
MOUTH — to be made to feel
vexation ; to have the laugh
turned against a jeering per-
son. C.

" Nonsense ! " said Adam. " Let it
alone, Ben Cranage. You'll laugh o'
th' other side o' your mouth then."—
GEORGE ELIOT.

TO LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE

OF ONE'S FACE — to be humili-
ated. C.

By-and-by thou wilt laugh on the
wrong side of thy face.— CARLYLE.

Law. — To HAVE or TAKE THE

LAW OF ANY ONE to prOSC-

cute any one in a law court. C.

"There's a hackney -coachman
downstairs, with a black eve and a
tied-up head, vowing he'll have the
law of you."

"What do you mean,— law? Sed-
ley faintly asked.

*' For thrashing him last night."—
THACKERAY.

"She was as bad as he, said

Tinker. " She took the law of every

one of her tradesmen. "—THACKERAY.

A LAW OF THE MEDES AND THE

PERSIANS — an unalterable
law. P.

We looked upon every trumpery
little custom and habit which had
obtained in the school as though it
had become a law of the Medes and
Persiana— T. HUGHES.

LAW-ABIDING — obedient to the
laws. P.

Yet the road is not worthy of this
reputation. It has of late years be-
come orderly ; its present condition
is dull and law-abiding.— BESANT.

Lay. — THE LAY or LIE OF THE
LAND — the general features
of a tract of country. P.

Fortunately, they both of them
had a very fair idea of theilay of the
land ; and, in addition to this, John
possessed a small compass fastened
to his watch-chain.— H. K. HAGGARD.

To LAY ABOUT ONE — to strike
on all sides. P.

He'll lay about him to-day.

SHAKESPEARE.

He lustily laid about him: but
in consequence he was brought to
the ground and his head cut off.—

BUNYAN.

To LAY BY — to save ; to store
away. P.

He had not yet, it is true, paid off
all the mortgages, still less had it
been in his power to lay by anything
out of his income. — Good Words,
1887.

TO LAY DOWN THE LAW to

speak with authority. C.

Though it was pleasant to lay
down the law to a stupid neighbour
who had no notion how to make the
best of his farm, it was also an agree-
able variety to learn something from
a clever fellow like Adam Bede.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

TO LAY THE CORNER-STONE

to make a regular beginning.
p.

I verily believe she laid the corner-
stone of all her future misfortunes
at that very instant.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.
TO LAY HEADS TOGETHER — to

consult. C.

Then they laid their heads to-
gether, and whispered their own
version of the story.— BESANT.
To LAY TO HEART — to ponder
deeply upon. P.

To do Alice justice, though she
listens to such lessons she does not
lay them to heart as she might.—
Edinbiirgh Review, 1882.

Lay it to thy heart.

SHAKESPEARE.

To LAY LOW — to bury. P.

I saw her laid low in her kindred's
vault. —SHAKESPEARE.

Lay

144

TO LAY VIOLENT HANDS ON —

to murder. P.

I do believe that violent hands were

laid

Upon the life of this thrice-famed
duke.— SHAKESPEARE.

To LAY BY THE HEELS — to ren-
der powerless; to confine. F.
Originally used of imprison-
ment in the stocks, a punish-
ment inflicted on vagrants and
others. The ankles were en-
closed in a board, the culprit
preserving a sitting posture.
See HEELS.

Poor old Benjy! the rheumatiz
has much to answer for all through
English country sides, but it never
played a scurvier trick than in laying
thee by the heels.— T. HUGHES.

TO LAY ONESELF OUT FOR — to

direct one's energies towards.

P.
"And now," said Mr. Colliber,

"you will tab* chambers in Pall

Mall ; you will join a club— I can get

you into as good a one as you have a

right to expect; you will drive in

your cab to the office

will lay yourself out

dinners."— BESANT.
To BE LAID UP — to be unwell ;

to be confined in one's room

with sickness. C.
He was made so rabid by the gout,

with which he happened to be then

laid up, that he threw a footstool at

the dark servant in return for his

intelligence.— DICKENS.
To LAY IN — to store for use on

an approaching occasion. P.
The aboriginal peasantry of the

neighb9urhood were laying in pikes

and knives.— MACAULAY.
To LAY IT ON— to exaggerate ; to

do anything extravagantly. F.
Now you are laying it on. Surely

he could not get so high a salary.
A LAY FIGURE — a human model

used by an artist. P.
Meantime you are not to be a
r a mere negative-~

every day ; you
for giving

To LAY TO — (a) to cease from
advancing; to stop. P. See
LIE TO.

'.'Well gentlemen " said the cap
tain, "the~best that \ can say is not
much. We must lay to, if you
Please, and keep a bright look-out "
— R. L. STEVENSON.

Lay

-(6) to be sure

of;
F.

to be

certain regarding.

"Ask your pardon, sir, you would
be very wrong, quoth Silver. " You
would lose your precious life, and
you may lay to that."— R, L. STEVEN-
SON.

TO LAY ANYTHING TO ONE'S

CHARGE — to accuse him of
it ; to hold him responsible
for it. P. Biblical. (See
Deut. xxi. 8 ; Rom. viii.
33.)

My scoundrelly enemies did not
fail to confirm and magnify the
rumour, and would add that I was
the cause of her insanity; I had
driven her to distraction, I had
killed Bullingdon, I had murdered
my own son : I don't know what else
they laid to mycharp« .—THACKERAY.

To LAY OUT — (a) ;o spend (of
money). P.

Unluckily all our money had been
laid out that morning in provisions.
—GOLDSMITH.

(&) to invest. P.

To crown all, Mademoiselle Beatrice
is a funded proprietor, and consulted
the writer of this biography as to the
best method of laying out a capital
of two hundred francs, which is the
present amount of her fortune.—
THACKERAY.

(c) to prepare a corpse for

the coffin. P.

"What am I to do about laying
her out?" asked Mrs. Evitt of the
doctor.— Miss BRADDON.

— (d) to be willing to under-
take the charge of.

I have never laid myself out for
families. Children are so mischiev-
ous.—Miss BRADDON.

THE KID or KINCHIN LAY — the
practice of robbing young
children — a special branch of
the London thieves' art. S.
See the career of Noah Clay-
pole in Oliver Twist.

" You did well yesterday, my dear,"
said Fagin; "beautiful! Six shilr
lings and ninepence halfpenny on
the very first day. The kinchin lay
will be a fortune to you."— DICKENS.

What in Oliver Twist fifty years
later is called the kinchin lay, ap-
pears here (in Captain Grose's dic-
tionary) as the kid lay ;the last word
meaning profession.— KINQTON OLI-
PHANT, in The New English.

Lead

145

Leave

Lead. — To LEAD ONE A PRETTY
DANCE — to cause one un-
necessary trouble. C.

" Well, my lord," cried Sir Terence,
out of breath, "you have led me a
pretty dance all over the town."—
MARIA. EDGEWORTH.

To LEAD UP TO — to conduct to
gradually and cautiously. P.

Mr. Fleming does not even accuse
the incumbent of insidiously leading
up to Mariolatry.— Saturday Review,
1887.

After a little rambling talk the
lawyer led up to the subject which
so disagreeably preoccupied him.—
K. L. STEVENSON.

To LEAD OFF — to begin. P.

There were, no doubt, many ardent
and sincere persons who seemed to
think this as simple a thing to do
as to lead off a Virginia reel.— J. R.
LOWELL.

TO LEAD UP A BALL Said Of

the most important couple
who open the ball by com-
mencing the dance. P.

Mr. Thornhill and my eldest
daughter led up the ball, to the great
delight of the spectators. — GOLD-
SMITH.

TO LEAD BY THE NOSE. See

NOSE.
Leaf. — To TAKE A LEAF OUT

OF ANOTHER PERSON'S BOOK

to imitate him in certain par-
ticulars. C.

Do you know, Arminius, I begin
to think, and many people in tnis
country begin to think, that the time
has almost come for taking a leaf
out of your Prussian book.— M.
ARNOLD.

TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

to begin a different mode of
life. C.

I suppose he'll turn over a new
leaf, now there's a lady at the head
of the establishment. — GEORGE
ELIOT.

Leak. — To LEAK our — to be-
come gradually known (of
something which has been
kept a secret). P.

It was plain that the news of his
engagement had leaked out through
one of those mysterious channels
which no amount of care can ever
effectually close in such cases.—
W. E. N ORRIS.

To SPRING A LEAK — to let in
water. P. /

Whether she sprang a leak, I cannot

find,
Or whether she was overset with

wind,
But down at once with all her crew

she went.— DRYDEN.

Leap. — BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
— by a series of sudden and
rapid advances. P.

The figures showing the advance
by leaps and bounds of Jewish
pauperism year after year are no
less striking.— Spectator, 1887.

LEAP YEAR — a year of three
hundred and sixty-six days,
occurring every fourth year.
P. Ladies are allowed to
-propose marriage to gentle-
men during leap years.

But I don't remember any one
having given me an " engaged ring"
before; and it's not leap year (the
year when ladies propose) neither.
—JAMES PAYN.

Least. — THE LEAST SAID THE
SOONEST MENDED — it is pru-
dent to speak little. C.

The old lady ventured to approach
Mr. Benjamin Allen with a few com-
forting reflections, of which the
chief were, that after all, perhaps
it was well it was no worse ; the least
said the soonest mended.— DICKENS.

Leather. — LEATHER AND PRU-
NELLA (or PRUNELLO) — what is
on the exterior ; non-essential.
P. Prunella is a cloth used
by shoemakers in making the
uppers of boots.
Worth makes the man, and want of

it the fellow ;
The rest is all but leather or pru-

nello.— POPE.

The question is, How is the book
likely to sell? All the rest is leather
and prunella (does not matter).—
JAMES PAYN.

Leave. — To LEAVE OFF — (a)
to cease or desist from ; to
abandon. P.

First they left off worshipping the
gods of Troy.— BESANT.

(&) to discontinue wearing.

p.

He goes in his doublet and hose,
and leaves off his wit.

SHAKESPEARE.

Leek

146

Leg

To LEAVE OUT IN THE COLD — to

neglect ; to exclude from par-
ticipation in anything. P.

to Cornellis,~so my'son" is left out in
the cold.— Chambers' s Journal, 1888.
TO LEAVE IN THE LURCH. See

LURCH.

Leek. — To EAT or SWALLOW
THE LEEK — to submit to what
is humiliating. C.

One has heard of eating the leek,
but that is nothing in comparison
with that meal of the Sepoys at
Dusty bad.— JAMES PAYN.

It was certain that he (Mr. Erin)
would have to swallow a very large
leek (undergo a very painful morti-
fication) first.— JAMES PAYN. **

Left. — OVER THE LEFT — under-
stand quite the reverse of
what is said. P.

Each gentleman pointed with his
right thumb over his left shoulder.
This action, imperfectly described
by the feeble term "over the left,"
when performed by any number of
ladies and gentlemen who are accus-
tomed to act in unison, has a very
graceful and airy effect : its expres-
sion is one of light and airy sarcasm.
— DICKENS.

A LEFT-HANDED COMPLIMENT —

a saying which, though appar-
ently meant to flatter, really
depreciates. An unlucky piece
of flattery. P.

His quiet manner left his speech
unpunctuated, and his fishy eyes,
level voice, and immovable face put
no dot to an ambiguous "i," and
crossed no "t" in a left-handed com-
pliment.—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
To GET LEFT— to be disappointed.
Yes; and there will be the same
inevitable feature about his canvass
that there was in 1888. He (Cleve-
land) '11 get Mi.— New York Weekly
Tribune.

ON THE LEFT HAND — in an irregu-
lar way. C.

And then this girl, this Yetta, had
Clinton blood in her. if on the left
hand, and sadly mixed.-MRs. E.
LYNN LINTON.

A LEFT-HANDED OATH — an Oath

which is not binding. C.

"It must be a left-handed oath,"
he said, as he obeyed her.— HUGH

CONWAY.

Leg1. — TO GIVE LEG-BAIL — to

run off ; to escape. F.

It is by no means improbable that
the marauders, with a good start and
active horses under them, will have
given leg-bail to (eluded) their pur-
suers.— Daily Telegraph, 1887.

Even an attorney may give leg bail
to (escape from) the power under
which he lives.— BLACKMORE.

ON ONE'S LEGS — erect ; about
to make a speech. P.

He (Major Scott) was always on
his legs ; he was very tedious ; and
he hadonly one topic, the merits and
wrongs of Hastings.— MAOAULAY.

ON ITS LAST LEGS — about to
perish ; ready to fall. P.

I entirely agree with your con-
demnation of the London coal tax.
I read with the utmost satisfaction
the denunciation of it by Lord Ran-
dolph Churchill. If he holds to his
position the tax must be on its last
legs.— W. E. GLADSTONE.

WITHOUT A LEG TO STAND ON —
having no support. C.

And that fool Kimble says the
newspaper's talking about peace.
Why, the country wouldn't have a
leg to stand on (would be ruined).—
GEORGE ELIOT.

They compared notes, and agreed
that no system but the separate one
had a leg to stand on (had any chance
of succeeding).— C. READE.

To GIVE A LEG UP — to help into
the saddle. C.

His friend Tim giving him a leg
up, he canters sober John past the
stand.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

TO STAND ON ONE'S OWN LEGS — •

to be dependent on no one. C.
Persons of their fortune and qual-
ity could well have stood upon their
own legs.— COLLIER.

To MAKE A LEG — to bow in the
old-fashioned way, drawing
one leg backward. P.

So in they come ; each makes his leg,
And flings his head before.

COWPER.

Each made a leg in the approved
rural fashion.— A. TROLLOPE.

To PUT ONE'S BEST LEG FORE-
MOST— to walk or run at the
top of one's speed; to hurry.
C. See FOOT.

"Now, you must put your best
leg foremost, old lady," whispered
Sowerberry in the old woman's ear;
" we are rather late."— DICKENS.

Legion

GOOD SEA -LEGS — capacity of
standing the motion of a ship
at sea without suffering from
sea-sickness. F.

It was one of those doubtful days
when people who are conscious of
not possessing good sea-legs, and
who yet enjoy a sail in m

weather, are prone to hesitate.—
JAMES PAYN.

Legion. — THEIK NAME is LE-
GION— they are countless ; their
number is infinite. C. A
phrase taken from the Bible
(Mark v. 9).

Lend. — To LEND A HAND — to
help. C.

You see the manufacturers. Here
they are, with their wives and
daughters. They all lend a hand,
and between them the thing is done.
— BESANT.

Length. — AT LENGTH — (a) at
last ; after a long time. P.

And as she watched, gradually her
feet and legs grew cold and numb,
till at length she could feel nothing
below her bosom.— H. E. HAGGARD.

(6) to the full extent ; omit-
ting nothing. P.

"I propose to go into the subject
at length after breakfast," returned
Alexander.— E. L. STEVENSON.

AT FULL LENGTH — stretched
out to the full extent. P.
Here stretch thy body at full length.
WORDSWORTH.

Let. — To LET OFF — to excuse ;
to set free. P.

We can't let you off, Lady Mona.
It is imperative that you should
wash your face in sight of us all, and
dry it too.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.
To LET ON — to reveal; to let
people know. F.

" I vow," said Mr. Slick, " I wish I
hadn't let on (allowed people to
know) that I had it at all."— HALI-
BURTON.

" But you won't let on, Ewan, will
you?" he said.— HALL CAINE.

It is also used of dissimu-
lation.

He lets on that he is wealthy.
TO LET FLY Or LET DRIVE (a)

to discharge a missile with
force. C.

I looked up, and there, as I
thought, was tne calf. So I got my i

14? Letter

rifle on and let drive, first with one
barrel, then with the other.— H. E.
HAGGARD.

(&) to aim a blow ; to strike

at with violence. C.

He let fly with such stoutness at
the giant's head and sides that he
made him let his weapon fall out of
his hand.— BUNYAN.

To LET OUT — to disclose; to
make known what would
otherwise be a secret. P.

Nave let out one day that he had
remonstrated with his daughter in
vain.— MRS. H. WOOD.

To LET ALONE — to leave un-
molested ; not to approach. P.
It really was not poor Aleck's fault.
He is gentle as a lamb when he is let
alone.— H. E. HAGGARD.

TO LET WELL ALONE to refuse

to interfere where matters are
already satisfactory. C.

LET ALONE — a phrase signify-

ing " much less." F.
I havi

lave not had, this livelong day,
one drop to cheer my heart,
Nor brown (a copper) to buy a bit of
bread with— let alone a tart.

BARHAM.

To LET ONE IN — to make one
responsible without his know-
ledge. F.

He was let in for a good hundred
pounds by his son's bankruptcy.

To LET SLIDE — to allow any-
thing to pass unnoticed. S.

I call this friendly. I asked my-
self last night, "Will these boys
come to see me, or will they let the
ragged Yankee slide?" And here
you are.— BESANT AND RICE.

TO LET GO OF ANYTHING — to

relax one's hold of it. C.

He let go of Bessie in his per-
plexity and fear.— H. E. HAGGARD.

LET BE ! — no matter ! C.
Leon. Do not draw the curtain.
Paul. No longer shall you gaze on't,

lest your fancy
May think anon it moves.
Leon. Let be, let be!— SHAKESPEARE.

To LET BE — to leave alone. C.

Would it not be well to let her be,
her
RD.

to give him his way and leave
to go hers, in peace?— E. HAGGA

Letter. — THE LETTER OF THE
LAW — the exact literal inter-

Level

148

Life

pretation of a law or written
document. P.

Farmer Gray had always the pre-
ference, and the hatred of Mr. Hop-
kins knew no bounds— that is, no
bounds but the letter of the law, of
which he was ever mindful, because
lawsuits are expensive.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

To THE LETTER — exactly; follow-
ing instructions minutely. P.
He was overbearingj harsh, exact-
ing, and insisted on his orders being
carried out to the letter.— BESANT.

RED LETTER. See RED.

Level. — To DO ONE'S LEVEL
BEST — to exert oneself to the
utmost of one's power. F.
His Level Best is the name of
a work by a Mr. Hale, pub-
lished in Boston in 1877.

He did his level best to get me the
post.

To HAVE ONE'S HEAD LEVEL —
to be discreet ; to have a well-
balanced mind. F. American.

" The jury must be mad ! "

"I guess not, Pat. They've the
reputation of being a level-headed
lot."— Macmillan's Magazine, 1887.
To LEVEL UP — to bring what is
lower to an equality with
what is higher. P. First
used by Lord Mayo in 1869.

The older officials with smaller
salaries applied to have them levelled
up to the salaries of the newcomers.
To LEVEL DOWN — to bring what
is higher to an equality with
things that are lower. P.

The Government, however, did the
reyerse-they levelled down the
salaries.

Lick. — TO LICK INTO SHAPE —

to give form or method to
a person or thing. F. The
phrase owes its origin to the
fable that the cubs of a bear
are born shapeless, and are
licked into shape by their
mother.

"But," said the doctor, as he re-
sumed his chair, "tell me, Bonny-
castle, how you could possibly
manage to lick such a cub into shape
when you do not resort to flog^in<'?"
-CAPTAIN MARRYAT.
To LICK THE DUST — to fall in
battle. P.

His enemies shall lick the dust.
Psalm Ixxii. 9.
TO LICK THE SPITTLE OP to

crouch before ; to be meanly

servile towards. F.

His heart too great, though fortune

little,

To lick a rascal statesman's spittle.
SWIFT.
Lie. — AS FAR AS IN ONE LIES —

as far as one is able ; to the
limit of one's powers. P.

As far as in me lies, I mean to live
up to her standard for the future.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

TO GIVE THE LIE TO to COn-

tradict flatly. P.

When another traducer went the
length of including Margaret in the
indictment by the assertion that a
female relative of Mr. Erin's per-
formed the more delicate work of
the autographs, he gave him the lie
direct.— JAMES PAYN.
To LIE TO — to be stopped in her
course (of a ship). P.

We now ran plump into a fog, and
lay to (took in the sails and checked
the speed of the vessel).— LORD

DUFFERIN.

To LIE TO ONE'S WORK — to work

vigorously. F.
They lay to the work and finished

it by midday.
To LIE ON HAND — to remain

unsold. P.
To LIE ON ONE'S HANDS — to

hang heavily. P.
Time lay on her hands during hex

son's absence.

To LIE WITH ANT ONE — to be-
long to any one ; to be the

duty of any one. P.
The charge of souls lies upon

them.— BACON.
It lay, she said, with Henry, to

make overtures of conciliation.
Life. — To THE LIFE — exactly;

so as to reproduce the original

person or scene. P.
Victor Hugo, who delighted in

that kind of figure, would have

painted him to the life.— Spectator,

1887.
As LARGE AS LIFE — of the same

size as the living being repre-
sented. P.
He marched up and down before

the street door like a peacock, as

large as life and twice as natural.—

HALIBURTON.

Lift

149

Light

TO BEAR A CHAKMED LIFE

to escape death in almost a
miraculous manner. P.

Up and down the ladders, upon the
roofs of buildings, over floors that
quaked and trembled with his

quaked ana ,tre
stones, in

weight, under the lee of falling bricks

d stones, in every pa
great fire was he; but he bore a

part of that

charmed life, and had neither scratch
nor bruise.— DICKENS.
FOB MY LIFE ; FOR THE LIFE OF

ME — although I should lose my
life as a penalty. C. A phrase
used in strong assertions.

Nor could I, for my life, see how
the creation of the world had any-
thing to do with the business I was
talking of.— GOLDSMITH.

Half an hour ago Walter, for his
life, would have hardly called her
by name. But he could do so now
when she entreated him.— DICKENS.

Lucy, for the life of her, could not
help fancying there was something
in it.— A. TROLLOPE.

Lift. TO LIFT UP THE EYES Or

FACE — to look with confidence.
A Biblical phrase.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the
hills.— Psalm cxxi. 2.

Thou shalt lift up thy face unto
God.— Job xxii. 26.
TO LIFT UP THE HEAD- — to T6-

joice ; to triumph. Biblical.

And now shall my. head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about
me.— Psalm xxvii. 6.
To LIFT UP THE HEEL AGAINST to

treat violently (and ungrate-
fully). Biblical.

He thateateth bread with me hath
lifted up his heel against me.— J onn

Talfourd, in the bitterness of his
soul, exclaimed that Literature's own
familiar friend, in whom she trusted,
and who had eaten of her bread, had
lifted up his heel against her.— G. O.
TREVELYAN.

To LIFT UP THE VOICE — to cry
aloud in joy or in sorrow.
Biblical.

And Saul lifted up his voice, and
wept.— 1 Samuel xxiv. 16.

They shall lift up their voice, they
shall sing.— Isaiah xxiv. 14.
TO LIFT UP THE HORN to be

arrogant in behaviour. Bibli-
cal. See HORN.

Lift not up your horn on high :
speak not with a stiff neck (proudly).
—Psalm Ixxv. 6.

Light. TO SEE THE LIGHT —

to be born ; to come into actual
existence. P.

The good brother! But for him
my poems would never have seen
the light.— BESANT.

To MAKE LIGHT OF — to treat as
of no importance ; to disre-
gard. P.

But my father made light of all
plebeian notions.— C. READE.

"Don't you be so aggravating, old
man," said the good-natured George ;
"and you, Mr. Meadows, should
know now to make light of an old
man's tongue."— C. READE.

TO STAND IN ONE'S OWN LIGHT.

See STAND.

To SET LIGHT BY — to under-
value ; to despise. P.

He sets light by his wife's notions.
To BRING TO LIGHT — to disclose ;
to make known. P.

The duke yet would have dark
deeds darkly answered; he would
never bring them to light.— SHAKE-
SPEARE.

To COME TO LIGHT — to become
known. P.
Come, let us go ; these things, come

thus to light,
Smother her spirits up.

SHAKESPEARE.

LIGHT-FINGERED GENTRY — pick-
pockets.

To LIGHT OUT — to make off ;
to disappear. S. An Ameri-
canism.

Cheboygan Tribune. Oh yes, the
Soo is booming, and the following
proves it: Harry Leavitt, manager
of the theatre, skipped last week.
The Eckert Robinson Co. did not
take in enough to pay expenses, and
left between two days. Billy Mac-
Robie drugged and robbed a printer,
named Tom Nelson, on Monday
night, and lit out. Curious how they
like to leave a live town.— Sault isle.
Marie News, August 1888.

To LIGHT UPON — to find ; to
discover by accident. P.

M. de Bernard's characters are
men and women of genteel society-
rascals enough, but living in no
state of convulsive crimes ; and we
follow him in his lively, malicious
account of their manners, without
risk of lighting upon any such horrors
as Balzac and Dumas have provided
for us.— THACKERAY.

Like

150

Live

LIGHT OF CARRIAGE — loose in
conduct. F.

She was said to be rather light of
carriage.— CAPTAIN MABBYAT.

Like. — HAD LIKE — came near.
P. See HAVE.

Limb. — LIMB OF THE LAW —
a member of the legal pro-
fession ; a lawyer. F.

Then, when this base-minded limb
of the law grew to be sole creditor
over all, he takes him out a cus-
todian on all the denominations and
sub - denominations.— MABI A EDGE-
WOBTH.

Line. — HARD LINES — harsh
treatment ; undeserved mis-
fortune. F.

His wife would be the best person,
only it would be hard lines on her.—
A. TBOLLOPE.

THE LINE OF BEAUTY — the ideal
line formed by a graceful
curve of any kind. P.

But you know what I mean by the
artistic temperament . . . that way
of taking the line of beauty to get at
what you wish to do or say.— W. D.
HOWELLS.

ALL ALONG THE LINE — in every

particular. P.
The accuracy of the supposed

statements of facts is contested all

along the line by persons on the

spot.— W. E. GLADSTONE.
TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

See READ.

THE LINES ARE FALLEN TO ME
IN PLEASANT PLACES 1 am

fortunate in my worldly sur-
roundings (Ps. xvi. 6).

A lonely wayfarer, happy in the
knowledge that his daughter's fate
was no longer allied with his, that
•whatever evil might befall him, her
lines were set in pleasant places.
—Miss BRADDON.

Linked. — LINKED SWEETNESS
LONG DRAWN OUT — something
which pleases the senses for
a considerable time. P. A
line of Milton's L' Allegro often
quoted.

Lap me in soft Lydian airs,
Married to immortal verse ;
Such as the melting soul may pierce,
In notes with many a winding bout
Of linked sweetness long drawn out.
MILTON.

Lion. — A LION, or A GREAT
LION — a very popular person.
C.

We (Bulwer and Disraeli) are great
lions here (at Bath), as you may
imagine.— DISBAELI.

THE LION'S SHARE — a dispro-
portionately large share. P.
See ^Esop's fable of the lion
who went out hunting with a
wild ass. " I will take the
first share," he said, " be-
cause I am king ; and the
second share, as a partner
with you in the chase."

Mr. and Mrs. Armytage had their
bottle of champagne, or which the
latter, it was rather ill-naturedly
said, got the lion's share.— JAMES
PAYN.

Lip. — TO MAKE A LIP — to

have a sullen or mocking ex-
pression of face. P.
I will make a lip at the physician.
SHAKESPEABE.

TO KEEP Or CARRY A STIFF UPPER

LIP — to be stubborn or ill-
tempered. S.

It's a proper pity such a clever
woman should carry such a stiff
upper lip (possess such a bad tem-
per).—HALIBUBTON.
To SMACK ONE'S LIPS — to express
satisfaction. F.

She enjoyed the supremacy of
these names exceedingly, and, to use
a very inappropriate (because com-
mon) expression, smacked her lips
over it.— JAMES PAYN.

Little. — THE LITTLE Go —
an examination which candi-
dates for the B.A. degree at
the English universities have to
pass early in their course. C.

Then came the sentimental walks
with that tall college man, who was
reading with the Rev. Mr. Tuck's
curate— much reading he did. No
wonder he cot plucked in the Little
Go.— MBS. H. WOOD.

Live. — To LIVE DOWN — to prove
an accusation false by a con-
sistent life. P.

He was beginning to live down the
hostility of certain of his neighbours.
— W. E. NOBBIS, in Good Words, 1887.

TO LIVE UP TO ANYTHING to

prove oneself by one's life
worthy of something excel-

Liver

151

Long

lent. P. Punch satirizes
an aesthetic man and his wife
who, having obtained a fine
piece of old blue china,
resolved "to live up to it."

And try to believe that, so far as
in me lies, I mean to live up to her
standard for the future.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

Liver. — WHITE-LIVERED, LILY-
LIVERED, PIGEON - LIVERED,
MILK - LIVERED — cowardly ;
meek-tempered. C. The liver
was considered formerly to be
the seat of passion and bravery.
Curse him, the white-livered Eng-
lishman !— H. K. HAGGARD.
Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy

fear,
Thou lily-livered boy.

SHAKESPEARE.

I am pigeon-livered (too mild in
disposition), and lack gall.

SHAKESPEARE.

Loaf. — THE LOAVES AND FISHES
— the actual profits ; the
material benefits. P. A
phrase taken from the New
Testament. Christ fed a mul-
titude with some loaves and
a few small fishes. Those
who followed him not for his
teaching, but for the mere
gratification of their appe-
tites were said to desire the
loaves and fishes.

Thenceforward he was rich and
independent, and spared the tempta-
tion of playing the political game
with any pressing regard tot"

and fishes of

view, 1887.

_„ ives

ice.— Edinburgh Ee-

LOCk. TO LOCK THE STABLE-
DOOR AFTER THE STEED IS

STOLEN — to take precautions
too late. P.

When the sailors gave me my
money again, they kept back not
only about a third of the whole sum,
but my father's leather purse; so
that from that day out (thencefor-
ward), I carried my gold loose in a
pocket with a button. I now saw
there must be a hole, and clapped
my hand to the place in a great
hurry. But this was to lock the
stable-door after the steed was stolen.
— R. L. STEVENSON.

Locum. — LOCUM TENENS — one
who holds a situation tem-

porarily; a substitute. P.
Latin.

And behold, he and his parishion-
ers are given over to a locum tenens.—
Nineteenth Century, 1887.
Log:. — LOG-ROLLING — laudatory
criticisms in literary reviews
bestowed on one another by
private friends. P.

There is certainly no excuse for lit-
erary log-rolling. It is a detestableof-
f ence.— North American Review, 1887.

Logrgrepheads. — To BE AT

LOGGERHEADS ; TO COME, FALL,
Or GO TO LOGGERHEADS — to

quarrel ; to disagree. C.

A couple of travellers that took
up an ass fell to loggerheads which
should be his master.— L'ESTRANGE.

Tim Linkinwater is out of the
' question ; for Tim, sir, is such a
tremendous fellow that he could
never contain himself, but would go
to loggerheads with the father before
he had been in the place five minutes.
—DICKENS.

Loins. — To GIRD UP THE LOINS
— to brace oneself for vigorous
action. P.

But her father's will was law to her,
and she girded up her spiritual loins
and prepared for the encounter.—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
Lombard Street. — LOMBARD
STREET TO A CHINA ORANGE —
something very valuable staked
against a thing of little value ;
very long odds. C. Lombard
Street, in London, near the
Bank of England, is a centre of
great banking and mercantile
transactions.

"It is Lombard Street to a China
orange," quoth Uncle Jack.

" Are the odds in favour of fame
against failure really so great?" an-
swered my father.— BULWEB LYT-

TON.

Long:. — AT or IN THE LONG-
RUN — eventually ; before all
is over. P.

At the long-run these fellows never
thrive.— MARIA EDGE WORTH.

A statesman in the long-run must
yield to royal solicitation. — G. 0.
TREVELYAN.

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF

A MATTER — a matter viewed
briefly in its most important
aspects ; the important prin-

Look

152

Look

clple, or fact, contained in any
statement. C.

But my mother wouldn't part with
him if he was a Btill worse encum-
brance. It isn't that we don't know
the long and short of matters, but
it's our principle.— GEORGE ELIOT.

The long and short of the matter
is, that on getting off the lake, after
seven hours' rowing, I felt as much
relieved as if I had been dining for
the same length of time with Her
Majesty the Queen.— THACKERAY.

TO DRAW Or PULL THE LONG

BOW — to exaggerate. C.

King of Corpus (who was an incor-
rigible wag) was on the point of pull-
ing some dreadful long bow, and
pointing out a half-dozen of people
in the room as R. and II. and L., etc.,
the most celebrated wits of that day.
—THACKERAY.

BY A LONG CHALK — very con-
siderably. F.

Soon after Bordeaux she had words
(quarrelled) with the lions. They, in
their infernal conceit, thought them-
selves more attractive than Djek.
" It is vice versa, and by a long chalk "
(very much so), said Djek and Co.—
C. READE.

Look. TO LOOK AFTER to

attend to ; to pay careful
attention to. P.

Politeness of manner and know-
ledge of the world should principally
be looked after by a tutor.— LOCKE.

I assured you that when the trust
was paid I would look after her.—
BESANT.

LOOK YOU ! — please observe what
I am saying. C.

It was a place where professional
singers— women, too, look you, nearly
as bad as dancers, not to say actresses
—came and sat on a platform and
sang for money.— JUSTIN M'CARTHY.

TO LOOK ALIVE, or LOOK SHARP

to hurry ; to be quick ; to act
promptly. F.

"Tell young gent to look alive,"
says guard, opening the hind-boot.—
T. HUGHES.

Their life, bitter as it was, would
be bitterer if they did not look sharp
and learn a good many texts.— 0.
READE.

TO LOOK SHARP AFTER — to Watch

carefully. P.

The moment I became her sole
guardian, I had sworn on my knees
she should never kill another man :
judge whether I had to look sharp
after her.— C. READE.

To LOOK BLUE — to show signs of
disgust or disappointment. F.
Squire Brown looks rather blue at
having to pay two pounds ten shil-
lings for the posting expenses from
Oxford.— T. HUGHES.

TO LOOK DAGGERS to gaze

upon with anger. P.

There he sits abaft the mainmast
looking daggers at us.— C. READE.
To LOOK UP — to improve ; to
grow brighter ; to be in
demand. C.

" Things are looking up, Jeremiah,"
he said in a tone of exultation.— B.
L. FARJEON.

In commercial phrase, coffins were
looking up.— DICKENS.
TO LOOK A PERSON UP to Visit

him. F.

But Lucy would have me come and
look you up ; and I assure you I had
rather face a battery of my own can-
non.— The Mistletoe Bough, 1885.
To LOOK IN UPON — to visit
informally. C.

"1 had no idea you had a visitor
here, Mrs. Jennynge," he said.

" Yes : Miss Jocelme was so good
as to look in upon us."— JAMES PAYN.

TO LOOK IN THE FACE. to

examine boldly ; to refuse to
shrink from examining. P.

Sir Condy (was) not willing to take
his affairs into his own hands, or to
look them even in the face.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

It was many a day, however, before
she could look her own misfortune
in the face.— JAMES PAYN.
To LOOK TO — to take care of. P.

She hated to water her flowers now ;

she bade one of her servants look to

the garden.— C. READE.

THAT is YOUR LOOK our — you

must provide against that. F.

If he chooses to vote for the
devil, that is his look-out.— O. W.
HOLMES.

To LOOK OUT — to guard against
dangers ; to take precautions ;
to be careful. F.

Time sometimes brings its re-
venges, and, if it does, you may look
out, Mrs. Bellamy. -H. R. HAG-
GARD.
To LOOK OVER — (a) to read over.

P.

n Meet presently at the palace ; every
man look o'er his part ; for, the short
and the long is, our play is preferred.
—SHAKESPEARE.

Loose

153

Lucus

(&) to overlook ; to allow

to pass. P.
He forgave her, and looked over

her conduct. —Murray's Magazine,

1887.
TO LOOK FOR A NEEDLE IN A

HAYSTACK — to search after
anything with very little chance
of finding it. P.

There is little use searching for
him in this1 crowd ; it is like looking
for a needle in a haystack.

TO LOOK THROUGH COLOURED

SPECTACLES — to see things not
as they really are, but dis-
torted by one's own preju-
dices. P.

People who live much by them-
selves are apt to look at things
through coloured spectacles.
TO LOOK FORWARD TO to 6X-

pect with feelings of pleas-
ure. P.

The children are all looking for-
ward to your visit.

TO LOOK ABOUT ONE to be

cautious and wary. C.

John began to think it high time
to look about him (take precautions
for the future).— ABBUTHNOT.

Loose. — To LOOSE ONE'S PURSE-
STRINGS — to give money to-
wards some good object. C.

ON THE LOOSE — dissipated. F.

Her husband is, I fear, on the loose
just now.

A LOOSE FISH — a dissipated
man. F.

In short, Mr. Miles was a loose fish.
— C. R.EADE.

HAVING A TILE LOOSE. See
TILE.

Lord. — A LORD OF CREATION —
a man (as distinguished from
a woman). C. The term is
generally used jocularly.

No ; I had rather be a woman, with
all her imperfections, than one of
those lords of creation, such as we
[generally find them.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

Lose. — To LOSE CASTE — to be no
longer welcomed in the houses
of respectable people. P.

You may break every command in
the decalogue with perfect g9ocl
breeding, nay, if you are adroit, with-
out losing caste.— J. E. LOWELL.

To LOSE HEART — to become dis-
pirited. P.

Deprived of solid support in the
rear, the men in front will prob-
ably lose heart, and be easily driven
away or arrested.— Fortnightly Re-
view, 1887.

To LOSE THE DAT — to be de-
feated. P.

You will be shot, and your houses
will be burnt, and if you lose the day
those who escape will be driven out
[.of the country.— H. R. HAGGARD.

LiOSS. TO BE AT A LOSS

to be unable to decide. P.

Jane herself was quite at a loss
(quite bewildered) to think who could
possibly have ordered the piano.—
JANE AUSTEN.

Love. — LOVE IN A COTTAGE —
marriage without a sufficient
income to live in the fashion-
able world. P.

Lady Clonbrony had not, for her
own part, the slightest notion how
anybody out of Bedlam could prefer,
to a good house, a decent equipage,*
and a proper establishment, what is
called love in a cottage. — MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

THERE is NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN
THEM — they dislike each other.
P.

There is no great love lost between
the English Conservative Cabinet
and the Bulgarian Government.—
Fortnightly Review, 1887.

TO MAKE LOVE TO — to WOO ; to

court. P.

" And you're making love to her,
are you?" said Cute to the young

" Yes," returned Richard quickly,
for he was nettled by the question ;
"and we are going to be married on
New Year's day."— DICKENS.

Luck. — DOWN ON ONE'S LUCK.
See DOWN.

Lucky. — To CUT or MAKE ONE'S
LUCKY — to run off ; to de-
camp. S.

He (Fagin) might have got into
trouble if we hadn't made our lucky.
—DICKENS.

LUCUS. LUCUS A NON LU-

CENDO. An etymological pun.
Lucus, which means a dark
grove, seems to be connected
with luceot to shine, but ia

Lug

154

not. This derivation rests on
a principle of contradiction.

Thus Verdant's score was always
on the lucus a non lucendo principle
of derivation, for not even to a quar-
ter of a score did it ever reach.—
Verdant Green.

Lug*. — IN LUG — pawned. S.
My fiddle is in lug just now.

To LUG IN — to introduce vio-
lently ; to drag in without
sufficient cause. F.

It doesn't matter what the subject
is, always provided that he can lug
in the bloated aristocrat and the
hated Tory.— BESANT.

Lump. — A LUMP BUM — a sum
which includes many small
items ; a sum given at one
time to cover several smaller
payments. P.

The amounts asked for should be
granted in a lump sum to the im-
perial Government. — Daily Tele-
graph, 1885.

HAVING A LUMP IN ONE'S THROAT
— ready to weep. C.

Maid

more grave, and quiet, ana

He grew more grave, and quiet, ana
slow. The lump in my throat grew
larger every moment (I felt every
moment readier to weep).— Belgravia,

1886.

To LUMP IT — to dislike anything.
S. Generally used in the
phrase, —

"She won't like that at all," said
Musselbow.

"Then she must lump it." — A.
TROLLOPE.

Lurch. — To LEAVE IN THE
LURCH — to abandon ; to leave
in a helpless condition. P.

For myself, I think you are giving
him an immense deal of unnecessary
trouble, and that if he left you in the
lurch it would serve you right.— A.
TROLLOPE.

" My only excuse," said he, "is that
it never occurred to me to think that
Tracy would leave me4n the lurch."
—Good Words, 1887.

AT LURCH — hidden or secreted
(generally for a bad pur-
pose). F.

To GIVE A LURCH — to tell a lie;
to deceive. S.

M

M. — TO HAVE AN M UNDER THE

GIRDLE — to have the courtesy
to address people by the
title Mr., Mrs., or Madam. C.

Mad. — AS MAD AS A HATTER —

— crazy ; dangerously insane.
F.

1 I - very

good fellow but as mad as a hatter.
He s called Madman, you know.— T.

As MAD AS A MARCH HARE —
dangerously mad ; crack-
brained. F.

"Oh," said the admiral, "then:he
is mad ? "

" As a March hare, sir. And I'm
afraid putting him in irons will make
him worse It's a case for a lunatic
asylum."— C. HEADE.
LIKE MAD — in an excited fashion •
hurriedly. F.

None would have known the staid
respectable Meadows in this figure
"?.at came flying over hedge, and
ditch, and brook, his hat dangling
and leaping like mad behind him —

TO GO Or RUN MAD AFTER ANY-
THING— to conceive a violent
passion for it. C.

The world is running mad after
farce.— DRYDEN.

Magnum. — MAGNUM OPUS —
great work ; masterpiece. P.
Latin.

I shall never achieve any great
work in London," he told himself.
' For my magnum opus I must have
the tranquillity of wood and moor."
—Miss BRADDON.

Mahomet. — MAHOMET COMING

TO THE MOUNTAIN the less

coming to the greater. P.

"As the mountain would.not come
to Mahomet, Miss Rayne, you see
that Mahomet has come to the moun-
tain," she says, to hide her annoy-
ance.—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Maid. — A M AID -OF-ALL- WORK —
a general servant, who acts as
cook, waiter, bedroom attend-
ant, etc. P.

If the bishop is going to Paris, and
wants an honest niaid-of -all-work, he

Maiden

155

Make

can have her, I have no doubt.—
THACKERAY.

Maiden. — MAIDEN SPEECH —
first speech. P.

He (Lord Byron) was greatly, in
deed childishly, elated by the com

Eliments paid to his maiden speech
a the House of Lords.— MACAULAY.
Main. — IN THE MAIN; FOR
THE MAIN — for the most part.
P.

These new notions concerning coin-
age have, for the main, been put
into writing above twelve months.—
LOCKE.

THE MAIN CHANCE — money ;
wealth ; material welfare. C.

I have always, as you know, been
a common-sense person, with a proper
appreciation of the main chance.—
W. E. JST ORRIS, in Good Words, 1887.

Make. — To MAKE AT — to run
or move towards. P.

Tom rushed at Jacob, and began
draggmghim back by his smock ; and
the master made at them,

forms and boys in
HUGHES.

. scattering
his career.— T.

To MAKE AS IF — to make an ap-
pearance of ; to feign. P.

Now, Mr. Feeblemind, when they
were going out of the door, made as
if he intended to linger.— BUNYAN.

To MAKE AGAINST — to be un-
favourable to. P.

There was a keenness about his
eye, and an acuteness of expression,
much in favour of the law ; but the
dress and general bearing of the man
made against the supposition.— HALI-

BURTON.
TO MAKE AWAY WITH — to put

out of the way ; to remove.
P.

The gentlemen had somehow made
away with their obstructiveness.—
Harper's Magazine, 1887.

" Ordinary case enough," you'll say
with your experience— ordinary
case enough : drunken man decoyed
into some water-side den, robbed,
and made away with."— E. YATES.

TO MAKE AWAY WITH ONESELF

— to commit suicide. P.

The women of Greece were seized
with an unaccountable melancholy,
which disposed several of them to
make away with themselves.— ADDI-

SON.

The idea of making away with him-
self had flitted through his mind a
dozeujtimes.— A. TROLLOPE.

To MAKE BELIEVE — to pretend. C.
Her view of the case was that his
nignness s secretary, having no belief
in the genuineness of his master's
pretensions, found it necessary to
make believe very much. — JAMES
PAYN.

To MAKE BOLD — to summon up
courage ; to venture. P.

"I make bold, young woman," he
said as they went away, "to give
you a warning about my nephew."—
BESANT.

To MAKE BOLD WITH — to venture
to deal with. P.

By the time I was twelve years old
I had risen into the upper school,
and could make bold with Eutropius
and Ceesar.— BLACKMORE.

To MAKE ONE'S BREAD — to earn
a living. C.

But for you I should be making my
bread by this time, or rather attempt-
ing to do so.— JAMES PAYN.

TO MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW

— to work without having the
necessary materials supplied.
P. A phrase taken from the
Bible (Exod. v. 7).

People do not look pressed, or
' in a hurry, or task-mastered, or told
to make bricks without straw.—
BESANX.

TO MAKE EYES AT — to flirt Ot

coquet with ; to gaze at
amorously. F.

Many professors, in her long ex-
perience, had come and rane— some
of them dismissed for kissing the
governesses, and even the maids ;
others for making eyes at the pretty
E girls.— BESANT.

To MAKE A FIGURE — to dis-
tinguish oneself. P.

He never went the circuit but
twice, and then made no figure for
want of a fee and being unable to
speak in public. — MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

To MAKE FOR — to rush towards.
P.

On seeing the man, the animal
dropped the woman, and made
forj him ; but he escaped into the
village.— Chambers's Journal, 1887.

TO MAKE FREE WITH — to US6

without permission or cere-
mony. C.

These are the same who have
made free with the greatest names.
—POPE.

Make

156

To MAKE FRIENDS — to become
reconciled. P.

He is a generous fellow, and will
soon make friends with you again.

To MAKE GOOD — to make com-
pensation for ; to pay in full.
P.

On looking into his affairs he found
enough to fill him with dismay-
debts, mortgages, mismanaged es-
tates, neglected cottages, the man-
sion going to ruin, besides all his old
arrears to be made good (paid up).—
Quarterly Review, 1887.

TO MAKE HEAD OF HEADWAY

AGAINST — to progress ; to
strive successfully against some
obstacle. P.

Everybody was in terror of his life,
and no one was powerful enough to
make head against (resist) the free-
booters.— Argosy, 1887.

I think, Mr. Goslett, that if she'd
only hold her tongue and go to sleep,
I might make headway with that
case in the morning.— BESANT.
To MAKE LIGHT OF — to treat as
unimportant. P.

Up to the present time he had
made rather light of the case, and
as for danger, he bad pooh-poohed it
with good-humoured contempt.— C.
HEADE.

To MAKE MUCH OF — to treat
with great favour. C.

As his wife had remarked, he al-
ways made much of Gwendolen, and
her importance had risen of late.—
GEORGE ELIOT. L

To MAKE OF — to give a reason
for ; to account for. P.

I began to feel a pain I knew not
what to make of (which I could not
satisfactorily account for) in the
same joint of my other foot.— SIR
W. TEMPLE.
To MAKE OFF — to run away. P.

Lord Wharton crept out of his saw-
pit and made off to his own party.—
Gentlemen's Magazine, 1886.

The holder of a horse at Tellson's
door, who made off with it, was put
to death.— DICKENS.
To MAKE our — (a) to discover ;
to find out exactly ; to under-
stand. P.

Antiquaries make out the most
ancient medals from a letter with
great difficulty to be discerned.—
FELTON.

It is not everybody who can make
her out (understand her character) —
Oood Words, 1887.

C.

Make

(&) to establish ; to prove.

There is no truth which a man
may more evidently make out (prove)
to himself than the existence of a
i God.— L9CKE.

Sometimes it's why we haven't
made out our case yet.— BESANT.

(c) to contrive. C.

What with foreboding looks and
dreary death-bed stories, it was a
wonder the child made out to live
through it.— O. W. HOLMES.

To MAKE OVER — to transfer in a
legal manner. P.

Shelley made over to her a part
of his income, and she retained all
that she received from her own
family.— Edinburgh Review, 1882.

TO MAKE UP FOR ANYTHING —

to compensate for it ; to
supply a deficiency caused by
it. P.

She was very hard at work — no
doubt endeavouring to make up for
her husband's repeated absences.—
HUGH CONWAY.

TO MAKE UP A QUARREL to

become friendly. P.

He remembered, in his careless
way, that there had been a quarrel,
and that he wanted to make it up,
as he had done many a time before.
—Good Words, 1887.

TO MAKE IT UP Or MAKE UP

MATTERS — to become friendly
again ; to be reconciled. C.

Oh, how she longed to make it up
with him !— THOMAS HARDY.

I'll go straight to the city the in-
stant you leave me, make up matters
with Mrs. Nickleby, and take her
away to the theatre.— DICKENS.

To MAKE UP TO — to seek the
acquaintance of ; to pay
court to. P.

Young men of spirit are sadly
afraid of being thought to make up
to a girl for her money.— JUSTIN
M'CARTHY.

Nay, gentlemen, Dr. Goldsmith is
in the right. A nobleman ought to
have made up to such a man as
Goldsmith.— SAMUEL JOHNSON.

To MAKE UP WITH — to become
reconciled to ; to regain the
good will of. C.

Many a rascally captain has made
up with his crew, for hard usage, by
allowing them duff twice a week on
the passage home.— R. H. DANA.

Malt 157

Malt. — TO HAVE THE MALT
ABOVE THE WHEAT OF MEA

to be drunk. F.

When the malt begins to get above
the meal (company begins to get
drunk), they'll begin to speak about
government in Kirk and State —
SCOTT.

Mammon. — THE MAMMON OF
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS — wealthy
and worldly people. P. A
Biblical expression.

Make to yourselves friends of the
mammon of unrighteousness.— Luke
xvi. 9.

So Rebecca, during her stay at
Queen's Crawley, made as many
friends of the mammon of unright-
eousness as she could possibly bring
under control.— THACKERAY.

Man. — MAN ALIVE ! — an ex-
clamation of astonishment.
S. Used where one hears or
imparts startling information.

"Haul quick, Ede ! " shouted
Robinson, 'for you will drown them,
man alive."— C. READE.

You are wasting my time with
your silly prattle," said Meadows
sternly. Man alive ! you never
made fifty pounds cash since you
were calved.*— C. READE.
To A MAN — every one without
exception. P.

They had, to a man, been willing
enough to give their verdict for the
old man's execution.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

A MAN OF BELIAL — a wicked,
depraved person. A Scrip-
tural phrase in common use.

"Susan," replied Isaac, "you are
good and innocent. You cannot
fathom the hearts of the wicked.
This Meadows is a man of Belial."—
C. READE.

A MAN OF HIS WORD — a truth-
ful or trustworthy person.
P. See WORD.

A MAN OF STRAW — an unreal
person ; a product of the
imagination. P.

This plotter, this deceiver of the
innocent, on whom you vent your
indignation, is a mere man of straw.
The reality is a very peaceable, in-
offensive character.

A MAN OF LETTERS — a literary
man ; an author. P.

He had mentioned in the last five
minutes that he was a man of letters.
—JAMBS PAYN.

Manner

As a man of letters Lord Byron
' could not but be interested in the

event of this contest.— MACAULAY.
A MAN OF THE WORLD — a man
who is well acquainted with
society and the world at large ;
a man whose interests lie in
worldly things. P.

What Mr. Wordsworth had said
like a recluse, Lord Byron said like
a man of the world.— MACAULAY.

As a man of the world, he was well
aware that, when a new arrival comes
under discussion in any community,
the general tendency is to criticise
rather than to commend. — JAMES
PAYN.

THE MAN IN THE MOON — an
imaginary person who inhabits
the moon, and is supposed to
be ignorant of worldly affairs.
C.

She don't know where it will take
her to, no more than the man in the
moon.— HALIBURTON.

What to say or how to say it, poor
little Blanche, who was totally un-
used to this sort of thing, and tor-
mented, moreover, with an invinci ble
desire to laugh, knew no more than
the man in the moon.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

A MAN FRIDAY — a faithful and
subservient follower. C. See
Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.

Count Von Rechberg, according
to Lord Clarendon, was Prince Bis-
marck's man Friday.— Athenaeum,
1887.

EVERY MAN-JACK — every man,
high or low ; all without
exception. F.

There happened, too, to be a man-
of-war in harbour, every man-jack,
or rather, every officer-jack of which,
with the exception of those on watch,
was there.— H. R. HAGGARD.

YOU'LL BE A MAN BEFORE YOUR

MOTHER — a jocular expression
of encouragement to a lad.
F. Used on a historical
occasion by Burns in address-
ing Sir Walter Scott, then a
boy.

You mind your business half as

well as I mind mine, and you'll be

a man before your mother yet.— H.

KINGSLEY.

Manner. — BY NO MANNER OF

MEANS ; NOT BY ANY MANNER

OF MEANS — quite the con-

Many

trary ; in no way ; on no
account. C.

Not that he was, by any manner of
means, possessed with the greatness
of his own ideas, but that Mrs.
Fermitage, from a low velvet chair,
looked up at him with such emphatic
inquiry and implicit faith that he
was quite in a difficulty how to speak
or what to say.— E. D. BLACKMORE.

Many. — Too MANY or ONE TOO
MANY — too powerful or crafty ;
more than a match. F.

"Ay! ay!" thought he; "the Irish-
man is cunning enough. But we
shall be too many for him."— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

Mape. — To MAKE THE MARE TO
GO — to make a display of pros-
perity ; to carry out under-
takings. F. Generally found
in the expression, " Money
makes the mare to go."

I'm making the mare to go here in
Whitford-without the money, too,
sometimes.— C. KINGSLEY.

To FIND A MARE'S NEST — to
make an absurd discovery ;
to make a discovery which
turns out to be a hoax. P.

He retired with a profusion of
bowsandexeuses.whileMr. Reginald
Talbot followed in silence at his heels
like a whipped. dog, who, professing
to find a hare in her form, has only
found a mare's nest.— JAMES PAYN.

SHANKS 's MARE — the legs. F.

I am riding shanks's mare (walk-
ing) to-day.

THE GRAY MARE — a name given
to a woman who is cleverer
than her husband. C.

There is no equalizer of sexes like
poverty or misery, and then it very
often proves that the gray mare is
the better horse.— BURROUGHS.

Marines. — TELL THAT TO THE
MARINES — an expression im-
plying incredulity. F.
_ Unless you can put your informa-
tion together better than that, you
may tell your story to the marines on
board the Pelorus.— H. KINGSLEY.
Mark. — To MAKE ONE'S MARK
— to distinguish oneself. P.

The atmosphere of society is scien-
tific and {esthetic, and its leaders,
although bound to be moderately
well off, have, for the most part,
ade the r mark by their brains.-
lieview, 1882.

158 Marry

(GOD) BLESS THE MARK ! a

superstitious utterance, orig-
inally used to avert evil. F.
Afterwards it came to have
very little meaning = "I
l>eg your pardon."

To be ruled by my conscience, I
should stay with the Jew my
master, who (God bless the mark!)
is a kind of devil.— SHAKESPEARE.

Crystal Palace— bless the mark !—
is fast getting ready.— MACAULAY.

GOD SAVE THE MARK — an invo-
cation to God for mercy.

I saw the wound, I saw it with my
eyes— God save the mark I— here on
his manly breast. —SHAKESPEARE.

BESIDE THE MARK — inappro-
priate ; out of place. P.

There is a circle of elect spirits, to
whom the whole strain of this paper
will, it is most likely, seem to be
beside the mark.— W. E. GLADSTONE.

To MARK TIME — (of soldiers) to
raise the feet alternately as
if on the march. P.

With the swinging easy step of
those accustomed to long and toil-
some marches, the detachment
moved rapidly forward, now lessee
ing its front as it arrived at some
narrow defile, now marking time to
allow of its rear coming up without
effort into the proper place.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

UP TO THE MARK — in good con-
dition or form. F.

Bob, although he had been a very
short time before brutally knocked
upon the top of the kitchen fire, was
up to the mark, and appeared ready
for action.— H. KINGSLEY.

Marriage. — MARRIAGE LINES
— a marriage certificate. C.

All she saved from the fire was a
box containing her marriage lines
and other important papers.

Mappow. — To GO DOWN ON

ONE'S MARROW - BONES to

kneel. S.

He shall taste it instead of me, till
he goes down on his marrow-bones
to me.— C. KEADE.

Mappy. — MARRY -COME-UP — a
derisive or sarcastic exclama-
tion, now obsolete.

Upon which Miss Patty replied,
with some little asperity, And was
that your secret?" If she had lived
in the Elizabethan era she would
have adjured him with a marry
come-up I— Verdant Green.

Mash

Mash. — To MAKE ONE'S MASH
— to gain a devoted admirer
to have some one falling in
love with you. S.

You need not be so particular
about your dress. You have made
your mash (have already an admirer)

He feels contempt for you, anc
when he gets among his kind he
boasts of the mash ne has made,
and calls you a jolly little thing.—
St. Andrews Citizen, 1887. .

Mashed. — To BE MASHED
UPON — to be in love with ;
to be a devoted admirer of.
S. A masher is a dandy
who dresses so as to " kill."

I'm not one bit mashed upon her,
and I don't want her to be mashed
upon me; and she wouldn't be in
any case: but she interests me, and
she's a dear little Vinnie.— JUSTIN
M'CARTHY.

Massacre. — THE MASSACRE OF
THE INNOCENTS — the announce-
ment by the leader of the House
of Commons at the end of
a session of the measures
that are abandoned for want
of time. P. The historical
massacre of the innocents
took place at Bethlehem,
after the birth of Christ
(Matt. ii.).

Mast. — To SAIL or SERVE BE-
FORE THE MAST — to be a
common sailor. F. The
sailors' quarters, or forecastle,
are in the bow of the vessel.
Richard Henry Dana, jun.,
has written a well - known
book, Two Years before the
Mast — that is, two years as a
common sailor. Compare " In
the ranks," said of a private
soldier. See RANK.

There was once an earl who went
away and became a sailor before the
mast.— BESANT.

And, indeed, bad as his clothes
were, and coarsely as he spoke, he
had none of the appearance of a man
who sailed before the mast.— R. L.
STEVENSON.

Our own idea is, that neither birth,
nor riches, nor education, nor man-
ner suffice to cpnstitute a gentleman ;
and that specimens are to be found
at the plough, the loom, and the
forge, in the ranks, and before the

159 Mean

mast, as well as in the officers'
mess-room, the learned professions,
and the Upper House itself. — G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.
Mattep. — A MATTER OF COURSE
— something which naturally
follows ; a thing which ex-
cites no surprise or attention.
P.

As for the certificate which Sir
Henry Maine awarded us, we took
it, I fear, very much as a matter of
course.— Nineteenth Century, 1887.

Great was the good man's horror
at finding himself shut out of his
own house. Had he been alone he
would have treated it as a matter of
course.— T. HUGHES.

MATTER-OF-FACT — unimagina-
tive ; prosaic. P.

Extricating her, as he seemed al-
ways to do, from her unpleasant
dilemma and her matter-of-fact
swain.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Mauvaise. — MAUVAISE HONTE
— awkwardness ; clumsy shy-
ness. C. French.

He had, he said, been always
subject to mauvaise honte and an
annoying degree of bashfulness,
which often unfitted him for any
work of a novel description. — A.
TROLLOPE.

May. — MAT MEETINGS — relig-
ious meetings held yearly in
Exeter Hall, London. P.

"Do you know, I have never been
in London but once, and then to
attend the May meetings." — D.
CHRISTIE MURRAY.

Mealy. — MEALY - MOUTHED —
soft-spoken ; using mild lan-
guage ; afraid to speak out.
O.

She was a fool to be mealy-
mouthed where nature speaks so
plain.— L'ESTRANOE.

You're too mealy-mouthed, Mrs.
Bounce; that's where it is.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Mean. — To MEAN WELL or
KINDLY BY — to have friendly
intentions towards ; to in-
tend to aid or benefit. P.

He had meant well by the cause
and the public.— MACAULAY.

I do not think, that your cousin
means kindly by you.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

A MEAN WHITE — a name used
in the Southern States of

Measure

160

Midsummer

America and elsewhere, as in
South Africa, where the white
race is in a minority, to signify
" a white man without landed
property."

By ALL MEANS — certainly ; as-
suredly. P.

Mr. Elton, just as he ought, en-
treated for the permission of attend-
ing and reading to them again.

" By all means. We shall be most
happy to consider you one of the
party."— JANE AUSTEN.

BY NO MEANS — certainly not.
p.

The wine on this side of the lake
is by no means so good as that on
the other.— ADDISON.

Measure. — To MEASURE

SWORDS WITH ANOTHER — to

fight with him, using the
sword as a weapon. P.
So we measured swords and parted.
SHAKESPEARE.

TO MEASURE ONE'S LENGTH ON

THE GROUND to fall flat. P.

If you will measure your lubber's
length again (wish to be thrown down
flat again), tarry.— SHAKESPEARE.

To MEASURE STRENGTH — to en-
gage in a struggle. P.

The factions which divided the
prince's camp had an opportunity of
measuring their strength. — MAC-
AU LAY.

TO TAKE THE MEASURE OF A MAN'S

FOOT — to see what is his char-
acter ; to decide mentally
how much a man is fit for or
will venture to do. F.

The natives about Mooifontein
had pretty well taken the measure
of John's foot by this time. His
threats were awful, but his per-
formances were not great.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

This was Farmer Greenacre's eldest
son, who, to tell the truth, had from
his earliest years taken the exact
measure of Miss Thome's foot.— A.
TROLLOPE.

Meet. — To MEET ANOTHER
HALF-WAT — to come to terms
with him on the basis of
mutual concessions ; to treat
an antagonist in a concilia-
tory spirit. P.

Margaret was indignant with her
cousin that he did not respond to
his father's kindness with more en-

thusiasm. "If he had behaved so
tome, Willie, I should have met
him half-way, she afterwards said
reprovingly.— JAMES PAYN.

Memento. — A MEMENTO MORI
— something which recalls
death. P. Strictly speaking,
the phrase MEMENTO MORI
means, " remember to die."

I make as good use of it (thy face)
as many a man doth of a death's head
or a memento mori. I never see thy
face but I think on hell fire. —
SHAKESPEARE.

MePPy. TO MAKE MERRY

to indulge in laughter and
joking ; to enjoy oneself. P.

They made merry at the poor
farmer's plight.

The king went to Latham to make
merry with his mother and the earl.
—BACON.

A MERRY ANDREW — a clown ; a
mountebank. P. Also used
familiarly without the article,
like Tommy Atkins, Jack Tar.

His business is jibes and jests,
and this is the first time that I
ever saw Merry Andrew arrested.—
BEACONSFIELD.

Meum. — MEUM AND TUUM — my
property and thy property. C.

He reappeared with the Nouvelle
Heloise, a philosophic history, by I
forget whom, a discourse 9n super-
stition (vulgarly called religion), by
D'Alembert, and one or two works
tending to remove the false dis-
tinction civilization had invented
between meum and tuum and the
classes of society.— C. EEADE.

Miehing. — MICHING MALLECHO
— underhand mischief. A
Shakespearian phrase (Hamlet,
act iii. scene 2). MICHING
means hiding or skulking ;
MALECHO is Spanish, meaning
an evil action.

His very step was thievish— micli-
ing mallecho — and his eyes shot from
side to side, as though he mistrusted
the darkness, as, perhaps, he did.—
D. CHRISTIE MURRAY.

Midsummer. — MIDSUMMER
MADNESS — utter lunacy. C.

He had shown great imprudence
in paying attentions to Hester, even
in her former position, but to renew
them under her changed circum-
stances would be midsummer mad-
ness.—JAMES PAYN.

Might

do.

be

Might. — WITH MIGHT AND
MAIN — with all one's energy
and resources. P.

With might and main they chased
the murderous fox.— DRYDEN.

Crowl had been listening at New-
man's door with all his might and
main.— DICKENS.

The servants tugged with might
and main, but could not lift this
enormous receptacle, and were fin-
ally robliged to drag it across the
floor.— NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE.

Mild. — DRAW IT MILD — do not
exaggerate. S.
Draw it a little milder, Coombe,
o. Make it four or five, and it will
much nearer the mark.— FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

Milk. - TO CRY OVER SPILT

MILK — to indulge in useless
regrets. C.

But it's no use crying over spilt
milk.— BLACKMORE.

THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MILK
IN THE COCOA-NUT — that ex-
plains matters. F.

He has some land in the settlement
belonging to him. That accounts for
the milk in the cocoa-nut— that ex-
plains his anxiety to have us move
out there.

MILK - AND - WATER — tasteless ;
having an insipid character ;
feeble. C. Also, as a noun,
what is insipid.

A milk-and-water bourgeois (timid,
feeble-minded citizen).— C. READE.

Hitherto the conversation had
had so much of milk-and-water in
its composition, that Dalrymple
found himself able to keep it up
and go on with his background at
the same time.— A. TROLLOPE.

THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS

— natural feelings of pity,
sympathy, and generosity. P.

I fear thy nature ;
It is too full of the milk of human

kindness
To catch the nearest way.

SHAKESPEARE.

The younger was fat, fresh, and
fair, and seemed to be always run-
ning over with the milk of human
kindness.— A. TROLLOPE.

The milk of human kindness was
not curdled in her bosom.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Miller. — To DROWN THE MIL-
LER — to put too much water
in anything. F.

161 Mischief

This punch is not worth drinking
—you've drowned the miller.
Milling-. — MILLING IN THE
DARKMANS — murder at night.

S.

Men were men then, and fought in
the open field, and there was nae
milling in the darkmans (no mid-
night murder).— SCOTT.

Mince. — To MINCE MATTERS or

THE MATTER - to glOZ6 OV6r ;

to represent in too favourable
a light ; to be mealy-mouthed.
P.

But not being a woman much given
to mincing matters, she puts her
meaning beyond a doubt by remark-
ing that she had heard tell people
sent to Paris for their gowns, just as

though America wasn't good enough
to make one's clothes.— Edinburgh
Review, 1887.

Indeed, not to mince the matter,
six or seven of that sacred band were
nullity in person.— C. READE.

Mincemeat. — To MAKE MINCE-
MEAT OF — to shatter ; to com-
pletely destroy ; to demolish.
F.

Later he (Jeffrey) got into his head
the oddest crotchet of all his life,
which was that a Conservative Gov-
ernment, with a sort of approval of
the people generally, and especially
of the English peasantry, would
scheme for a coup d'etat, and (his
own words again) "niake mincemeat
of their opponents in a single year."
—Macmillan's Magazine, 1887.

We should have made mincemeat
of them all, and perhaps hanged up
one or two of them outside the inn
as an extra sign-post.— G. A. SALA.

Mind. — MIND YOUR EYE — be
careful. S.

"Perhaps it may be so," says I;
"but mind your eye, and take care
you don't put your foot in it."— HA LI-
BURTON.

We must mind our eye, George.
A good many tents are robbed every
week.— C. READE.

Mint. — A MINT OF MONEY — a
large fortune. C.

She went on as if she had a mint
of money at ' her elbow.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

Mischief. — To PLAY THE MIS-
CHIEF WITH — to ruin ; to over-
turn. F.

Don't you know that you will play
the very mischief with our vagus
nerves?— WM. BLACK.

6

162

Month

MISS. A MISS IS AS GOOD AS A

MILE — a failure is a failure
whether one comes very near
succeeding or not. A man
will lose the train equally by
being a minute as by being
half an hour too late. C.

Had the tie parted one instant
sooner, or had I stood an instSht
longer on the yard, I should in-
evitably have been thrown violently,
from the height of ninety or a hun-
dred feet, overboard; or, what is
worse, upon the deck. However, a
miss is as good as a mile— a saying
which sailors very often have occa-
sion to use.— R. H. DANA.

To MISS STATS — to fail in at-
tempting to tack. P. Used
metaphorically of other kinds
of failure.

Ah, Jim, Jim, I reckon I've missed
stays.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Missing1. — THE MISSING LINK
— a creature between a man
and a monkey, the discovery
of which is necessary to the
establishment of the theory of
the descent of men from mon-
keys. P. The name is often
applied to men who resemble
monkeys.

We had a tutor at college who re-
joiced in the name of the "missing
link."

Mistletoe. — KISSING UNDER

THE MISTLETOE. It is USUal

in England and other countries
at the festive Christmas season
to hang up a sprig of mistletoe
from the ceiling. When a girl
passes under the mistletoe she
may be kissed. The practice
is a source of much merri-
ment.

Mitten. — To GET THE MITTEN
— to make an offer of mar-
riage and be rejected. C.

There is a young lady I have set
my heart on, though whether she is
going to give me hers, or give me
the mitten, I ain't quite satisfied.—
HALIBURTON.

TO HANDLE WITHOUT THE GLOVES

or WITHOUT MITTENS — to treat
unceremoniously ; to deal
roughly with. P. See
HANDLE.

Modus. — A MODUS VIVENDI — a
mutual agreement under which
people can live in harmony.
P. Latin.

Unofficial conversations take place
from time to time, but no modus
vivendi has been established, the
home companies wanting those from
China to retire to their own field
exclusively, which they decline to
do.— Japan Mail, 1887.

Surely it was possible for them
to construct a sufficiently pleasant
modus vlvendi, even if they held
somewhat different views on politi-
cal matters.— WM. BLACK.

Molly. — A MOLLY CODDLE — a
pampered or effeminate per-
son. F.

" I don't think I should care much
about going into the Guards if I were
a man.

"Why not?"

"I don't know; I've seen some of
them, and I think they are rather
Molly Coddles." — Murray's Maga-
zine, 1887.

Monkey. — MONKEY'S ALLOW-
ANCE— hard blows instead of
food. S. A sailors' phrase.

You fellows worked like bricks,
spent money, and got midshipmen's
half-pay (nothing a day and find
yourself) and monkeys' allowance
(more kicks than half -pence).— C.
KINGSLEY.

TO GET OF HAVE ONE'S MONKEY

UP — to be enraged or irri-
tated. S.

You'll have his monkey up
directly.— H. KINGSLEY.

TO SUCK THE MONKEY — (a) to

drink rum out of cocoa-nuts.
S. It is a common practice
for sailors to buy cocoa-nuts,
extract the milk, and fill them
again with rum.
— (&) to suck liquor with a
straw from casks. S.

Ididn't peach (become an informer)
at Barbadoes when the men sucked
the monkey. —CAPTAIN MABKYAT.

Month. — A MONTH OP SUN-
DAYS — an indefinitely long
period. S.

He could easily have revenged him-
self by giving me a kick with his
heavy shoes on the header the loins,
that would have spoiled my running
for a month of Sundays.— C. EEADE.

Moon 163

Moon. — A MOONLIGHT FLITTIN

— a secret removal by nigh
of tenants who are unable t
pay the rent of their house. F

They took a moonlight flittingsoo
re never heard of mor

after, and were never
in the old country.
SHOOTING OF MOONS. The
as the above. S.

I bought his houses, I let hi
houses; I told him who were re
sponsible tenants, I warned hin
when shooting of moons seeme<
likely.— BESANT.

Mope. — To BE NO MORE — to be
dead. P.
Cassius is no more.
,r ,. SHAKESPEARE.

. You'll have heard that my fathe
is no more.— Miss MULOCK.
MORE AND MORE — with a con
tinual increase. P.

As the blood passeth through
narrower channels, the redness dis
appears more and more.— ARBUTH
NOT.

Mopning. — THE GRAY OF THE
MORNING — the early morning.

And the first gray of morning filled

the east,
And the fog rose out of the Oxus

stream.— M. ARNOLD.

But above all thi ngs, have good care
to exercise this art before the master
strides up to his desk in the gray of
the morning.— BLACKMORE.

Mother. — DOES YOUR MOTHER
KNOW YOU'RE OUT ? — a quiz-
zical expression used to a per-
son who seems too simple and
childish to take care of him-
self. S.
I went and told the constable ' my

property to track :
He asked me if I didn't wish that I

might get it back.
I answered, "To be sure I do! it's

what I'm come about."
He smiled and said, "Sir, does your
mother know that you are out?"
BARHAM.

MOTHER-WIT — natural sagacity ;
good sense. P.
It is extempore, from my mother-
wit.— SHAKESPEARE.
MOTHER'S APRON STRINGS — a
phrase used to signify " watch-
ful maternal care " of a child
too young and thoughtless to
take care of itself. C.

Move

Little Smith, fresh from his
mother's apron-strings, is savagely
beaten by the cock of the school,
Jones.-H. R. HAGGARD.

MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKENS — a
sailor's name for the stormy
petrel.

Danny would mock Mother Carey's
chicken and catch the doleful cry of
the cormorant.— HALL CAINE.

Mount. — To MOUNT GUARD —
to act as sentinel. P.

.Their destination reached, they
picnicked as they had arranged, and
then separated, the bride and bride-
~rpom strolling off in one direction.

ildred and Arthur in another.

iilst Miss Terry mounted guard

er the plates and dishes.— H R

[ildred an

iilst IT

OVi

HAGGARD.

Mountain. — To MAKE A MOUN-
TAIN OF A MOLE-HILL to

magnify a small matter,
making it unnecessarily im-
portant. P.

Stuff and nonsense, Segrave ! you're
making mountains out of mole-hills,
as you always do.— Good Words, 1887.
MOUNTAIN-DEW — Scotch whisky.

When in the Highlands, he became
too fond of the mountain-dew.

Mouth. — DOWN IN THE MOUTH

— disappointed. C.

But upon bringing the next ashore,
it proved to be only one great stone
and a few little fishes; upon this
disappointment they were down in
the mouth.— L'ESTRANGE.
BY WORD OF MOUTH — verbally.
P.

The message was given by word of
mouth ; it was not written.

'O HAVE THE MOUTH WATER to

have feelings of anticipated
enjoyment ; to look at with in-
tense longing. P.

For 'tis said he lives bravely where
he is; yea, many of them that are
resolved never to run his hazards,
yet have their mouths water at his
gains.— BUNYAN.

Move. — To MOVE HEAVEN AND
EARTH — to make every pos-
sible effort. C.

But of course all the fPlumstead
arid Framley set will move heaven
and earth to get him out, so that he
may not be there to be a disgrace to
the diocese.— A. TROLLOPE.

Much

164

Nail

Much. — MUCH OP A MUCH-
NESS— very similar ; differ-
ing: but sightly. C.

The miller's daughter could not
believe that high gentry behaved
badly to their wives, but her mother
instructed her. " O child, men's men
(men are men) ; gentle or simple (gen-
try or common people) they're much
of a muchness.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Mud. — TO THROW MUD AT to

abuse ; to speak evil of. C.

A woman in my position must
expect to have more mud thrown at
her than a less important person.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Muff. — A MUFF — an effeminate,
timid person. F.

The other boys called him a muff
for refusing to go, but he remained
firm.

Mug. — To MUG-UP — to prepare
for an examination. S. A col-
lege phrase.

I must go home and mug-up for
next Saturday.

Mull. — TO MAKE A MULL OF IT

— to be awkward and unsuc-
cessful. F.

" I always make a mull of it," he
said to himself when the girls went
up to get their hats.— A. TROLLOPE.

Mummy. — To BEAT TO A MUM-
MY— to thrash soundly ; to
give a severe drubbing to. C.

The two highwaymen caught the
informer .and oeat him to a mummy.

Mump. — MUMPING-DAY — the
21st of December, a day on
which the poor were accus-

tomed to go about the coun-
try begging. F. To mump is
to " beg " or " cheat."

Murder. — MURDER WILL OUT
— a saying which refers to the
great difficulty of keeping a
crime secret. C. The phrase
is now current about secret
deeds which are not crimes.

" Oh.thank God ! the battle's ours ! "
replied Mr. Cunnington, with de-
lighted excitement. Yl The murder's
out (secret is discovered). I'll pledge
my existence that within six months'
time we have them all back at Yat-
ton."— S. WARREN.

Murder, the proverb tells us, will
out ; and although, of course, we do
not know how many murders have
remained undiscovered, appearances
seem to lend support to the theory.
— W. E. NORRIS.

THE MURDER'S OUT — everything
is disclosed. F.

The murder was out now.— H.
KINGSLEY.

Mute. — MUTE AS A FISH —
wholly silent. C.

Miss Kiljoy might have screamed ;
but, I presume, her shrieks were
stopped oy the sight of an enormous
horse-pistol which one of her cham-
pions produced, who said, "No harm
is intended you, ma'am ; but if y_ou
cry out we must gag you," on which
she suddenly became as mute as a
fish.

Mutton. — To EAT ONE'S MUT-
TON— to dine. F.

"Will you eat your mutton with
me to-day, Palmer?" said Mr.
Williams at the gate of the jail.-C.
READE.

N

Naboth.~NABOTH's VINEYARD
— a neighbour's possession
coveted by a rich man. P.
The reference is to King
Ahab (1 Kings xxi. 1-10), who
coveted the vineyard of Na-
both the Jezreelite, and finally
obtained it by foul means.

He was well aware that the little
Manor House property had always
been a Naboth's vineyard to his
f ather.-Good Words, 1887.

Nail. — To NAIL ONE'S COLOURS

TO THE MAST to refuse Ob-

stinately to surrender. P.

"There," he said, "I've nailed my
colours to the mast. That will show
these gentry that an Englishman
lives here."— H. B. HAGGARD.

ON THE NAIL — (a) immediately ;
without delay. F.

I'll give you twenty pounds down
. . . twenty pounds on the nail.—
BESANT.

Name

(&) ready money. A plate of

copper on which bargains are
settled in Liverpool Exchange
is called " The Nail."

Kemember every share you bring
in brings you five per cent, down on
the nail.— THACKERAY.

TO HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

to say what is exactly appli-
cable to the case ; to discover
the real remedy for anything.
C.

How he hits the nail on the head !
. . . What noble cpmmon sense ap-
pears in such criticism as this!—
Macmillan's Magazine, 1887.
A NAIL IN ONE'S COFFIN a face-

tious name for a glass of
strong liquor — gin, whisky, or
brandy. S.

Name. — To NAME THE DAY —
to fix the day for marriage. C.
So, soon after, she named the day.
— C. READE.

TO CALL A PERSON NAMES to

speak disrespectfully to a per-
son ; to use nicknames to
him. P.

When he called his mother names
because she wouldn't give up the
young lady's property . . . how the
ladies in the audience sobbed !—
DICKENS.

TO TAKE A NAME IN VAIN to

use the name thoughtlessly or
irreverently ; to swear pro-
fanely by the name. P.

Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain.— Exod. xx. 7.

I always call Chancery "it." I
would not take its name in vain for
worlds.— H. R,. HAGGARD.

Nap. — To GO NAP — to stake all
the winnings. S. A phrase
taken from the game of nap, or
napoleon.

He heard what they said. "They've
squared it ; it's a moral. Now's the
time; I'm going nap on Morning
Light" (a racehorse).— B.L. FARJEON.
Napping1. — To TAKE or CATCH
ONE NAPPING — to find him
unprepared ; to surprise him
when off his guard or asleep. C.

They took him napping in his bed.
— S. BUTLER.

No, George, Tom Weasel won't be
caught napping twice the same year.
—G.REA-DE.

165 Neck

General Boulanger is an active and
energetic minister, and when this
war about which everybody is talk-
ing does break out, he does not mean
France to be kept napping.— Con-
temporary Review, 1887.

Narrow. — THE NARROW HOUSE
or HOME — the grave. P.
Sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and

pall,
And breathless darkness, and the

narrow house.— BRYANT.

I feel like those would-be saints of
old who bespoke their coffins years
before they had occasion for them,
and all day long used to contemplate
their narrow home.— JAMES PAYN.

Natupe. — IN A STATE OF
NATURE — naked. P.

The man was found in the cave in
a state of nature, and raving mad.

Naught. — TO SET AT NAUGHT

— to disregard. P.

Be you contented

To have a son set your decrees at
naught.— SHAKESPEARE.

Ne. — NE PLUS ULTRA — nothing
further ; the extreme limit.
P. Latin.

There stood on the Spanish coast a
pillar with the words ne plus ultra
inscribed upon it. After the dis-
covery of America the ne was taken
out.

Of all the pleasures of the exercise
of charity, the very greatest (to some
minds) is the satisfaction afforded
by the fact of the recipient of our
bounty having once occupied a
social position equal or superior to
our own. This is the Tie plus ultra of
the delights of patronage.— JAMES
PAYN.

Neap. — THE NEAR SIDE OF A
HORSE — the side on the rider's
or the driver's left. F.

To BE NEAR — to be stingy or
parsimonious. C.

With all her magnificent conduct
as to wasting alcoholic treasure, she
was rather near.— CONWAY.

Neat. — NEAT AS A PIN — very
neat and tidy. F.

Everything was as neat as a pin in
the house.— H. H. DANA.

Neck. — NECK AND NECK— keen
and close ; close together (of

Neck

in a con-

two competitors
test). P.

If newcomers were to bring in the
system of neck-and-neck trading.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

They reach the last fence neck-and-
neck, Haphazard landing slightly in
advance.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

TO BREAK THE NECK OF ANT-
THING — to accomplish the
stiffest part of it. C.

The day has been very hot even for
the Transvaal, where even in the
autumn the days still know how to
be hot, although the neck of the
summer is broken (worst part of the
summer is over).— H. R. HAGGARD.
Blow-hard was a capital spinner of
a yarn when he had broken the neck
of his day's work.— HUGHES.

ON THE NECK OF — immediately
after. P.

Instantly on the neck of this came
news that Fernando and Isabella had
concluded a peace.— BACON.

NECK AND CROP — completely.
F.

Finish him off, neck and crop; he
deserves it for sticking up to a man
like you.— BLACKMORE.

A STIFF NECK — obstinacy in sin.
A Scriptural phrase.
Speak not with a stiff neck.— Ps.

NECK AND HEELS — in a hasty and
summary fashion.

There is no doubt that when the
poor fellow tried to get into the pul-
pit, they took him and carried him
neck and heels out of the church.—
A. TROLLOPE.

He rushed to the scene of un-
hallowed festivity, inflicted corporal
punishment on the "father of the
feast," and turned his astonished
guests neck and heels cut of doors.—
W. IRVING.

NECK VERSE — a sentence of
Scripture which, when re-
peated by a criminal, saved
him from capital punishment.
C. See BENEFIT OF CLERGY.

Poor'rogue ! he was soon afterwards
laid by the heels and swung ; for there
is no neck verse in France to save a
gentleman from the gallows.— G. A.
SALA.

NECK OR NOTHING — a braving
of all clangers ; the risking
of everything. F.

It was neck or nothing with me
whether I should go down to the gulf

166 Nest

of utter neglect or not.— THOMAS
CAMPBELL.

"If it is neck or nothing on my
side, sir, it must be neck or nothing

on yours also!'

ck or nothii _
id Noel Vanstone. — WILKI'E

feck or nothing by all means,"

COLLINS.

Ned. — To MAKE ONE'S NED OUT
OF — to make money from. S.
Ned is a slang word for a
guinea.

There are a good many people there
from other parts, and always have
been, who come to make money and
nothing else . . . and who intend to up
killock and off (depart with all their
property) as soon as they have made
their ned out of the Blue-noses.—
HALIBURTON.

Needle. — To GET THE NEEDLE
— to get irritated. S.

Take care lest he get the needle
and send you off.

Needs. — NEEDS MUST WHEN
THE DEVIL DRIVES — one must
submit, however ungracefully,
to hard necessity. F.

"What, you are in your tantrums
again ! " said she. " Come along, sir.
Needs must when the devil drives."—
C. KEADE.

Nem. — NEM. CON. — a contrac-
tion for nemine contradicente
(Latin) = no one dissenting. C.

This resolution was agreed tonem.
con.

The general, too, understood these
details thoroughly, and therefore it
was disrespectful youth voted nem.
con. that Newton-Hollows was "a
rare shop at feeding-time."— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Neptune. — A SON OF NEP-
TUNE— a sailor. P. Neptune
was the god of the sea in
Roman mythology.

After once crossing the line, you
can never be subjected to the process,
but are considered as a son of Nep-
tune.—JR. H. DANA.

This son of Neptune, dying sud-
denly, left all his little property to a
degenerate nephew, who hated salt
water.— R. BUCHANAN.

Nest. — TO FEATHER ONE'S NEST

— to provide for one's future ;
to lay by money. C.

Itmaydo him some harm, perhaps,
but Dempster must have feathered
hisnest pretty well (saved a consider-

Never

able sum of money) ; he can afford to
losealittle business.— GEORGEELIOT.

A MARE'S NEST. See MARE.

A NEST-EGG — something laid by
as a start or commencement.
C. In a nest where hens are
expected to lay, it is custom-
ary to place a real or imitation
egg to tempt the hens to lay
others beside it. This egg is
called the nest-egg.
Books or money laid for show,
Like nest-eggs, to make clients lay.

— S. BUTLER.

At present, however, as Margaret
reminded her cousin, there was not
enough of them— though so far as
they went they had a material value
—to become nest-eggs ; they could
not be considered^ as savings? or
capital to any appreciable extent.—
JAMES PAYN.

Never. — NEVER SAT DIE —
don't despair. S.

Willyougivehimmycompliments,
sir— No. 24 s compliments— and tell
him I bid him never say die?— C.
READE.

I NEVER DID — an exclamation
of astonishment. F.

"I never did!" exclaimed Eliza
Sampson, when her brother had read
the brief letter aloud.

Eliza was always protesting that
she never did. This somewhat un-
meaning phrase was her favourite
expression of astonishment.— Miss
BRADDON.

Newcastle. — NEWCASTLE
HOSPITALITY — roasting a friend
to death. F.

Newgate. — To BE IN NEW-
GATE— to be a criminal. C.
Newgate is the great prison of
London.

"No doubt he ought to be in New-
gate," said the other emphatically.—
JAMES PAYN.

Next. — NEXT TO NOTHING —
almost nothing. C.

Her table the same way, kept for
next to nothing. — MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

NEXT DOOR TO — very close to ;
almost. C.

She observed to that trusty servant
that Colonel Arden was next door to
a brute.— THEODORE HOOK.

NEXT ONE'S HEART — very dear
to one. P.

167 Nine

They could talk unreservedly
among themselves of the subject
that lay next their hearts. — JAMES
PAYN.

Nicety. — To A NICETY — exact-
ly ; with extreme accuracy. P.
The room was all arranged to a

nicety.

Nick. — IN THE NICK OF TIME

exactly at the right moment. P.

Things are takinga most convenient
turn, and in the very nick of time.—
JAMES PAYN.

IN TEE NICK — at the right
moment. F.

He gave us notice in the nick, and
I got ready for their reception.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

OLD NICK — the devil. S.

And the old man began to step out
as if he was leading them on their way
against old Nick.— HALIBURTON.

Night. — A NIGHT-CAP — a warm
drink taken before going to
bed. C.

Nightmare. — THE NIGHTMARE

AND HER NINE -FOLD fright-
ful apparitions which appear
at night. Probably nine-fold
stands for " nine foals." See
Shakespeare's King Lear, act
iii. scene 4.

St. Withold footed thrice the old,
He met the nightmare and her nine-
fold.

Stars shoot and meteors, glare
of tener across the valley than in any
other part of the country, and the
nightmare with her whole nine-
fold seems to make it the favourite
scene of hergambols.— WASHINGTON
IRVING.

Nil. — NIL ADMIRARI — admiring
nothing. Latin.

To the last, I believe, his London
nil admirari mind hardly appreci-
ated the fact of its being real cold

SnOW.— H. KlNGSLEY.

Nine. — A NINE DAYS' WONDER
— something which causes great
excitement for a short time
and then is heard of no more.
P.
Klnn Edward. You'd think it strange

if I should marry her.
Gloucester. That would be ten days'

wonder at the least.
Clarence. That's a day longer than a

wonder lasts.— SHAKESPEARE.

Nip

168

Nonce

To THE NINES — to perfection ;
splendidly. F.

Praising a man's farm to the nines
(as if it were perfection).— HALIBUR-

^This gallant, good-natured soldier
flattered her to the nines.— C.ICEADE.
Bran-new, polished to the nines.—
C. READE.

NINE TAILORS MAKE A MAN — a

popular saying in contempt
of tailors. F. A tailor is often
called the ninth part of a
man.

Nip. — To NIP A BUNG — to steal
a purse. S.
Meanwhile the cut-purse in the

throng

Hath a fair means to nip a bung.
-Popular Ballad, 1740.

To NIP IN THE BUD — to destroy
at an early stage, before any
mischief is done. P.

From the above it is q ui te clear that
the king had ample warning of the

rising, and possessed the_ means of
nipping it ii

Review, 1887.

lipping it in the bud.— Fortnightly

No. — No GO — of no use. S.

" These 'lection buns are
said the young man John.— 0.
HOLMES.

No END — a very great sum ; a
great deal. F.

Times are so hard. Box at the
opera no end (costs a great sum).—
C. K.EADE.

Nob. — A NOB OF THE FIRST

WATER — a very high -class per-
sonage. S. Nob is a contrac-
tion for nobleman.

One comfort, folk are beginning to
take an interest in us; I see nobs
of the first water looking with a
fatherly eye into our affairs.— C.
READE.

Noblesse. — NOBLESSE OBLIGE.
This phrase implies that a per-
son in a high position is con-
strained to perform his duties
well by a sense of his position :
high rank has its obligations.
P. A French phrase.

Naturally-^noWesse oblige, as Fel-
spar hinted— Ella spoke most of the
poems.— JAMES PAYN.
That fine-grained pride of place
which is best expressed in those two
majestic words noblesse oblige —
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Nod. A NOD IS AS GOOD AS A

WINK TO A BLIND HORSE —

there is no use repeating a
sign to those who cannot or
do not choose to see. F.

Thinks I to myself, a nod is as good
as a wink to a blind horse.— HALI-
BURTON.

THE LAND OF NOD — sleep. F.
But every night I go abroad
Afar into the land of nod.

R. L. STEVENSON.

Noggin. TO GO TO NOGGIN-
STAVES — to go to pieces ; to
fall into confusion. F. A
noggin is a wooden cup, made
with staves, like a cask.

Silence ! or my allegory will go to
noggin-staves.— KINGSLEY.

Nom. — NOM DE GUERRE — a
name assumed for a time. P.
A war-name. French.

Hobart, being then a post-captain
ashore with nothing to do, took a
prominent part, under the nom de
guerre of Captain Ptoberts.— Specta-
tor, 1887.

NOM DE PLUME — a fictitious
name assumed by an author.
P. A pen-name. French.
For example

Marian

Evans :
Madame

Dudevant:
Charles

Dickens :

William
Makepeace
Thack-
eray :

Nom de plume.
George Eliot.
George Sand.

Boz (in his ear-
lier writings).

Michael Angelo
Titmarsh.

Several of the pieces published in
1801 under the nom de plume of
Thomas Little were written before
he (Moore) was eighteen.— Encyclo-
pedia Britannica, 9th ed.
Nonce. — FOR THE NONCE — tem-
porary ; not habitual. P. Also
used as an adverb temporarily.
From " then once."

Vivian was not under the necessity
of paying any immediate courtesy
to nis opposite neighbour, whose
silence, he perceived, was for the
nonce, and consequently for him.—
BEACONSFIELD.

Nose 1

Nose. — WITH ONE'S NOSE AT
THE GRINDSTONE — hard at
work. C. Generally used of
mechanical or uninteresting
work.

The clerks, with their noses at the
grindstone, and her father sombre
in the dingy room, working hard too
in his way.— MRS. OLIPHANT.

To SNAP ONE'S NOSE OFF — to
speak in a cross tone to any one ;
to address a person sharply. C.
" I observe that Mr. John's things
have not been laid out for him
properly, as they ought to have
been," she said suddenly, snapping
his nose off, as Jervis said.— MRS.
OLIPHANT.

To MEASURE NOSES — to meet. F.
We measured noses at the cross
roads.

To MAKE A PERSON'S NOSE SWELL
— to make him jealous. F.

To TURN UP ONE'S NOSE AT —
to look with contempt upon.
C.

He has the harsh, arrogant, Prus-
sian way of turning up his nose at
things.— M. ARNOLD.

To PUT A MAN'S NOSE OUT or
OUT OF JOINT — to supplant
him ; to mortify him. F.
This phrase is also found in
the form HIS NOSE HAS LOST
A JOINT.

No substance has yet superseded
gunpowder for artillery purposes—
for one reason, gunpowder is com-
paratively so safe; but, of course,
its nose may be put out of joint even
by the skilful application of the all-
pervading air to the base of a pro-
jectile.-Spfciflr.ior, October 1, 1887.

He was jealous of her (the ele-
phant)—afraid that she would get as
fond of some others as of him, and
so another man might be able to
work her, and his own nose lose a
joint, as the saying is.— C. KEADE.

Perhaps Maurice may be able to
drive Lanfrey out of the field— put
his nose out of joint, and marry the
girlhimself.-MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

To CUT OFF ONE'S NOSE TO SPITE
ONE'S FACE — to act from anger
in such a way as to injure one-
self. F.

If you refuse to go because you
are angry with me, you will just be
cutting off your nose to spite your
face.
One of it's (jealousy's) commonest

0 Nose

and least startling effects is that
species of moral suicide which is
best described by the vulgar adage
of "cutting off one's nose to spite
one's face, and which produces
that most incomprehensible of all
vagaries termed marrying out of
piquo."— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

TO LEAD BY THE NOSE — to in-

fluence a person so that he
follows you blindly. C.

Though authority be a stubborn
bear, yet he is often led by the nose
with gold.— SHAKESPEARE.

What would you think of a cabinet
minister being led by the nose^-what
would you think of his resigning the
whole of his author! ty into the hands

of the permanent secretary under
him— simply because that secretary
undertakes the duty of getting the
minister's wife, who is not very pre-
sentable, included in invitations,
and passed into houses where she
would never otherwise be seen?
— WM. BLACK.

He showed a certain dogged kind
of wisdom in refusing to DC led by
the nose by the idle and ignorant
chatterboxes against whom he was
thrown in the parlour of the public-
house.— H. KlNGSLEY.
TO TAKE PEPPER IN THE NOSE — to

take offence. F.

TO PUT or THRUST ONE'S NOSE

INTO ANOTHER'S AFFAIRS —
to interfere with another per-

and put his nose into my business.—

C. E.EADE.

To WIPE A PERSON'S NOSE — to

cheat him. S.
I've wiped the old men's noses

(got a pretty good sum of money out

of them).
UNDER ONE'S NOSE — in one's

immediate proximity ; close

to one. C.
Poetry takes me up so entirely

that I scarce see what passes under

rny nose.— POPE.

TO PAY THROUGH THE NOSE —

to pay an extravagant price. S.
I hoped they would never adopt
our democratic patent method of
seeming to settle one's honest debts,
for they would find it paying through
the nose in the long run.-J. R.

Sooner than have a fuss, I paid
him through the nose everything
that he clahned.-A. TKOLLOPE.

Not 170

Not. — NOT A BIT OP IT — not
at all ; in no way. F.

" Well, for one thing, we ought all
to be here."-" Not a bit of it." re-
sponded Dick.— Blackwoods Maga-
zine, 1887.

Note. — A

NOTE OF

a promissory note ;

HAND —

a paper

containing a promise to pay
a certain sum of money. P.

"Why, my dear lad," he cried,
"this note of hand of Shakespeare's,
priceless as it is, may be yet outdone
by what remains to be discovered."
—JAMES PAYN.

Now. — Now AND THEN — at in-
tervals ; occasionally. P. Used
both of place and time.

He who resolves to walk by the
rule of forbearing all revenge will
have opportunities every now and
then to exercise his forgiving
temper.— ATTERBURY.

A mead here, there a heath, and
now and then a wood.— DRAYTON.

He (Lord Byron) now and then
praised Mr. Coleridge, but un-
graciously and without cordiality.—
MACAULAY.

Nowhere. — To BE NOWHERE
— to fail to secure a leading
place. C.

In fiction, if we accept one or two
historical novels, which avowedly
owe their existence to a laudable
admiration of Scott, Italy is literally
nowhere.— A thenccum, 1887.

Null. — NULL AND VOID — of no
effect ; useless. P. A legal
phrase.

The document began by stating
that the testator's former will was
null and void.— H. K. HAGGARD.

Number. — NUMBER ONE —
person's self. C.

Some conjurers say number three
is the magic number, and some say
number seven. It's neither, my
friend, neither-, it's number one.—
DICKENS.

But let me hear about yourself
Angela; I am tired of No. 1, I can
assure you.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Nunky. — NUNKT PAYS — the
Government pays for every-
thing. S. Nunky here stands
for " Uncle," short for " Uncle
Sam." The letters U.S.,
stamped on United States

Nutshell

government property, were
jocularly read " Uncle Sam."
" Uncle Sam " thus came to
mean the Government, and
gave rise to the phrase TO
STAND SAM, which see.

Walk through a manufactory, and
you see that the stern alternatives,
carefulness or ruin, dictate the sav-
ing of every penny ; visit one of the
national dockyards, and the com-
ments you make on any glaring
wastefulness are carelessly met by
the slang phrase, "Nunky pays."—
HERBERT SPENCER.

Nut. TO BE NUTS TO to

please greatly. F.

These were nuts alike (equally
agreeable) to the civilian and the
planter.— G. 0. TREVELYAN.

To edge his way along the crowded
paths of life, warning all human
sympathy to Keep its distance, was
what the knowing ones called nuts
(excessive pleasure) to Scrooge.—
DICKENS.
TO BE NUTS ON ANYTHING —

to be extremely fond of it. F.
My aunt is awful nuts on Marcus
Aurelius.— WM. BLACK.

OFF ONE'S NUT — crazy ; mad.
S. Nut is a slang term for
the head.

He was getting every day more off
his nut, as they put it gracefully.—

J. M'CARTHY.

A HARD NUT TO CRACK a diffi-
cult problem to solve. C.

On the contrary, he unflinchingly
faced a third question, that, namely,
of the true wishes of the testator,
whose will had been made known
some hours before; and really this
was rather a hard nut to crack.—
Good Words, 1887.

Nutshell. — To LIE IN A NUT-
SHELL— to be capable of easy
comprehension or solution. P.

There was no need to refer to
Heimann or any one else. The
whole thing lay in a nutshell.—
Murray's Magazine, 1887.

To assimilate the written to the
spoken style the whole thing lies
in that nutshell (is capable of solu-
tion by that method).

IN A NUTSHELL — simply and
tersely. P.

That one admission of yours, " he
is almost entirely dependent on his
pen," states the whole case for me in
a nutshell.— JAMES PAYN.

Oak

171

Odds

Oak. — SPORT ONE'S OAK. See
SPORT.

Gap. — To PUT IN ONE'S OAR — to
interfere officiously in others
affairs ; to break into a con*
versation uninvited. F.

She is not the first hand that has
caught a lobster by putting in her
oar before her turn, I guess.— HALI-
JBURTON.

I put my oar in no man's boat.—
THACKERAY.

TO LIE Or REST ON ONE'S OARS —

to cease from hard work ; to
take an interval of rest. C.

I had finished my education. . . .
So I left Paris, and went home to
rest on my oars.— C. READE.

To SHIP OARS — to place the oars
in the rowlocks. A nautical
phrase.

To TOSS THE OARS — to raise the
oars vertically, for the purpose
of saluting. A nautical phrase.

To UNSHIP THE OARS — to remove
the oars from the rowlocks.
A nautical phrase.

Oats. — To sow ONE'S WILD
OATS — to indulge in youthful
dissipation and excesses. P.

Dunsey's taste for swopping (ex-
changing) and betting might turn
out to be something more than
sowing wild oats.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Obs. DBS AND SOLS OBJEC-

TIONES ET SOLUTIONES. P.

Old-fashioned. These objec-
tions and proofs were placed
in the margin of theological
works.

Bale, Erasmus, etc., explode, as a
vast ocean of obs and sols, school
divinity; a labyrinth of intricate
questions.— BURTON (Anatomy oj
Melancholy).

Observe. — THE OBSERVED OF
ALL OBSERVERS — the centre
of attraction. P. A quota-
tion from Shakespeare's Ham-
let, act iii. scene 1.
The glass of fashion and the mould

The observed of all observers !

We children admired him : partly
for his beautiful face and silver hair:
partly for the solemn light in which
we beheld him once a week, the ob-
served of all observers, in the pulpit.
— R. L. STEVENSON, in Scribner's
Magazine, 1887.

Occasion. — ON OCCASION —
when necessary ; at certain
times. P.

Then they went on to give him
instructions. He was to start at
once— that very week, if possible ;
he was to follow certain lines laid
down for his guidance ; on occasion
he was to act for himself.— BICSA NT.

I am glad to find you can stand
your own trumpeter on occasion,
though I wish you would change
the tune.— SMOLLETT.

TO TAKE OCCASION to Seize

an opportunity. P.

In rummaging over a desk to find
a corkscrew, young Ludgate took
occasion to open and shake a pocket-
book, from which fell a shower of
bank-notes.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Odds. — AT ODDS — (a) opposed
to ; differing from. P.

Mr. Pilgrim had come nooning
out of the house, at odds with all
the festivity and tired of the crowd.
— J. M'CARTHY.

— (&) at a disadvantage. P.

What warrior was there, however
famous and skilful, that could
fight at odds with him?-THACK-

ERAY.

ODDS AND ENDS — stray articles ;
casual pieces of information ;
things picked up in different
places. P.

A few more odds and ends (stray
remarks) before the conclusion of
this article.— Spectator, 188C.

Then there was poor Jacob Dod-
son, the half-witted boy, who ambled
about cheerfully, undertaking mes-
sages and little helpful odds and
ends for every one.— T. HUGHES.
BY LONG ODDS — by a great
difference ; most decidedly. P.

He is by long odds the ablest of
the candidates.

No ODDS — it's of no conse-
quence. F.

"I have lost my hat." "No odds.
Come without one."

Odour

172

Oh

Odour. — IN BAD ODOUR — ill
spoken of ; having a bad repu-
tation. P.

Mat Orabtree would not be hin-
dered from wrapping up the girls
and handing them to their seats by
the trifling objection that he was in
bad odour with both of the women.
—SARAH TYTLER.

ODOUR OF SANCTITY. It was
at one time believed that the
corpse of a holy person emitted
a sweet perfume. The ex-
pression " odour of sanctity "
is now used figuratively : " He
died in the odour of sanctity "
= " He died having a saintly
reputation."

The whitewashed shrine where
some holy marabout lies buried
in the odour of sanctity.— GRANT
ALLEN, in Contemporary Review,
1888.

It was the spring of the year when
the examining chaplain gave the
verdict which, for good or ill. put
Dan out of the odour of sanctity.—
HALL CAINK.

You are the middle-aged father of
grown-up sons and daughters, a
magistrate, a church member, who
keeps regular hours, and calls up
his servants to prayers and so forth
—all that belongs to the essence of
respectability and the odour of
sanctity.— SAKAH TYTLER.

Off. — To BE OFF — to refuse to
come to an agreement. F.

At last when his hand was on the
door they offered him twelve
thousand five hundred. He begged
to consider of it. No, they were
peremptory. If he was off, they
were off.— C. READE.

WELL OFF — in comfortable cir-
cumstances. P.

He seemed to be very well off as
he was.— Miss AUSTEN.

BE OFF WITH YOU 1 — go away !
C. A peremptory order.

" Be off with you ! Get away, vou
minx!" he shouted.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

OFF AND ON — at intervals;
sometimes working, sometimes
doing nothing. C.

They (Garibaldi and Mazzini) off
and on fell out like the heroes of
some old epic.— Contemporary Re-
view, 1888.

"Dear me! Now that's very in-
teresting," said Mr. Josceline ; "you

could have got two shillings a line,
if you pleased, for writing a poem
that took you how long ? "

"Well, perhaps two months, off
and on."— JAMES PAYN.
OFF-HAND. — (adj.) free and easy ;
without stiffness. P. .

Having a bluff, off-hand manner,
which passed for heartiness, and
considerable powers of pleasing
when he liked, he went down with
the school in general for a good
fellow enough — T. HUGHES.

(adv.) without preparation

or calculation ; immediately.
P.

The strong-minded Lady South-
down quite agreed in both proposals
of her son-in-law, and was for con-
verting Miss Crawley off-hand.—
THACKERAY.

He can give you off-hand any in-
formation about the capital you may
want.

OFF BY HEART — committed to
memory. P.

A day or two afterwards, Mr.
Quirk, in poring over that page in
the fourth volume of Blacksione's
Commentaries where are to be found
the passages which have been
already quoted (and which both
Quirk and Gammon had got off by
heart), fancied he had at last hit
upon a notable crotchet.— S.
WARREN.

OFF ONE'S HEAD — crazed ; dis-
tracted. C.

The fact was, the excellent 9ld
lady was rather off her head with
excitement.— JAMES PAYN.

OFF COLOUR — shady ; disreput-
able. F.

His reputation and habits being
a trifle off colour, as the phrase is,
he had fallen back on a number of
parasitical persons, who, doubtless,
earned a liberal commission on the
foolish purchases they induced him
to make.— WM. BLACK.

Office. TO GIVE THE OFFICE

— to forewarn ; to tell before-
hand. S.

Then back after me ; I'll give you
the office. I'll mark you out a good
claim.— C. READE.

Oh. — OH YES — a corruption of
oyez (listen), the cry of heralds
making a proclamation. S.

Well, then, said the crier, "Oh
yes ! oh yes ! His Majesty's— I mean
her Majesty's— court is now opened."
— HALIBURTON.

Oil

Oil.— To OIL ONE'S OLD WIG — to
make the person drunk. North
of England slang.

TO POUR OIL ON TROUBLED

WATERS — to pacify matters ;
to act as peacemaker. P.

In my telegrams and letters to The
Times I did all in my power to
throw oil on the troubled waters, by
explaining mutual misunderstand-
ings, and combating the false accu-
sations made on ooth sides.— H.
MACKENZIE WALLACE.

Used of the actual process.

Not a barrel of water fell upon the
Arno's deck. I believe this may
with safety be claimed as one of the
earliest recorded instances of the
practical application of oil to the
troubled waters.— Scribner's Maga-
zine, 1887.

OIL OF PALMS — money. S. See
PALM.

To STRIKE OIL — (a) to come
upon a bed of petroleum. P.

I knew it (the oil) was there, be-
cause I'd been in Pennsylvania and
learned the signs: it was only the
question whether I should strike it.
— BESANT AND RICE.

(6) to make a valuable dis-
covery of any kind. S.

Ointment. — A FLY IN THE
OINTMENT — that which spoils
the freshness or excellence
of anything. C. See Bible
(Eccles. x. 1).

The homely vein running through
her own four daughters, of whom
not one was really pretty, and some
were really plain, was a very blue-
bottle in my lady's ointment.— MBS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

O.K. — O.K. — facetious contrac-
tion for " all correct " = " all
right."

Old. — OLD AS THE HILLS — very
ancient. C.

My dear child, this is nothing new
to m&-to any one. What you have

fsperienced is as old as the hills.—
LORENCE MARRYAT.
AN OLD MAID — an unmarried
woman who has passed the
usual age for marriage, and is
likely to die single. P.

During her papa's life, then, she
(resigned herself to the manner of
existence here described, and was

173 Once

content to be an old maid.—
THACKERAY.

Olive. TO HOLD OUT THE OLIVE

BRANCH — to make overtures of
reconciliation. P.

The sudden appearance in these
circumstances of Chamberlain with
the olive branch in his mouth adds
piquancy to the scene.— The Times.
1886.

AN OLIVE BRANCH — a child.
P. See Ps. cxxviii. 3. The
Bible expression is olive plant.
" Thy wife shall boas a fruitful
vine by the sides of thy house ;
thy children like olive plants
round thy table."

This young olive branch, noto-
rious under the name of Timothy's
Bess's Ben, had advanced beyond
the group of women and children.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

The lodgers to whom Growl had
made allusion, under the designa-
tion of "the Kenwigses," were the
wife and olive branches of one Mr.
Kemvigs.a turner in ivory.-DicKENS.

On. — ON FOR ANYTHING — ready
to engage in it. S.
Are you on for a row on the river ?

Once. — ONCE AND FOR ALL —
finally ; irrevocably. P. Also
once for all.

I must tell you once and for all that
you will get nothing by kneeling to
me.— H. K. HAGGARD.

ONCE UPON A TIME — a somewhat
old-fashioned and pedantic
phrase used to introduce an
incident or story which took
place at some indefinite time
in the past. P.

Once upon a time— of all the good
days in the year, on Christmas eve-
old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-
house. —DICKENS.

ONCE IN A WAY — sometimes ;
at long intervals ; on rare
occasions. C. Also found
in the form once and away.

She knew he was of no drunken
kind, yet once in a way a man might
take too much.— BLACKMORE.

"I is but for once and away.—
MARIA EDGEWORTH.
ONCE AND AGAIN — repeatedly ;
often. C.

I have told you once and again
that you must not smoke in this
room.

One

One. — ONE OF THESE DAYS —
soon ; shortly. C.

He repeatedly reasoned and re-
monstrated with Mr. Titmouse on
the impropriety of many parts of his
conduct— Titmouse ««>«o™i

generally ac-

knowledging, with much appearance
of compunction and sincerity, that
the earl had too much ground for
complaint, and protesting that he
meant to change altogether one of
these days.— S. WARREN.

ONE TOO MANY FOB A PERSON —

more powerful or cunning
than he. F.

I rather fancy we shall be one too
many for him.- W. E. NORRIS.
AT ONE — agreed ; in harmony ;
of the same mind. P.

We have read treatises by the
dozen on style and rhetoric from
Blair to Bain, and there is none that
we should be inclined ourselves to
adopt as a class-book. So far, we are
at one with Mr. Morley.— Journal
of Education, 1887.

ONE -HORSE — third-rate ; poor ;
insignificant. S.

One of them destroyed Manitoulin,
my island of the blest, with a few
contemptuous criticisms. It was, he
declared, a very one-horse sort of
place.— W. H. RUSSELL.

O.P. — O.P. — publishers' contrac-
tion for " out of print." Also
for " old prices," in connection
with the O.P. Riot at new
Covent Garden Theatre in 1809,
when the prices were raised.

Open. — WITH OPEN ARMS —
gladly ; with a warm welcome.
P.

They were both received with open
arms by the mayor and old Dewar.—
C. READE.

AN OPEN SECRET — a piece of
information not formally de-
clared, yet known to every
one. P.

It was an open secret that almost
every one (of Lord Palmerston's ec-
clesiastical appointments) was vir-
tually made by Lord Shaftesbury.—
Leisure Hour, 1887.

OPEN AS THE DAY — utterly with-
out deception or hypocrisy. C.

Open as the day, he made no secret
of the fact that he was alone in the
world.— JAMES PAYN.

Arthur, on the other hand, learned
quite everything about her, for her

174 Orange

ife was open as the day.— H. E.
[AGGARD.

OPEN SESAME — a phrase which
causes doors to open. See,
in the Arabian Nights' Enter-
tainments, the story of Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves.
When Ali Baba uttered the
words " Open sesame," the
door of the robbers' cave
opened.

The French do not believe in love.
This is a sweeping statement, it may
be said, but if not accepted as a
fundamental truth, the surest of all
open sesames to the arcana of French
society fails the observer.— National
Review, 1887.

The spell loses its power ; and he
who should then hope to conjure
with it would find himself as much
mistaken as Cassim in the Arabian
tale, when he stood crying, " Open
wheat," "Open barley," to the door
which obeyed no sound but "Open
sesame."— MACAULAY.

TO OPEN THE BALL, See BALL.

AN OPEN QUESTION — a fact or
doctrine about which dif-
ferent opinions are permitted.
P.

Whether the army is sufficiently
organized, or sufficiently provided,
, or sufficiently well led, may be an
open question.— Spectator, 1887.

TO OPEN THE EYES OF A PERSON

to make him aware of the real
state of affairs. C.

This last flagrant case of injustice
opened the commissioner's eyes.

Opinion. — To BE OF OPINION —
to judge ; to consider. P.

Mr. Gladstone was of opinion that
the tax was inexpedient.

Mrs. Sedley was of opinion that no
power on earth would induce Mr.
Sedley to consent to the match be-
tween his daughter and the son of a
man who had so shamefully, wick-
edly, and monstrously treated him.
—THACKERAY.

Orange. — ORANGE BLOSSOMS
— brides wear orange blossoms.
C.

" How is the amiable and talented
Mr. Staunton?" inquired this person
jocosely ; " and what has he come to
this lovely retreat for? To gather
orange blossoms ?" (get a bride).— W.
E. NORRIS.

Order

175

Out

A SUCKED ORANGE — a man whose
powers are exhausted. S.

By this time Dibdin was a sucked
orange ; his brain was dry.

Order. — To TAKE ORDER — to
take steps or measures ; to
make provision. P.

Is any rule more plain than this,
that whoever voluntarily gives to an-
other irresistible power over human
beings is bound to take order that
such power shall not be barbarously
abused ?— M AC AUL AY.
To TAKE ORDERS — to become a
clergyman. P.

Though he never could be per-
suaded to take orders, theology was
his favourite study.— MACAULAY.
IN ORDERS — belonging to the
clerical profession. P.

"What!" interrupted I, "and
were you indeed married by a priest,
and in orders?" (a regular clergy-
man).—GOLDSMITH.
THE ORDER OP THE DAY — what
every one is striving after. C.

"Think no more of love, but as
much as you please of admiration ;
dress yourself as fast as you can,"
said Miss Broadhurst ; " dress, dress
is the order of the day."— MARIA
EDGE-WORTH.

Economy in the public service is
the order of the day.— Westminster
Review, December 1887.
THE ORDERS OF THE DAY — the

list of agenda in a legislative
body — for example, the House
of Commons.

Other. — THE OTHER DAY —
lately ; some time ago. C.

Did you see what the brigands did
to a fellow they caught in Greece the
other day?— H. R. HAGGARD.

Out. — To BE our — to be mis-
taken. F.

"Oh, there you are out, indeed,
Cousin Wright ; she's more of what

- you call a prude than a coquette."—
MARIA EDGE WORTH.

TO BE OUT WITH AMY ONE

to have a disagreement with
the person. F.

If you are out with him, then I
shall not visit him.

Our - AND - OUT — thoroughly ;
completely. C.

Now, I'm as proud of the house as
any one. I believe it's the best
house in the school, out-and-out.—
HUGHES.

TO HAVE IT OUT WITH ANY ONE

— to have an altercation with
some one on a certain sub-
ject. C.

One day when the two old officers
return from their stroll, Mrs. Bunch
informs the colonel that she has had
it out with Eliza.—THACKERAY.
OUT OF THE WAY — odd ; quaint ;
unusual. P.

Besides, he had always something
amusing to say that lessened our
toil, and was at once so out of the
way, and yet so sensible, that I
loved, laughed at, and pitied him.—
GOLDSMITH.

OUT OF SORTS — (a) indisposed ;
not in good bodily condition.
C.

I am out of sorts, however, at pres-
ent; cannot write. Why? I can-
not tell.— MACAULAY.
— (&) in bad humour ; ill-
pleased. C.

Was this the pale, sad soul who
had come away from England with
us, out of sorts with the world, and
almost aweary of her life?— WM.
BLACK.

To OUT-HEROD HEROD — to be
extravagant in one's language ;
to storm as an actor. P.
Herod was a typical tyrant.

"I fancy," said he, "your praise
must be ironical, because in the very
two situations you mention I think
I have seen that player out-iHerod
Herod, or, in other words, exceed all
his extravagance."— SMOLLETT.
OUT OF PLACE — unsuitable ; im-
proper. P.

All this delicate consideration for
the feelings of an impecunious young_
person was deplorable and out of
place.— JAMES PAYN.
OUT OF POCKET — (a) actually
paid. C. As in the phrase
" out of pocket expenses."

(&) put to expense. C.

Mephistopheles, either because he
was a more philosophic spirit or was
not the one out of pocket, took the
blow more coolly.— C. READE.

He was both out of pocket and out
of spirits by that catastrophe.—
THACKERAY.

OUT OF PRINT. See PRINT.
OUT OF COLLAR — without a place.
Servant's slang.

The old butler hag been out of
collar since last autumn.

Outrun

176

Pack

OUT AT ELBOWS. See ELBOW.

OUT OF THE QUESTION. See

QUESTION.

OUT OF THE WOOD — escaped
from a difficulty or danger. C.

You are not out o^, the wood (safe
from danger) yet.

The excess of women over men
makes it impossible for all to be
married— Mormonism not being our
way out of the wood (of escape from
this difficulty).

AN OUT - AND - OUTER — a

thorough-going fellow ; one
pre-eminent in any capacity.
S.

Master Clive was pronounced an
out-and-outer.— THACKERAY.

Outrun. — To OUTRUN THE
CONSTABLE — to become bank-
rupt. C.

A minute of the financial board,
published in the Cambridge Reporter,
shows that the university is in danger

of outrunning the constable.— Jcmr-

Ovep. — OVER AND ABOVE — in
addition ; besides ; extra. P.,

Well, she didn't think somehov
that Zee-Zeet was over and abovb
(excessively) well-of.— English Illut-
trated Magazine, 1886.
OVER AND OVER — frequently ;
repeatedly. P.

She had (heard) though— over and
over again. For it was Toby's con-
stant topic.— DICKENS.
OVER THE LEFT — understand the
contrary of what is said. S.

The cook will suit you very well-
over the left.

Exp.— He will not suit you at all.

Overland. — AN OVERLAND
FARM — a farm without any*
house upon it. Devonshire
dialect.

Owl. — To TAKE OWL — to be
offended. S.

Own. — To OWN UP — to con-
fess. C.

What do you want I should own
p about a "• "
feel wrong.

up about a "thing for, when I don't
?.— W. D. How ELLS.

P. — To MIND ONE'S p's AND Q'a
— to be careful in one's be-
haviour. C.

I think that this world is a very
good sort of world, and that a man
can get along in it very well if he
minds his p's and q's.—A. TBOLLOPE.

And to nave to mind my p's and
q's is what I don't like.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

To BE p AND Q — to be of the first

Suality. F.
ring in a quart of maligo, right
true,

And look, you rogue, that it be p
and (/.-.ROWLANDS (1613).

Pace. — To TRY AN ANIMAL'S

PACES ; TO PUT AN ANIMAL
THROUGH ITS PACES — to find

out how it goes. P. A horse
walks, ambles, trots, canters,
gallops — these are its different
paces, which an intending
purchaser will examine be-
fore he strikes a bargain.

I had, in the usual forms, when I
came to the fair, put my horse
through all its paces.— GOLDSMITH.

To TRY A MAN'S PACES — to see
what are his qualities. F.

We take him (the preacher) at first
on trial, for a Sabbath or two, to
try his paces.— HALIBURTON.

To KEEP PACE WITH — to keep
alongside of ; to go at the
same speed as ; to progress
equally with. P.

Agriculture (in the States) has kept
pace with manufacturing industry,
while it has far outstripped com-
merce.— Edinburgh Review, 1882.

Old as I am, I feel a pleasure in
making any person whom I meet on
the way put his horse to the full
gallop to keep pace with my trotter.
—HALIBURTON.

Pack. — TO TALK PACK-THREAD

— to use improper language
skilfully disguised. S.

TO BE PACKING to gO Off ; to

leave a place. S.

Now, be packing ; I do not wish to
see you again.

To PACK CARDS — to cheat ; to
act unfairly. C.

She has packed cards with Caesar
(entered into a deceitful compact
with Caesar).— SHAKESPEARE.

Fad

177

Palm

TO SEND A MAN PACKING — to dis-

miss him summarily ; to send
him off. F.

Is none of my lads so clever as
to send this judge packing? —
MACAULAY.

Pad. - A PAD IN THE STBAW -

something wrong. F.

To PAD THE HOOF — to walk. F.

" What do you mean ? " asked Lam-
bert, staring in amazement. "You
would not have Susie pad the hoof
because the bank has failed?"—
SARAH TYTLER.

At length Charley Bates expressed
his opinion that it was time to pad
the hoof.— DICKENS.

Paddle. — To PADDLE YOUR
OWN CANOE — to manage your
own affairs without help. S.
My wants are small, I care not at all

If my debts are paid when due ;
I drive away strife in the ocean of

life,
While I paddle my own canoe.

H. CLIFTON.

Paddock. — To TURN PADDOCK
TO HADDOCK — to dissipate
property. A provincial Nor-
folk phrase.

Paddy.— A PADDY. See PAT.

Pagoda. — To SHAKE THE PA-
GODA TREE — to gain a fortune
in an easy way. An Anglo-
Indian phrase.

When he had thoroughly learned
this lesson he was offered a position
in India, in the service of John Com-
pany, under whose flag, as we know,
the pagoda tree was worth shaking
(it was easy to amass a large fortune).
—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Pains. — To BE AT PAINS — to
take trouble; to be careful.
P.

She delivered it for the behoof of
Mr. Chick, who was a stout, bald
gentleman, with a very large face,
and his hands continually in his
ppckets, and who had a tendency in
his nature to whistle and hum tunes,
which, sensible of the indecorum or
such sounds in a house of grief, he
was at some pains to repress at pres-
ent.— DICKENS.

Paint. — PAINT RED. See RED.
Paip. — A PAIR OF STAIRS — a

flight of stairs ; a staircase.

P.

Indeed, the hostess of that evening
o
J.

,

has since been economizing up two
— G.

pair of stairs at Antwerp.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

To PAIR or PAIR OFF — (a) (of a
member of Parliament) to ab-
stain from voting, having
made an arrangement with a
member of the opposite side
that he shall also abstain. P.
A customary Parliamentary
practice.

Mr. W. B. Barbourhas paired with
Mr. T. Lynn Bristowe from the 14th
for the remainder of the session.—
The Scotsman.

- (&) to take as a partner. P
He paired off with Miss Sedley,
and Jos squeezed through the gate
into the gardens with Rebecca on his
arm.— THACKERAY.

Pale. - TO LEAP THE PALE - to

get into debt ; to spend more
than one's income. S.

Palm. — TO PALM OFF ANY-

THING — to pass anything
under false pretences ; to get
another to accept ignorantly
a false article. P.

Once upon a time a Scotchman
made a great impression on the
simple native mind in Natal by palm-
ing off some thousands of florins
among them at the nominal value of
half-a-crown.— II. R. HAGGARD.

To BEAR THE PALM — to be pre-
eminent. P. The leaves of
the palm tree were used as
symbols of victory. A palm
leal or branch was carried
before a conqueror.

It was certain that with Mr. Free-
man for editor, the essential element
of illustrative maps would not be
neglected; but his own, which are
admirably selected, bear the palm.
—Athenaeum, 1887.

Of man's miraculous mistakes, this
bears the palm.— YOUNG.

TO GIVE THE PALM TO — to ac-

knowledge as superior. P.

Having discussed the subject of
nationality and love, Mr. Finch gives
the palm without hesitation to
American love.— Literary World,
August 25, 1887.

PALM OIL — money. P. So called
because it "greases the palm."

The enterprising sight -seer who
proceeds ,on this plan, and who un-

Pan

178

Parti

derstands the virtue of "palm oil'
and a calm demeanour, is sure to see
everything he cares to see.— C. DICK
ENS, JUN., in Dictionary of London.

Pan. — To PAN our — to result ;
to appear in the consequences.
S. American slang.

She didn't pan out well. — WM
BLACK.

To SAVOUR OF THE PAN. See
SAVOUR.

Pandora. — PANDORA'S BOX —
a collection of evils. P. In
the legend of Prometheus,
Pandora (the all-gifted goddess)
is said to have brought from
heaven a box containing all
human ills, which, the lid
having been opened, escaped
and spread over the world.

Pandora's box was opened for him,
and all the pains and griefs his im-
agination had ever figured were

abroad.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
Pap. — PAP WITH A HATCHET —

kindness done in a very rough
way. F.

He means well, but his kindness is
pap with a hatchet.

Pa,pep. — A PAPER LORD — a lord
of justiciary ; a judge bearing
the title of lord. C. A Scot-
tish phrase.

A PAPER WAR — a dispute carried
on in writing. C.

Pap. — AT PAR — neither above
nor below the nominal value.
P.

He (George II.) gave Englishmen
no conquests, but he gave them peace
and ease and freedom, the three per
cents, nearly at par, and wheat at
five and six and twenty shillings the
quarter.— THACKERAY.

Papi. — PARI PASSU — simultan-
eously ; in a like degree. A
Latin phrase.

Again, assuming that English re-
petition was taught in the lowest
forms, and some way up the school,
should it be carried on pari passii
with Latin up to the sixth ?- Journal
oj Education, 1887.

Parish. — To COME UPON THE

PARISH. See COME.
Parsnip. — FINE WORDS BUTTER

NO PARSNIPS — fair promises

do not clothe or feed the per-
sons to whom they are made. C,
Who was the blundering idiot who
said that fine words butter no pars-
nips? Half the parsnips of society
are served and rendered palatable
with no other sauce.— THACKERAY.

Part. — PART AND PARCEL — an
essential part ; what is in-
separably bound up witk
something else. P.

"Well, Mr. Squeers," he said, wel-
coming that worthy with his accus-
tomed smile, of which a sharp look
and a thoughtful frown were part
and parcel, "how do you do?"—
DICKENS.

The wretched Malone could not do
worse, when he bribed the sexton of
Stratford church to let him white-
wash the painted effigy of old Shake-
speare, which stood there, in rude
but lively fashion depicted to the
very colour of the cheek, the eye, the
eyebrow, hair, the very dress he used
to wear— the only authentic testi-
mony we had, however imperfect, of
these curious parts and parcels of
him.— C. LAMB.

OF PARTS — able. P.

The occasion was one which re-
quired a man of experience and parts
to hold the office.— Edinburgh Re-
view, 1886.

The original Bingo had never been
a dog of parts.— F. ANSTEY.

Papthian. — A PARTHIAN SHAFT
— a last shot ; a parting mis-
sile. P. The Parthians, it is
said, were accustomed to shoot
while retiring on horseback at
full speed.

Aunt Esther was right there, and
that Parthian shaft she had let fly at
a venture—" I see that it is the poet
who is the favourite "—had also food
for thought in it.— JAMES PAYN.

Her pupil rushed after her, giving
upon her own account a Parthian
glance of wrath and indignation
around the circle as she did so.—
Murray's Magazine, 1887.

Becky watched her marching off,
with a smile upon her lip. She had
the keenest sense of humour, and
the Parthian look which the retreat-
ing Mrs. O'Dowd flung over her
shoulder almost upset Mrs. Craw-
ley s gravity.— THACKERAY.

Papti. — PARTI PRIS — prejudice ;

fondness for a cause already

espoused. P. A French phrase.

Still, after making allowance for

parti pris, and for some lack of ex-

Pass

tended inquiry, the book is valuable.
— Athenaeum, 1887.

Pass. — To PASS BY — to over-
look ; to refrain from punish-
ing ; to excuse. P.

It conduces much to our content
if we pass by those things which
happen to our trouble. —JEREMY
TAYLOR.

God may pass by single sinners in
this world.— TILLOTSON.

To PASS MUSTER — to bear ex-
amination ; to be sufficiently
good not to be rejected. C.

There can be no serious objec-
tion to such glove encounters as
are common at public " assaults-al-
arms," and even the exhibition given
by J. L. Sullivan, the American
champion, in the City Hall, Glasgow.
on Monday evening, in presence of
three thousand spectators, may pass
muster.— Si. Andreu-s Citizen, 1888.

An intruder in the throng, a com-
parative stranger and a secret spy,

tion, if not absolutely, at least to a
great extent.— SARAH TYTLER.
To PASS OFF (AS) — (a) to secure
acknowledgment or recogni-
tion (as). P.

They pass themselves off as an old
married couple.— JAMES PAYN.

One of these passengers being a
child still young enough to be passed
off as a child in arms.— H. CON WAY.

(6) to cease ; to be discon-
tinued. P.

For a few nights there was a sneer
or a laugh when he knelt down, but
this passed off soon.— T. HUGHES.

(c) to dismiss from notice ;

to let pass. P.

Work-girls are horribly afraid of
gentlemen, though they pass it off
with cheek and chaff.— BESANT.

To PASS OVER — to take no notice
of ; to condone. P.

One could see she was vain, and
forgive it— she had a right to be
vain: that she was a coquette, and
pass it over— her coquettishness gave
piquancy to her beauty.— S. BARING-
GOULD.

TO COME TO A PRETTY PASS to

be in a bad state. C.

Things are coming to a pretty pass
when you take me to task for not
being in earnest.

. A PASSAGE OF ARMS

dispute ; ' a quarrel real or
playful. P.

179 Patrimony

As for Mrs. A. and Mrs. B., it
seemed as if they were unable to en-
counter one another without a pas-
sage of arms.— Good Words, 1887.

Passing1. — PASSING RICH — very
wealthy. P. Passing is fre-
quently used as an intensive
by Shakespeare.
A man he was to all the country

dear,

And passing rich on forty pounds a
year.— GOLDSMITH.

A PAST-MASTER — a thoroughly
experienced person ; an " old
hand." P.

If you are ambitious of excelling in
that line, you had better take a few
lessons from your friend Monckton,
who is past-master in the art of
humbugging his audiences.— W . E.
NORRIS.

Pat. — A PAT, PADDY, or PADDY
WHACK — an Irishman. F.
Abridged from Patrick, patron
saint of Ireland. Patrick is
very commonly used as a
Christian name in Ireland. In
the United States Mick (a
contraction of Michael) is
used for Irishmen, and Biddy
(from Bridget) for Irish-
women.

Here's fun ! let the Pats have it
about their ears.— T. HUGHES.
I'm Paddy Whack, from Ballyhack,

Not long ago turned soldier.

Popular Song.

Patch. — NOT TO BE A PATCH

ON ANOTHER PERSON to be

in no way comparable to him.
F.

He is not a patch on you for looks
(much inferior to you in personal
appearance). -C. READE.

TO PATCH UP A RECONCILIATION

— to return, but only in ap-
pearance, to a formerly friendly
footing ; to make a tempo-
rary truce. P.

" It was perturbing, assuredly, and
it might have served, if Linda hadn't
written ; that patched it up," I said,
laughing.— H. JAMES, JUN., in Har-
per's Monthly, February 1888.

Patrimony. — THE PATRIMONY
OF ST. PETER — the states of
the Church ; the land for-
merly subject to the Pope. P.

Patter

Patter. — To PATTER FLASH —
to talk thieves' language. S.

Paul. — PAUL PRY — an inquisi-
tive person. C.

He (Boswell) was a slave proud of
his servility ; a Paul Pry convinced
that his own curiosity and garrulity
were virtues.— MACAULAY.

Pave. — To PAVE THE WAY — to
make ready ; to prepare the
way ; to facilitate the intro-
duction of. P.

Her triumph, though, was short-
lived, and but paved the way i to
Lord Lytton's final expedient.— West-
minster Review, December 1887.

Pay. — To PAY OUT — to have
satisfaction or revenge from.
F.

"Did you see what the brigands did
to a fellow they caught in Greece
the other day for whom they wanted
ransom? First they sent his ear to
his friends, then his nose, then his
foot, and last of all his head. Well,
dear Anne, that is just how I am
going to pay you out."— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

To PAY COURT — to show flatter-
ing attentions. P.
* The very circumstance of his hav-
ing paid no court to her at first
operated in his favour. — MARIA
EDGE WORTH.

TO PAY THE DEBT OF NATURE —

to die. P.

Coleridge is just dead, having lived
just long enough to close the eyes of
Wordsworth, who paid the debt of
nature but a week or two before.—
C. LAMB.

To PAY ONE'S WAY — to pay one's
daily expenses without going
into debt ; to meet one's obli-
gations ; to live free of debt. P.
But it may be said, as a rule, that
every Englishman in the Duke of
Wellington's army paid his way.—
THACKERAY.

British merchant will have to
a great many pounds of sugar
yards of calico before he can
ive earned enough to pay his way.
-Spectator, 1887.

To PAY THE PIPER. See PIPER.
THE DEVIL TO PAY — a severe
penalty ; very serious con-
sequences. F.

"I must go home, else I shall be
locked out.'
"There would be the devil to pay

180 Pearls

then," says Dick, standing up too»
and stretching like a big Newfound-
land.— RHODA BROUGHTON.
TO PAY THROUGH THE NOSE — to

pay an absurdly high price. C.
Although that crafty and rapa-
cious slave-dealer would have made
him pay through the nose for his
treasure, knowing the physician to
be a man of great wealth, he forbore
in very shame from his extortion.
— G. A. SALA.

Peace. — To KEEP THE PEACE —
a legal phrase, signifying " to
refrain from causing a dis-
turbance." A man who has
been guilty of an offence — for
instance, a man who has
threatened another with viol-
ence— is " bound over to keep
the peace " for a certain
period under heavy penalties.

BOUND OVER TO THE PEACE —
obliged to be well - behaved ;
under severe penalties in case
of misbehaviour. P.

Mr. Layard, once a daring and
somewhat reckless opponent of
government and governments, had
been bound over to the peace,
quietly enmeshed in the discipline
of subordinate office. --J. M'CARTHY.

To HOLD ONE'S PEACE — to keep
quiet ; to be silent. P.
She said, and held her peace : _35neas

went
Sad from the cave.— DRYDEN.

PEACE AT ANY PRICE — the name
given to a party of politicians
in the English Parliament
who object to war under all
conditions. P.

The well-educated, thoughtful
middle-class, who knew how much
of worldly happiness depends on a
regular income, moderate taxation,
and a comfortable home, supplied
most of the advocates of peace, as it
was scornfully said, at any price.— J.
M'CARTHY.

Pearls. — To CAST PEARLS BE-
FORE SWINE — to give what is
precious to those who are un-
able to understand its value.
P. A Biblical phrase.

Through him the captain offered
them fifteen dollars a month, and
one month's pay in advance, but it
was like throwing pearls before
swine.— R. H. DANA.

Pecker

181

Pepper

Pecker. — ONE'S PECKER — one's

nose. S.
To KEEP UP ONE'S PECKER — to

be cheerful ; to keep in good

spirits. S.
Keep up your pecker.man; you will

be all right to-morrow.— C. READE.
To PUT UP ANOTHER'S PECKER —

to irritate or displease him. S.
He thinks he can do what he likes

with me. I am not quite sure of

that, if he puts up my pecker.

Peep. — PEEP OF DAY — the first
appearance of day. P.
He came at peep of day.

Peepers. — To CLOSE ONE'S
PEEPERS — to shut one's eyes.
S.

The next question was how long
they should wait to let the inmates
close their peepers.— C. READE.

Peg. — A PEG — a drink of
brandy and water. S. An
Eastern phrase. The full ex-
pression is " a peg in one's
coffin," from the deadly effects
of drink on Europeans in East-
ern countries.

Allow me to mix you a peg; it will
enable you to take a more generous
view of the matter.

To PEG AWAY — to persevere. S.
" Peg away, Bob," said Mr. Allen
to his companion, encouragingly.—
DICKENS.

TO TAKE ONE DOWN A PEG — to

lower a person's pretensions ;
to humiliate him. F.

The brilliant young athlete wanted
taking down a peg.— Literary World,
1S82.

TO COME DOWN A PEG — to be

lowered or humiliated. F.

Well, he has come down a peg or
two, that's all, and he don't like it.
— H. R. HAGGARD.

Pell. — PELL MELL — in confu-
sion ; heaped in disorder one
upon the other. P.

The great force crumples up like
an empty glove, then turns and
gallops pell mell for safety to its
own lines.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Penny. — A PRETTY PENNY — a
large sum ; much money. F.

The owner had spent what he was
wont to term playfully a pretty
penny on his books.— GEORGE ELIOT.

A PENNY-DREADFUL — the name
given to newspapers devoted
to the publication of accounts
of murders, outrages, and such
sensational news. F.

" You fiend in human form, what
is it, I wonder, that has kept me so
long from destroying you and my-
self too? Oh, you need not laugh!
I have the means to do it if I choose.
I have had them for twenty years."

George laughed again hoarsely.
"Quite penny-dreadful, I declare"
(you speak, I assure you, in the style
of a cheap sensational newspaper).—
H. R. HAGGARD.

Of all these there is more than
an abundant supply always ready,
in what may, for want of a better
title, be called the penny-dreadfuls.
—Edinburgh Review, 1887.
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS -

a playful remark made to
one who seems immersed in
thought. C. The full ex-
pression would be, " I'll give
you a penny if you'll tell me
your thoughts."

Judy looked a little bit puzzled at
this. " A penny for your thoughts,
Judy, "says my sister.— MARIAEDGE-
WORTH.

PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOL-
ISH — careful about small pro-
fits or savings, and foolishly
blind to larger and more im-
portant gains. F.

He (the king) engaged her (the
elephant) to perform gratis in the
Champs Elysees during the three
days' fete. Fifteen hundred francs

for this.
H

uguet was penny wise and
oolish to agree, for it took
s off— showed her gratis to

But

pound f
her gloss

half the city.— C. READE.
To TURN A PENNY. See TURN.

TO THINK ONE'S PENNY SILVER -

to have a good opinion of one-
self. F.

PENNY GAFFS — cheap places of
entertainment. C.

Penny gaffs have a dozen audiences
every night.— Contemporary Review,
1887.

Pepper. — PEPPER-AND-SALT —
a term applied to a kind of
cloth of mingled black and
white. C.

One was a low-spirited gentleman
of middle age, of a meagre habit,

Per

and a disconsolate face, who kept
his hands continually in the pockets
of his scanty pepper - and - salt
trousers.— DICKENS.
TO TAKE PEPPER IN THE NOSE

to become irritated. F. Old-
fashioned.

Because I entertained this gentle-
man for my ancient (standard-
bearer), he takes pepper in the nose.
—CHAPMAN.

A PEPPERCORN RENT — an in-
significant or nominal rent.

An admirable plan! but we will
take the houses first at a pepper-
corn rent.— BEACONSFIELD.

Pep. — Per annum — yearly.

PER SALTUM — at a bound. P.
Latin.

They imagined that, with the at-
tainment of her political freedom,
Italy ought per saltum to have re-
gained her place among the nations.
—Spectator, January 14, 1888.

PER SE — in itself ; apart from
other considerations. P. Latin.
He is always per se the duke.—
HUGH CONWAY.

Pepch. — To TIP OVER THE
PERCH — to die. F.

Either through negligence, or want
of ordinary sustenance, they both
tipped over the perch.— URQUHART.

Person. — IN PERSON — not
through a deputy ; with
bodily presence. P.
It is his highness' pleasure that the

queen
Appear in person here in court.

SHAKESPEARE.

The curt reply brought the earl
in person to Becky's apartment.—
THACKERAY.

Pet. — TO TAKE THE PET — to be

needlessly offended ; to sulk.
F.

You got into trouble, and when
your father, honest man, was dis-
appointed, you took the pet or got
afraid, and ran away from punish-
ment.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Petapd. — HOIST WITH ONE'S
PETARD. See HOIST.

Petep. — ROBBING PETER TO
PAY PAUL. See ROB.

PETER FUNK — an auction where
the bidders have a secret
understanding. See KNOCK -

182 Philip

our. S. " Peter Funk " is
the American term.
To PETER OUT — to cease to pro-
duce ; to fail ; to come to an

end by degrees. S.

It is said his Pennsylvania monop-
oly has petered out, and he is now
obliged to get his supply from
Canada.— The Nation, 1890.

Petticoat. — PETTICOAT GOV-
ERNMENT— the rule of women.
F.

This afforded fresh subject of deri-
sion to those who scorned petticoat
government.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

IN PETTICOATS — (a) still a child ;
still in the nursery. P.

An infant freethinker, a baby
philosopher, a scholar in petticoats—
a man, when he grew up, who knew
almost everything except himself (J.
S. Mill).— MRS. OLIPHANT.

(&) of the female sex ; in

the form of a woman. C.
Opposed to " in trousers."

"But she is false, covetous, mali-
cious, cruel, and dishonest "—what a
friend in petticoats !— A. TROLLOPE.

He never knew when Jane might
not make some extravagant display
of the student or professor in petti-
coats.—SARAH TYTLER.

Petto. — IN PETTO — in secrecy;
in reserve. P.

Whatever else they might hold
undeclared in petto.— NORTH.

Philadelphia. — A PHILADEL-
PHIA LAWYER — the sharpest
man living. C. " Enough to
puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer "
is a phrase used with refer-
ence to some very perplexing
matter.

Philip. TO APPEAL FROM

PHILIP DRUNK TO PHILIP SOBER
— to ask for a reconsidera-
tion of any case because the
first decision was given with-
out due gravity, the arbiter be-
ing under some engrossing in-
fluence. C.

If they had any fault to find, let
them go to her, which was not even

[>peanng from Philip drunk to
'"ip sober, but from the lioness in

BffiL.

the jungle to the lioness in the cave.
— MRS. E.

LYNN LINTON.

Philosopher

183

Piece

Philosopher. — THE PHILOSO-
PHER'S STONE — an imaginary
stone, sought after by alche-
mists, which had the prop-
erty of transmuting every-
thing it touched into gold. P.

That stone
Philosophers in vain so long have

sought.— MILTON.

There are a great many places of
worship about Whitechapel, and
many forms of creed, from the Bap-
tist to the man with the biretta, and
it would be difficult to select one
which is more confident than an-
other of possessing the real philos-
opher's stone, the thing for which
we are always searching, the whole
truth.— BESANT.

Pick. TO PICK A QUARREL — to

search for an occasion to quar-
rel. P.

At last Dennis could stand it no
longer; he picked a quarrel with
Fritz, and they had a battle-royal to
prove which was master. — M.
ARNOLD.

To PICK HOLES — to find fault ;
to criticize. C.

"Hang the fellow," murmured Mr.
Erin to nimself, "he's beginning to
pick holes already."— JAMES PAYN.
" That means that you have been
trying to pick holes in him, and that
you can't," returned Mrs. Lindsay, a
little defiantly.— W. E. NORRIS.

TO PICK A BONE WITH ONE — to

find fault with him ; to blame
him. C.

Just look at my nose, and you will
soon change your mind. It's broader,
and flatter, and snubbier than ever.
I consider that I have got a bone to
pick with (reason to find fault with)
Providence about that nose.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

To PICK UP — (a) to obtain in a
chance way. C.

He asked his friends about him,
where they had picked up such a
blockhead.— ADDISON.

The young man, at least, thought
his manner of looking an offence to
Miss Miller : it conveyed an imputa-
tion that she "picked up" acquaint-
ances.—H. JAMES, JUN.
(&) to grow stronger ; to re-
cover health. C.

After he had eaten a little and had
a swallow or two more of the brandy,
he began to pick up visibly, sat
straighter up, spoke louder and
clearer, and looked in every way
another man.— R. L. STEVENSON.

A PICK-ME-UP — anything taken
to restore the strength ; a
tonic. F.

I find the syrup you gave me a
capital pick-me-up.

To PICK OFF — to kill separately ;
to shoot one by one. P.

He (the war correspondent) now
marches with the van, goes out with
the forlorn hope, sits down in the
thick of the fight with his notebook,
and takes ten men's share of the
bullets. Consequently he sometimes
gets picked off.— BESANT.

To PICK TO PIECES — to criticize
harshly ; to find fault with in
a jealous fashion. F.

The ladies were drinking tea, and
picking their neighbours to pieces.

TO PICK A HOLE IN A MAN'S COAT

— to find fault with him ; to
find a weak place in his char-
acter. F.

It is difficult to pick a hole in our
minister's coat; he performs his
duties too faithfully.

THE PICK OF THE BASKET— the
very best of anything. C.

It cannot be pretended that we
have thus far succeeded in obtain-
ing the pick of the basket.— Dail y
Telegraph, 1885.

Piekle. — To HAVE A ROD IN

PICKLE FOR ANY ONE — to have

a punishment in store for any
one. F.

I have a rod in pickle for Tom
when he returns home.

Pickwickian. — IN A PICK-
WICKIAN SENSE — in a merely
technical sense, not applicable
elsewhere. P. A phrase taken
from Dickens's Pickwick Pa-
pers : " He had used the
word in its Pickwickian sense."

Pie. — To GO TO PIE — to fall in-
to confusion. P.

Your military ranked arrange-
ments going all (as the typographers
say of set types in a similar case)
rapidly to pie.— CARL YLE.

Piece. — To GIVE ANOTHER A
PIECE OF ONE'S MIND — to
speak bluntly and uncere-
moniously to him ; to tell him
unpleasant truths. C.

On the doorstep of the house where
Hilda lodged stood her landlady,

Piece

giving a piece of her mind to a
butcher-boy, both as regarded his

master's meat and his personal
qualities.— H. R. HAGGARD.
OF A PIECE WITH — similar to ;

Scarcely any other part of his life
was of a piece with that splendid
commencement.— MACAULAY.

To PIECE OUT — (a) to increase
in length. P.

Whether the piecing out of an old
man's life is worth the pains, I can-
not tell.-SiR W. TEMPLE.

(&) to arrange from scattered

materials; to put together so
as to form a whole. P.

Piece out my history in connec-
tion with young Walter Gay, and
what he has made me feel; and
think of me more leniently, James,
if you can.— DICKENS.

PIECEWORK — work done and paid
for by each separate article
made or job finished, and not
by the day or the hour. P.

Nothing could be a more noble
spectacle than that of myself work-
ing at a lathe for nothing in the
old days : would it be quite as noble
at the brewery doing piecework?—
BESANT.

Piece. — PIECE DE RESISTANCE
— the principal dish at a ban-
quet ; the chief article. C.
French.

The rough fare "of the ship's crew,
of which the piece de resistance was
the hardest of Dutch cheese.— It.
BUCHANAN.

Pied. — "A PIED A TERRE — a
place where one can alight ;
a convenient house of one's
own. P. French.

Mr. Harding, however, did not
allow himself to be talked over into
giving up his own and only pied a
terre in the High Street.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Pig. — A PIG IN A POKE — some-
thing bought without inspec-
tion ; goods accepted and
paid for blindly. F.
He would have greatly preferred

184 Pill

A PIG'S WHISPER — (a) a very
loud whisper. S.
— (6) a very short space of
time. S.

TO DRIVE ONE'S PIGS TO MARKET

— to snore. F.

To BRING ONE'S PIGS TO A PRETTY
MARKET — to sell at a loss ; to
manage one's affairs badly. F.

was better than being asked to give
hard cash for a pig.in.a poke.— JAMES

i AYN.

He never could have brought his
pigs to a worse market," observed
Sawbridge.— CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

TO GO TO PIGS AND WHISTLES —

to be dissipated ; to go to
utter ruin. F.

" Do you know what has happened
in your absence?"

Lambert nodded. " That the con-
cern has gone to pigs and whistles,"
he said defiantly.— SARAH TYTLER.

Pigeon. — PIGEON or PIDGIN
ENGLISH — the corrupt lan-
guage, half English and half
Chinese, used in commercial
transactions throughout the
Far East. P.

The grammar of pidgin English is
not English but Chinese.— SAYCE.

To PLUCK A PIGEON — to cheat a
simpleton ; to fleece a green-
horn. P.

" Here comes a nice pigeon to
pluck," said one of the thieves.—
C. EEADE.

PIGEON'S MILK — an imaginary
substance, which simple boys
are sent to purchase on All
Fools' Day (April 1).

Pile. — TO MAKE A PILE to

realize a fortune ; to get
wealthy. F.

On the other hand, if the old man
should only go on for another year
or two he would make that little
pile, and a very comfortable little
pile it would be.— BESANT.

Pill. — To GILD THE PILL. See
GILD.

TO SUGAR THE PILL. See SUGAR.

A BITTER Or HARD PILL TO SWAL-
LOW— a disagreeable experi-
ence to undergo ; something
wounding to the pride. C.

Sir Hamilton could" not help re-
cognizing the truth of this observa-
tion, but Metternich made him

Pillar

swallow another bitter pill (listen to
another disagreeable truth).— Public
Opinion, 1886.

Pillar. — FROM PILLAR TO POST
— from one refuge to another ;
hither and thither. P.

I'm afraid we shall be pretty well
knocked about from pillar to post
during the next month.— FLORENCE
MARKYAT.

Pin. — PINS AND NEEDLES — the
tingling sensation in a limb
which has been benumbed. C.
A man may tremble, stammer, and
show other signs of recovered sensi-
bility no more in the range of his
acquired talents than pins and
needles after numbness.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

ON THE PIN — watchful. F.

He was on the pin to see who
should be chosen.

To PIN ONE'S FAITH — to fix one's
trust. C.

Those who pinned their faith for
better or for worse to the pack.—
Field, 1885.

PIN MONEY — money granted to a
wife for her small personal ex-
penses. P. Pins formerly were
costly, and formed a consider-
able share of such expenditure.
The day that Miss Rayne becomes
Lady Coombe I will settle a thousand
a year on her for her private use,
and she'll be independent, and have
as much pin money as she'll know
how to do with.— FLORENCE MAR-
RYAT.

Pinch. — AT or ON A PINCH — in
a difficulty. P.

They at a pinch can bribe a vote.—
SWIFT.

Instead of writing, as on a pinch
he loved to write, straight on from
his somewhat late and lazy break-
fast until the moment of dinner
found him hungry and complacent,
with a heavy task successfully per-
formed, he was condemned, for the
first time in his life, to the detested
necessity of breaking the labours of
the day by luncheon.— TREVELYAN,
in Life of Macaulay.

TO PEEL WHERE THE SHOE

PINCHES. See SHOE.
Pink. — A PINK COAT — the dress
worn by huntsmen in Eng-
land. C.

But he absented himself from
home on the occasion of every meet
at Ullathorne, left the covers to their

185 Pitch

fate, and could not be persuaded to
take his pink coat out of the press,
or his hunters out of the stable. -
A. TROLLOPE.

He (the actual French dandy) has
a wondrous respect for English
"gentlemen sportsmen;" he imi-
tates their clubs — sports his pink
out hunting.— THACKERAY.

Pipe. — To PIPE ONE'S EYE — to
weep. S.

He then began to eye his pipe,
And then to pipe his eye.— HOOD.

To PUT A PERSON'S PIPE OUT — to
disappoint his plans.

James Crawley's pipe is put out.—
THACKERAY.

He couldn't think of putting the
squire's pipe out after that fasnion.
— HALIBURTON.

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND

SMOKE IT — listen to that remark
and think over it. F. This
saying generally accompanies
a rebuke.

"And always put this in your
pipe, Nolly," said the Dodger, as the
Jew was heard unlocking the door
above, "if you don't take fogies and
tickers."— DICKENS.

PipCP. — TO PAY THE PIPER —

to defray the cost of an enter-
tainment. F.

"Ay, races and balls, fine clothes
and line eating, them's the ways of
the gentlefolks, and we pay the
piper, growled a humble cynic.—
SARAH TYTLER.

PIPERS' NEWS — stale news. F.

Pis. — A PIS ALLER — a desperate
resource ; a last shift. P.
French.

I have no idea of becoming a pis
alter if this hare-brained peer should
change his mind.— G. J. WEYTE-
MELVILLE.

Pitch. TO PITCH AND PAY —

to pay ready money. Old-
fashioned.

To PITCH A YARN — to tell a won-
derful story. S.
The skipper is in great glee to-night ;
he pitches his yarns with gusto.—
Chambers's Journal, 18S5.

To PITCH IN or INTO — to attack
vigorously. F. Used either
of actual blows or abusive lan-
guage.

That curious fancy for pitching in
at people they only half disapprove

Pitchers

186

Play

which marks a certain kind of
English audience-or, indeed, every
kind, if the pitching is only improved
into "invective," and becomes an

ornament of debate "-is deeply
gratified by Mr.
tator, 1887.

"I
sir?'

r. Labouchere.— Spec-

Bui if 'he should pitch into you,

Then he will pitch into a man
twice as strong as himself." —

C. READE
"Dear

to pitch
mr pite-

Tom, I ain't
into (scold) you,"
ously.— T. HUGHES.

To PITCH IT STRONG — to act or
speak very warmly. F.

I wonder he did not overdo it then,
he pitched it so strong.— Daily Tele-
graph, 1886.

Pitchers. — PITCHERS HAVE
EARS — there are listeners who
may hear. C. A proverbial
expression. Also, " Little
pitchers have long ears "-
young persons are quick of
hearing.

Pitchers have ears, and I have many
servants.— SHAK ESPEARE.
The child might be somehow mis-
taken, or the old woman might have
misread the address. But that was
unlikely ; and if it had been so, surely
Miss Gray, knowing that little
pitchers have ears, would have cor-
rected the mistake.— SARAH TYTLER.

Place. — OUT OF PLACE — un-
suitable. P.

The words were colourless in them-
selves, but there was a hard, un-
friendly, and superior tone in them
rather out of place in a house where
she was a guest.— C. READE.
GIVE PLACE — yield ; retire. P.
Victorious York did first, with famed

success,
To his known valour, make the Dutch

give place.— DRYDEN.
The rustic honours of the scythe and

share
Give place to swords and plumes, the

pride of war.— DRYDEN.
To GIVE PLACE TO — to make
room for.

Dr. Swift is turned out of his stall
and deanery-house at St. Patrick's
to give place to Father Dominic
from Salamanca.— THACKERAY.
To TAKE PLACE — (a) to happen.

It is stupidly foolish to venture
our salvation upon an experiment,
which we have all the reason imagin-
able to think God will not suffer to
take place.— ATTERBURY.

— (&) to take precedence. P.

As a British freeholder, I should
not scruple taking place of a French
marquis.— ADDISON.
IN PLACE — (a) present. Old-
fashioned.

Then was she fair alone, when none
was fair in place.

EDMUND SPENSER.

(&) suitable ; appropriate. P.

He did not think the remark in
place.

Plaguy. — A PLAGUY SIGHT —
very much ; exceedingly. S.

The lawyers looked like so many
ministers, all dressed in black gowns
and white bands on, only they acted
more like players than preachers, a
plaguy sight (very much more).—
HALIBURTON.

Plain. — PLAIN AS A PIKE-STAFF
— very plain or evident. C.

" Prune it of a few useless rights
and literal interpretations 9f that
sort, and our religion is the simplest
of all religions, and makes no barrier,
but a union, between us and the rest
of the world."

" Plain as a pike-staff" (that is very
evident), said Pack, with an ironical
laugh.— GEORGE ELIOT.
PLAIN WORK — sewing that is not
ornamental. P.

They understand their needle,
broadstitch, and all manner of plain
work.— GOLDSMITH.

She does beefsteaks and plain
work.— TH ACK ERA Y.
Plank. — To WALK THE PLANK.

See WALK.

Platonic. — PLATONIC LOVE —
love with no mixture of sexual
passion. P.

There are not many men who could
have observed Mrs. Lecount entirely
from the Platonic point of view.—
WILKIE COLLINS.

Play. — TO PLAY THE DEVIL,
DEUCE, Or MISCHIEF WITH — to

injure ; to hurt seriously. P.

In short, in your own memor-
able words, to play the very devil
with everything and everybody.—
DICKENS.

The master-gunner and his mates,
loading with a rapidity the mixed
races could not rival, hulled the
schooner well between wind and
water, and then fired chain shot at
her masts, as ordered, and began to
play the mischief with her shrouds
and rigging.— C. READE.

Play

To BRING INTO PLAT — to give an
opportunity for the exercise
of. P.

The very incongruity of their rela-
tive relations brought into play all
his genius.— A. AINGER.

To PLAT ONE FALSE — to deceive
one. P.

"Now, look you here, Anne," said
George in a sort of hiss, and standing
over ner in a threatening attitude,
"I have suspected for some time
that you were playing me false in

;his business, and now I am sure of

t."— H. JR. HAGGARD.

TO PLAT FAST AND LOOSE. See

FAST.

To PLAT ONE'S CARDS — to carry
out a scheme. C.

We have seen how Mrs. Bute,
having the game in her hands, had
really played her cards too well.—
THACKERAY.

th
it.

TO PLAT INTO A PERSON'S HANDS

— to act for the benefit of an-
other person ; to manage mat-
ters so that, unknowingly, an-
other person, often an enemy,
is benefited. P.

This is simply playing into the
hands of lazy ne'er-do-weels (good-
for-nothings).— Observer, 1885.

To PLAT TRUANT — to stay from
school without leave ; to ab-
sent oneself without leave. P.
Properly a school phrase ; else-
where used playfully.

"What!" said George, who was.
when in an amiable mood, that worst
of all cads, a jocose cad, "are you
going to play truant (go off without
permission) too, my pretty cousin?"

— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO PLAT ONE PERSON OFF AGAINST
ANOTHER - tO US6 two people

for one's own purposes ; to
make two people act upon each
other so as to bring about a
desired result. P.

On the occasion referred to the
quick-witted old crone saw her chance
in a moment, and commenced to play
off one of her visitors against the
other with consummate skill.— A.
JESSOPP.

To MAKE PLAT — to take the lead ;
to lead off. F. A phrase taken
from the race-course.

187 Please

Gray Parrot made play with Duke
of Richmond and Florio next.— Daily
Telegraph, 1885.

PLAYED OUT — of no further ser-
vice ; exhausted ; bereft of
force. P.

There is a popular impression,
amongst the vulgar of this country
and of America, that the part of
sovereign has been long since played
out.— Westminster Review, 1887.

From some reason or another ex-
aminations were rather played out
(rejected as of little value).— Daily
Telegraph, 1885.
TO PLAT THE R6LE OF — to act

the part of ; to behave as.
P. A theatrical phrase.

The fire in the cave wais an unusu-
ally big one that night, and in a large
circle round it were gathered about
thirty -five men and two women,
TJstane and the woman to avoid
whom Job had played the role of an-
other scriptural character. — H. II.
HAGGARD.

To PLAT ONE TRICKS — to cheat
or deceive ; to be untrust-
worthy. F. Used playfully.

He was now an old man, but active
still and talkative. His memory
played him tricks (was untrust-
worthy).— BESANT.

To PLAT A PART — to be deceitful ;
to be double-faced ; to dis-
simulate. P.

"I really am much obliged to you,
my aunt/ said John, utterly astoif-
ished to find that she possessed a
heart at all, and had been more or

less playing a part all the evening.—
H. E. HA

To

LAGGARD.
PLAT UP TO

ANOTHER — tO

accommodate oneself to an-
other's peculiarities so as to
gain some advantage. F.

There is your playing up toady,
who, unconscious to its feeder, is
always playing up to its feeder's
weaknesses.— BEACONSFIELD.
CHILD'S PLAT— easy work. P.

The work of reformation is child s
play to that of making your friends
believe you have reformed.— HUGH
CONWAY.

Please. — PLEASE THE PIGS —
if all be well. F.

"Please the pigs." then said Mr.
Avenel to himself, "I shall pop the
question. "-BULWER LYTTON.

"And," he observed to himself,
as he watched his friend retreating
to his bedroom, and took his own

Plough 188

candle, "once back to London, I'll
speak to the doctor, and, please the
pigs, you shall marry Kate before
you're six months older.' '—Mistletoe
'Bough, 1886.

IF YOU PLEASE. See IF.

PLEASED AS PUNCH — highly
pleased. F.

Old Staines is as pleased as Punch.
— \V. E. NORRIS.

You could skip over to Europe
whenever you wished. Mamma
would be as pleased as Punch.—
R. GRANT.

Plough. — To PUT ONE'S HAND
TO THE PLOUGH — to commence
serious work ; to undertake
important duties. P. A
Biblical phrase. " And Jesus
said unto him. No man, hav-
ing put his hand to the plough,
and looking back, is fit for
the kingdom of God " (Luke
ix. 62).

To have been the first publicly to
proclaim this principle is no mean
boast : and now that they have put
their hand to the plough, the pre

L11C11 llCtllll l/\J bllC MJ.WU.fi."* uii^y i/A<^-

ceptors will certainly not look back.
—Journal of Education, 1887.

TO LOOK BACK FROM THE PLOUGH

— to abandon work that has
been seriously undertaken. P.

TO BE PLOUGHED to fail to

pass an examination. College
slang. Plucked is also used.

I am sure to be ploughed at the
final examination.

Pluck. — TO PLUCK UP COURAGE

or ONE'S HEART or ONE'S
SPIRITS — to regain confidence ;
to throw fear aside. C.

He willed them to pluck up their
hearts.— KNOLLYS.

Pluck up thy spirits. — SHAKE-
SPEARE.

Carlo sat and whimpered, and then
wagged his tail, and plucked up more
and more spirit.— C. RKADE.
To PLUCK OFF — to descend in rank
or title ; to lower oneself. C.
Plume. — To PLUME ONESELF
UPON — to be proud of ; to
boast regarding. P.

The idea of a man pluming himself
on his virtue.—

Nay. very like
thought her act
ous, and plumed herself upon her

Pocket

resolute manner of performing it.—
THACKERAY.

BORROWED PLUMES — ornaments
which do not belong to the
wearer. P.

1 1 know some people do not care
to appear in borrowed plumes,' the
elder woman went on. — SARAH
TYTLER.

Pocket. — To PUT ONE'S HAND
IN ONE'S POCKET — to be chari-
table ; to give money in char-
ity. C.

I daresay Dr. Goodenough, amongst
other philanthropists, put his hand
in his pocket.— GEORGE ELIOT.

To PUT ONE'S PRIDE IN ONE'S
POCKET — to lay aside one's
pride for the time being ; to
be humble for the moment. C.
If Miss Blanche should ask you
how we are getting on, Rachel, put
your pride in your pocket, mind

that.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.
To BE IN POCKET — to be a
gainer. F.

Yet I'm none the better for it in
pocket.— DICKENS.

TO BE OUT OF POCKET - to lose ;

to be a loser. F.
Mephistopheles, either because he

was a more philosophic spirit, or was

ne out of p

ey),
coolly.— C. READE.

not the one out o
lost money), took

poc
the

e blow more

. . .

All idea of a peerage was out of the
question, the baronet s two seats in
Parliament being lost. He was both
out of pocket and out of spirits by
that catastrophe.— THACKERAY.
A POCKET BOROUGH — a borough
where the electors are so few
in number that a single power-
ful personage could control
elections and send his own
nominee to Parliament. P.

In the autumn of 1834 he (Disraeli)
is full of his possible return for
Wycombe, which was practically a
pocket borough.— Edinburgh Review,
1880.

To POCKET AN INSULT — to submit

to an insult without retaliat-

ing or showing displeasure. P.

The remark was a rude one, but the

man chose to pocket the insult.

Shakespeare uses pocket up in
this sense, —

Well, ruffian, I must pocket up these
wrongs.

Point

189

Poor

To POCKET DIBS — to receive
salary or profits. S.

"What gives a man position," said
Tommy, is to make other ^<*""*—"

do the work and to pocket the dibs
yourself."— BESANT.

Note.— Beggars is here merely a
slang term for " people," "men."

A POCKET-PISTOL — a jocular name
for a flask to carry liquor. F.
Coming from Newman Noggs, and
obscured still further by the smoke
of his pocket-pistol (his tipsy con-
dition), it became wholly unin-
telligible, and involved in utter dark-
ness.—DICKENS.

Point. TO MAKE A POINT OF

— to be very careful about ;
to take care not to omit. P.

When his sisterwentout to market
he made a point of waiting for
Sophy's comingdown to the drawing-
room.— JAMES PAYN.
To STRETCH A POINT — to make
an exception ; to observe a
rule less strictly. P.

Oh, I suppose I shall have to stretch
a point when I invite people to my
house.— JAMES PAYN.
POINT BLANK — directly ; plainly ;
explicitly. P.

Praise everybody, I say to such.
Never be squeamish, but speak out
your compliment both point blank
in a man's face and behind his back,
when you know there is a reason-
able chance of his hearing it again.—
THACKERAY.

So she refused you, Uppy— refused
you point blank, did she? — G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.
To CARRY ONE'S POINT — to ob-
tain an object sought for ;
to persuade others to act as
you -wish. P.

Lady Clonbrony was particularly
glad that she had carried her point
about thisparty at Lady St. James's.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

TO POINT A MORAL to give

force to a moral precept ;
to add to the moral force of
a remark. P.
He left the name at which the world

grew pale,
To point a moral or adorn a tale.

JOHNSON.

Here at least was a judgment ready
made, to point themoral of the pious
and stimulate the fears of the timid.
—Edinburgh Review, 1887.
To THE POINT — apposite ; applic-
able. P.

My spoken answer, like my written
answer, was not very much to the
point.— Belgravia, 1886.
TO COME TO POINTS to fight

with swords. P.

They would have come to points
immediately.— SMOLLETT.
A CASE IN POINT— a case which
illustrates the subject under
discussion. P.

He guotes instances in point from
the history of Rio Grande.— Contem-
porary Review, 1888.

Poke. — To POKE FUN AT —
to ridicule ; to chaff. F.

One was so pleased with his tutor
that he gave me a pot of beer besides
my fee. I thought he was poking
fun at me.— C. READE.

A PIG IN A POKE. See PIG.

Pokep. — OLD POKER — the
devil. F.

As if Old Poker was coming to take
them away.— H. WALPOLE.

Poles. — UNDER BARE POLES—
with no sails spread. P.

We were scudding before a heavy
gale, under bare poles.— MARRYAT.

Polish. — To POLISH OFF — to
finish ; to settle. S.

Well, sir, I couldn't finish him, but
Bob had his coat off at once— he
stood up to the Banbury man for
three minutes, and polished him off
in four rounds easy.— THACKERAY.

Pons. — PONS ASINORUM — the
name given to the fifth problem
of the First Book of Euclid.
P. See ASSES' BRIDGE.

Go and bob for triangles, from the
Pons Asinorum.— THACKERAY.

What was it that so fascinated the
student? Not the Pons Asinorum.—
THACKERAY.

Pooh. — To POOH - POOH — to
ridicule ; to treat with con-
tempt. C.

He seems to pooh-pooh the ques-
tion, that it was absolutely impos-
sible for Henry of Navarre to bring
peace to the kingdom as long as he
adhered to the Church of the minor-
ity.—Athenaeum, 1887.

POOP. — POOR AS A CHURCH

MOUSE — very poor ; having

barely enough to live upon. P.

"One of our young men is just

married," Dobbin said, now coming

Pop 190

to the point. "It was a very old
attachment, and the young couple
are as poor as church mice. —
THACKERAY.

Pop. — To POP CORN — to parch
or roast maize or Indian
corn until the grains explode
with a " pop." C. An Ameri-
can phrase.

To POP THE QUESTION — to make
a proposal of marriage. C.

I suppose you popped the question
more than once.— DICKENS.

Position. — To BE IN A POSI-
TION TO — to have the time,
opportunities, or information
requisite for. C.

The official referred to is in a posi-
tion to know (has means of know-
ing).— Daily Telegraph, 1885.

You will get a good salary ; I am
not in a position to say (prevented by
circumstances from saying) exactly
how much.

PoSSe. POSSE COMITATUS —

military strength of a country ;
available fighting force. Latin.
"Only Goths, my fdonkey-riding
friends!" quoth Smid, and at that
ominous name the whole posse comi-
tatus tried to look unconcerned.—

C. KlNGSLEY.

Possess. — To POSSESS ONESELF
OF — to obtain ; to secure. P.
We possessed ourselves of the king-
dom of Naples, the duchy of Milan,
and the avenue of France in Italy.—
ADDISON.

To POSSESS ONE'S SOUL IN PA-
TIENCE— to refrain from worry-
ing ; to be patient. P.

"Possess your soul in patience, and
in due time you shall see what you
shall see," answered Arthur oracu-
larly.-W. E. NORRIS.

Possession. — POSSESSION is

NINE-TENTHS OF THE LAW, Or
POSSESSION IS ELEVEN POINTS
IN THE LAW, AND THEY SAY
THERE ARE BUT TWELVE —

a dictum used to assert the
great importance which the
law attaches, in disputed
cases, to actual possession of
the disputed property. P.

Ain't this my husband's place of
abode? Ain't possession nine points
of the law ?-JUSTIN M'CARTHY.

Pot

TO TAKE POSSESSION to OCCUpy ',

to seize. P.

At length, having killed the defend-
ant, he actually took possession.—
GOLDSMITH.

'Possum. — To ACT 'POSSUM or
PLAY 'POSSUM — to dissemble.
S. The opossum has a habit,
when pursued, of rolling itself
up and pretending to be dead.
It's almost time for Babe to quit
playing 'possum.— Scribner's Maga-
zine, 1886.

Post. — TO POST ONESELF UP

IN — to obtain full information
about ; to learn thoroughly.
P.

Tell me all about it ; what books
you had to post yourself up in for
your examinations, and how you
came out of them.— SARAH TYTLER.J
POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC —

because one thing follows an-
other, therefore it is caused
by what precedes. P. Latin.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc may not
be always safe logic.— J. E. LOWELL.
POST-AND -RAILS TEA — tea hav-
ing a number of stalks float-
ing in it. F.

The tea is more frequently bad
than good. The bad, from the stalks
occasionally found in the decoction,
is popularly known as post-and-rails
tea.— Daily Telegraph, 1886.
Pot. — A POT SHOT — a shot taken
calmly at a sitting object. C.

This fanatic, having observed the
envoy seated in his tent with a light,
and the door of the tent open, fetched
his long gun, squatted down at about
fifty yards, and took a pot shot at
the "Nazarene infidel."— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

LET NOT THE POT CALL THE KET-
TLE BLACK — do not criticize
your neighbours unless you are
free from blame yourself.
" Satan reproving sin." F.

You think it's a case of the pot
calling the kettle black, perhaps.
I'm black enough, goodness knows!
but you yourself said just now that
you didn t believe I had sunk to her
depth of infamy.— W. E. NORRIS.

TO KEEP THE POT BOILING (a)

to continue the fun. F

"Keep the pot a-bilin', sir!" said
Sam. (The party were sliding on the
ice.)— DICKENS.

Potato

191

Prick

(6) to get sufficient funds

to maintain one's household
in comfort. C. The phrase
is used contemptuously by
artists and literary me , of
work done merely for the sake
of the money to be paid for it.

By these and a score more little
petty arts I just keep the pot boiling.
— G. READE.

Something made him unwilling to
exhibit himself before her in the
degrading occupation of pot-boiling
(painting pictures solely for money).
—JAMES PAYN.

To GO TO POT — to be ruined or
wasted. S.

All's one, they go to pot.— DRYDEN.

My farm, stock, and utensils, these
young blood horses, and the brand-
new vessels I was building, are all
gone tojpot.— HALIBURTON.

POT LUCK — ordinary fare ; the
meal which an unexpected
guest receives. C.

But he never contradicted Mrs.
Hackit, a woman whose pot luck
(ordinary fare for guests) was always
to be relied on.— GEORGE ELIOT.

He should be very welcome to take
pot luck with him.— GRAVES.

Potato. — THE POTATO-TRAP —
a slang term for the mouth.

On this Alfred hazarded a conjec-
ture. Might it not have gone down
his throat? "Took his potato-trap
for the pantry-door. Ha! ha!"— C.
READE.

Pound. — To CLAIM ONE'S
POUND OF FLESH — to demand
payment of debts due to one,
even where their payment
involves much suffering. P.
The phrase comes from Shake-
speare's Merchant of Venice,
where Shylock the Jew insists
upon Antonio giving him a
pound of his flesh, according to
an agreement previously made.
The Sultan's view of Germany is
that he ought to seek for the help of
German officers and of German fi-
nancial guides, on the ground that all
the other great powers want their
pound of flesh from Turkey.— Fort-
nightly Revieiv, 1887.

To POUND AWAY — to work hard.
P.

However. Goldsmith pounded
away at this newly-found work.—
BLACK.

POW. - TO HOLD A POW-WOW —

to have a riotous meeting. S.
Powder. — NOT WORTH POW-
DER AND SHOT — not worth the
trouble or cost. F.

The place is not worth powder and
shot.

Pray. — I PRAT, PRAY, or PRI-
THEE — an exclamation which
often accompanies a question.
C.

But, pray, in this mechanical for-
mation, when the ferment was ex-
panded to the extremities of the
arteries, why did it not break
through the receptacle ?— BENTLEY.

Premium. — AT A PREMIUM —
much sought after; increased
in value. P.

Suicide is at a premium here (the
men here are fond of committing
suicide).— C. READE.

Servants are at a great premium,
masters at a discount, in the colony.

— G. READE.

Presence.— PRESENCE OF MIND

— power of self-control and
intelligent action in a crisis.
P.

It is by presence of mind in un-
tried emergencies that the native
metal of a man is tested.— J. R.
LOWELL.

Both men changed colour but re-
tained their presence of mind and
their cunning.— C. READE.

Pretty. — A PRETTY TIME OF
IT — a difficult or unpleasant
condition of affairs. F.

Mr. Samuel Erin had for the pres-
ent a pretty time of it. He was like
a man caught in a downpour of hau-
stones.withoutan umbrella.— JAMES
PAYN.

A PRETTY GO — an awkward
position ; a critical situa-
tion. S.

Supposing now that some of them
were to slip into the boat at night
and cut the cable, and make off wnn
her It would be a pretty go, that
would.— H. R. HAGGARD.

. - TO PRICK UP THE EARS

— to show signs of interest ;

to appear attentive. C.

The fiery courser, when he hears from

The sprightly trumpet and the

shouts of war,
Pricks up his ears.— DRYDEN.

Prlma

To PRICK OUT — to plant for the

first time. P.
To PRICK UP ONESELF — to make

a display ; to show off. F.

Prima. — PRIMA FACIE — at first
sight; apparently. P. Latin.
At this stage, the learned counsel
having already made his opening
speech, a I statement now would
nrimd facie be irregular, and the
judge said so ; whereupon Mr. Fin-
lay turned to his learned friends, the
Attorney-General and Sir Charles
Russell, and showed them a letter,
and conversed with them earnestly
and in low tones.— St. Andreivs Citi-
zen, 1887.

Primrose. — THE PRIMROSE
PATH — the pleasant and allur-
ing road which leads to de-
struction. P.

But, good my brother,
Do not, as some ungracious pastors

do,
Show me that steep and thorny way

to heaven ;
Whiles, like a puffed and reckless

libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalli-
ance treads,
And recks not his own rede.

SHAKESPEARE.

So in those idle days of the Shot-
over curacy he trod the primrose
path of dalliance with a careless and
unguarded heart, and did not waken
to a sense of danger until he found
himself and another precipitated
downward into the very gulf of hell.
—MAXWELL GRAY.

Prizes. — To PLAY PRIZES — to
he in earnest. Old-fashioned.

They did not play prizes, and only
pretended to quarrel. — STILLING-

FLEET.

Pro. — PRO BONO PUBLICO — for
the public welfare ; for the
benefit of the whole company.
P. Latin.

In some of the bank offices it is the
custom (to save so much individual
time) for one of the clerks— who is
the best scholar— to commence upon
the Times or Chronicle, and recite its
entire contents aloud pro bono pub-
Jtco.— LAMB.

PRO AND CON — for and against ;
favourable and unfavourable.
P.

Mr. Tupman and Mr. Snodgrass
arrived, most opportunely, in this

192 Promise

stage of the pleadings, and as it was
necessary to explain to them all that
had occurred, together with the
various reasons pro and con, the
whole of the arguments were gone
over again.— DICKENS.
PROS AND CONS — arguments for
and against ; minute discus-
sion. C.

Very many thanks to "W. M. for his
kind contribution to the pros and
cons of King William the Third's
pronunciation of English. — Illus-
trated London News, 1887.

After a fewj>ros and cons, they bade
her observe that her old lover,
Ephraim Slade, was a rich man, and
if she was wise she would look that
[.way.— C. READE.

PRO TANTO — so far ; in itself.
P. Latin.

That (right) does tend to attract, or
rather to drive, all ambitious or
powerful men into the deliberative
arena, and that pro tanto is bene-
ficial.—Spectator, 1887.

PRO TEMPORE — for a short
time ; not permanent or per-
manently. P. Latin.

The body was then deposited, pro
tempore, in St. Anne's Church, Soho.
— C. READE.

PRO FORM! — for form's sake ;
merely to satisfy rules. P.
Latin.

It was merely a pro forma meeting;
the real business had already been
discussed.

Procrustean. — PROCRUSTEAN
BED — an uncomfortable couch,
where violent measures are
necessary to insure that the
person fills it. P. Procrustes
was a famous robber who lived
near Athens. He compelled
his prisoners to lie down on a
certain couch. If they were
too long for it, their limbs were
chopped off ; if too short, they
were stretched to the required
length.

They have some particular theory
to maintain, and whatever does not
fit their Procrustean bed is at once
condemned.— E. WHIPPLE.

Promise. — I PROMISE YOU —
an expression generally at-
tached to statements about
the future, and signifying

" I declare to you
may be certain." C.
"Will not the ladies be afraid of the

lion?"
"I fear it, I promise you."

SHAKESPEARE.

PPOOf. TO PUT TO THE PROOF

— to test ; to try in practice. P.
My paper gives a timorous writer
portunity of putti ng his abilities

anopp

to the proof. -
But he (the

1-4

DDISON.

ritish soldier) hates

The coach pulls m
little roadside inn witl

Proof 193 Purgation

" YOU TO PULL A PERSON THROUGH

to extricate him from a diffi-
culty or danger. C.

His extra speed pulled him
through.— Field, 1886.

To PULL THE STRINGS — to set in
action secretly ; to be the
real though hidden promoter
of anything. C.

The men who pull the strings are
down in the Cape. They want to
drive every Englishman out of South
Africa.— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO PULL TOGETHER — to WOrk

harmoniously. C.

The new director and the pro-
fessors are said not to pull together.

TO PULL ONESELF TOGETHER

to rally ; to prepare for a fresh
struggle, r.

The Middlesex men now pulled
themselves together.— Field, 1886.

Joe retired to the bar, where he
had a glass of brandy neat, and tried
to pull himself together, but with
small success.— BESANT.

The cool water applied to his head,
and the glass of brandy, vile as it
was, that he drank, pulled Balfour
together.— WM. BLACK.

To PULL FACES — to make gri-
maces. C.

TO PULL A LONG FACE to look

melancholy. C.

Sarah returning at this moment,
shaking her head, and pulling a long
face at the ill-success of her search,
devoted herself to administering sal
volatile.— Murray's Magazine, 1887.

Pulse. — To FEEL ONE'S PULSE
— (a) to discover the beat
of the heart by pressing an
artery. P.

— (&) to sound a person ; to
try to discover a person's
secret opinions. C.

So much matter has been ferreted
out that this Government wishes to
tell its own story, and my pulse was
felt (I was sounded in the matter).—
SOUTHEY.

Purchase. — His LIFE is NOT
WORTH A YEAR'S PURCHASE —
he is not likely to survive more
than a year.

water ; drench him thoroughly and
you put him to the proof. — G. J.
—WHYTE-MELVILLE.

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING —

the tasting of it ; the actual
experience of anything. C.

"I mention no names; but it's
rather odd that when I am speaking
of hollow-hearted friends you should
at once name Mr. Tagrag.

" The proof of the pudding— hand-
some is that handsome does; and
I've got £6 of his money at any rate."

The upshot' of all discussion on
this question is that, to use a vulgar
phrase, the proof of the pudding will
be in the eating.— Spectator, Septem-
ber 17, 1887.

Proud. — PROUD FLESH — in-
flamed flesh arising in wounds
or ulcers. P.

The sores had generated proud
flesh.— Daily Telegraph, 1885.

Pull. — To PULL UP — to cause
to stop ; to come to a stop. P.
Originally used of pulling the
reins in driving, and of thus
stopping a horse.
They thanked heaven they had

been pulled up short (suddenl

in
R.EADE.

arrested) in an evil career

It is such a relief to be able to say
awful without being pulled up (in-
terrupted and reproved) by Aunt
Chambers.— H. R. HAGGARD.

(stops) at a
huge stables

behind.— T. HUGHES.
To PULL UP STAKES — to remove
one's residence. American
slang.

TO PULL THROUGH not to SUC-

cumb ; to succeed with diffi-
culty. C.

You pulled through it (the punish-
ment), and so will he.— C. READE.

Purgation.— To PUT ONE TO

HIS PURGATION — to call upon

Purple

him to clear himself from an
accusation. P.

If any man doubt, let him put me

to my purgation.— SHAKESPEARE.

All right, old fellow ; I didn't mean

to put you on your purgation.— A.

TROLJ.OPE.

P u p p 1 e. — BORN IN THE
PURPLE — born a prince. P.
Purple is the imperial colour.

To think of that dear young man
(Prince Louis Napoleon), the apple
of his mother's eye, born and nur-
tured in the purple, dying thus, is
too fearful, too awful. — QUEEN
VICTORIA.

TO MARRY INTO THE PURPLE —

to marry a prince or a noble-
man. P.

Now I had not the slightest wish
for my dear Helena to marry into
the purple.— Mistletoe Bough, 1886.
Purpose. — ON PURPOSE — de-
signedly ; with full intention.
P.

Where men err against this me-
thod, it is usually on purpose, and to
show their learning.— SWIFT.
ON PURPOSE TO — with the in-
tention of (followed by the
infinitive). P.

I do this, on purpose to give you
a more sensible impression of the
imperfection of your knowledge. —
WATTS.

He travelled the world, on purpose
to converse with the most learned
men.— GOLDSMITH.

WITH THE PURPOSE OF — with
the intention of (followed by
the participle or gerund). P.

He left with the purpose of follow-
ing her.

To THE PURPOSE — appositely ;
pointedly ; sensibly ; (also
as an adjective) sensible ;
practical. P.

He was wont to speak plain and to
the purpose.— SHAKESPEARE.

To SMALL PURPOSE — for very
little good ; without much
practical benefit. P.

To small purpose had the council
of Jerusalem been assembled, if once
their determination being set down
men might afterwards have defended
their former opinions.— HOOKER.

Purse. — PURSE-PROUD — arro-
gant because of wealth ; puffed
up through being wealthy. P.

194 Put

What is so hateful to a poor man
as the purse-proud arrogance of a
rich one?— Observer.

I wish we had never seen those
odious, purse-proud Osbornes.—
THACKERAY.

TO MAKE UP A PURSE to Collect

subscriptions on behalf of
some individual ; to get to-
gether a sum of money. P.

Meanwhile a purse, I think of
seventy dollars, was made up on
board, and when they were on the
point of returning ashore was handed
to them.— London and China Ex-
press, 1887.

Some friends who took an interest
in me made up a purse for me, by
which I was enabled to pay my
passage-money in advance. — G. A.
BALA.

PUSh. — TO BE PUT TO THE

PUSH — to be tested by diffi-
cult circumstances. P.

Once he is put to the push, his
native energy will appear.

TO COME TO THE PUSH — to be

seriously tested. P.

'Tis common to talk of dying for a
friend ; but when it comes to the push
(people are actually tested) 'tis no
more than talk.— L'ESTRANGE.

Put. — Pur ABOUT — anxious ;
annoyed ; in a flurry. C.

Tom was rather put about by this
speech.— T. HUGHES.

TO PUT ONESELF ABOUT — to

take trouble. C.
Mr. Treverton was a person for

whom people must be expected to
put themselves about.— Miss BRAD-
DON.

TO PUT ABOUT A SHIP tO turn

it round. P.

The Stella was put about, and the
other broadside given without a
return from her opponent.— CAPTAIN
MARRYAT.

To PUT BY — (a) to thrust aside ;
to neglect. P.

A presence which is not to be put
by.— WORDSWORTH.

(6) to save ; to lay aside. P.

Eight thousand servants, fed and
half-clothed at their masters' ex-
pense, have put by for forty years,
and yet not even by aid of interest
and compound interest have reached
the Rubicon of four figures (goal of
£i,ooo).— C. READE.

Put

HARD PUT TO (IT) — in great
trouble ; sore beset. C.

"You are desperate hard put to
woman," said the Deemster.— HALI
CAINE.

For if he, though a man, was so
hard put to it, what canst thou, being
but a poor woman, do?— BUNYAN.
Pur TO IT — tested; tried;
placed in a difficulty. P.

Well, I was never so put to it in
my life.— MARIA EDGE WORTH.

But Gingham worked for the whole
family as a woman will when put to
it.-G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

The small gentry were sore put to
it to know how to order themselves
between these two opposing forces-
respect for virtue in the abstract and
their inherited allegiance to their
local lord.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
Pur ON — feigned ; hypocritical.
C.

Sir Charles obeyed this missive,
and the lady received him with a
gracious and smiling manner, all put
on and cat-like.— C. READE.

Nave made a show of resistance—

which was all put on, for he was as

fond of shillings as of pounds— and

then gave in.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

TO PUT OUT Or PUT OUT OF

COUNTENANCE — to discom-
pose ; to make uncomfortable ;
to confuse ; to disconcert. P.

She interested him intensely, to
say the least of it, and, man-like, he
felt exceedingly put out (annoyed),
and even sulky, at the idea of her
departure.— H. R. HAGGARD.

' When Colambre has been a sea-
son or two more in London, he'll not
be so easily put out of countenance,"
said i^ady Clonbrony.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

To PUT our — to dislocate. P.

She put her shoulder out.— Field,
1887.
TO PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER.

See Two.

TO PUT THAT AND THAT TOGETHER

— to reason ; to draw an in-
ference. F.

Young as I was, I also could put
that and that together.— CAPTAIN
MARRYAT.

To PUT IN A WORD — to recom-
mend ; to use one's influence.
O.

Well, sir, if he thinks so well of
Mr. Poyser for a tenant, I wish you
would put in a word for him to allow
us some new gates (recommend that

195 Put

he should allow us some new gates)
—GEORGE ELIOT.

TO PUT IN AN APPEARANCE

to be present ; to attend a
meeting. C.

Not only did all the lady guests
put in an appearance, but all the
gentlemen.— JAMES PAYN.

Half an hour afterward they sat
down as usual to supper. Bessie did
not put in an appearance till it was
a quarter over, and then was very
silent through it.— H. R. HAGGARD.
TO PUT HEADS TOGETHER

to consult ; to plot ; to ar-
range a plan. P.

Those two ladies now put their
heads together.— C. READE.
To PUT OFF — (a) to postpone. P.

Let not the work of to-day be put
off till to-morrow, for the future is
uncertain.— L'ESTRANGE.

All parties and entertainments
were, of course, to be put off.—
THACKERAY.

(&) to baffle; to get rid

of by temporizing. P.

He put them off with promises.

Hastings, who wanted money and
not excuses, was not to be put off by
the ordinary artifices of Eastern ne-
gotiation.— MACAULAY.

Mrs. Wallace was not to be put off
by jest.— JAMES PAYN.

(c) to set out from the shore.

P.

Three of them put off in a boat to
visit the brig.

To PUT DOWN — to suppress ;
to quell ; to crush. P.

He does me the favour to inquire
whether it will be agreeable to me to
have Will Fern put down.— DICKENS.

To PUT ON — to dress oneself
with. P.

The little ones are taught to be
proud of their clothes before they
can put them on.— LOCKE.

TO PUT UP A PERSON — («) to

give him accommodation ; to
lodge him. P.

His old college friend Jones lived
there, and offered to put him up for
a week.

— (&) to proclaim his marriage
banns. P.

We are to be put up in Church next
Sunday, and it takes three Sundays.
—CAPTAIN MARKYAT.
To PUT UP A HORSE — to tie it
up or put it in a stable. P.

Put

196

The American word is hitch
— " he hitched his horse."

He rode into Newborough, and
putting up his horse, strolled about
the streets.-C. READE.

To PUT UP — to stop ; to rest. P.
I wondered at what house the Bath
coach put up.— DICKENS.

To PUT UP TO — to incite ; to
instigate; to teach a dodge
or trick. C.

" We will practise it in the morn-
ing, my boy." said he, "and I'll put
you up to a thing or two worth know-
ing."—THACKERAY.

A PUT-UP AFFAIR a COn-

cocted plot ; an affair which
is not what it pretends to
be. F.

A suspicion of the whole affair
being what the police call a put-up
one, was passing through his mind.—
JAMES PAYN.

To PUT UP WITH — to suffer ;
to pass over without resent-
ment. P.

Whatever may be the case with
Hungary, it must be admitted that
Austria will put up with a good deal
from Russia rather than fight.— Fort-
nightly Review, 1887.

To PUT UPON — to deceive ; to
treat unfairly or deceitfully ;

Queen

to make one do more than a
fair share of work. C.

You look and talk like a lady born
and bred, and I fear you will be put
upon (cheated).— BESANT.

This is followed by a determination
on the part of the forewoman to find
fault, and by a determination on the
part of the work-girls not to be put
upon (have too much work given
them).— BESANT.
TO PUT TO THE BLUSH — to

shame ; to vanquish. P.
Flattering himself, that by. this

pocket.— THACKERAY.

You could be put to the blush in
many things by a school-girl of fif-
teen.—H. R. HAGGARD.
To PUT TO DEATH — to execute.

Teuta put to death one of the
Roman ambassadors.— ARBUTHNOT.

To PUT our OF COURT — to make
one's evidence of no value;
to disqualify one from speak-
ing with authority. P.

The fact that they were believed
to be opposed on principle to all
wars put them out of court in public
estimation, as Mr. Kinglake justly
observes, when they went about to
argue against this particular war.—
JUSTIN M'CARTH Y.

Quality. — THE QUALITY — the
upper class ; the gentry. Old-
fashioned, and now vulgar.

By degrees the quality gave up
going, and the fair, of course, became
disreputable.— Athenaeum, 1887.

Quarter. — To GIVE or SHOW
QUARTER — to act with clem-
ency ; to be merciful ; to be
lenient. P.

COLLIER.

Queen. — QUEEN'S ENGLISH —
the standard English. P.
The same as King's English.
See KING. A Plea for the
Queen's English is the title of
a book by Dean Alford.

QUEEN ANNE is DEAD — that is
stale news. C. A phrase
used sarcastically. The Ameri-
cans say " Rats," or " That's
an awful chestnut," when
a stale story is told.

Lord Brougham, it appears, isn't
dead, though Queen Anne is.— BAR-
HAM.

"He was my grandfather's man,
and served him in the wars of Queen
Anne." interposed Mr. Warrington.
On which my lady cried petulantly,
"0 Lord, Queen Anne's dead. I sup-
pose, and we aren't (are not) going
into mourning for her."— THACK-
ERAY.

QUEEN OF THE MAT — the village
girl who was chosen, as the
fairest in the village or dis-
trict, to be queen of the revels

Queer

197

on the first of May, known as
May-day. P.

"I thought that you were «
spirit of the place, or," he added
gracefully, pointing to a branch o
half-opened hawthorn bloom she
held in her hand, "the origina
Queen of the. May."— H. E. HAG
GABD.

To TURN QUEEN'S EVIDENCE —
to turn informer for the sake
of a pardon. P. See KING.

I hate a convict who turns Queen's
evidence.— H. KINGSLEY.

QUEEN'S HEADS — postage stamps.
F.

"I must buy some stamps; I am
run out of Queen's heads."

"That is precisely what I want
money for," said Trip testily. "I
have neither paper nor envelopes
nor stamps."— S. BARING-GOULD.

Queer. — To BE IN QUEER
STREET — to be in unfortunate
circumstances. F.

No, sir, I make it a rule of mine—
the more it looks like Queer Street,
the less I ask.— E. L. STEVENSON.

Question. — IN QUESTION — re-
ferred to ; under discussion. P.

But at this moment Hawes came
into the cell with the bed in ques-
tion in his arms.— C. EEADE.
TO CALL IN QUESTION — to express

doubts regarding ; to find
fault with. P.

^When religion is called in ques-
tion because of the extravagances
of theology being passed off as reli-
gion, one disengages and helps reli-
gion by showing their utter delu-
siveness.—M. ARNOLD.
Our OF THE QUESTION — impracti-
cable ; unworthy of discus-
sion. P.

Intimacy between Miss Fairfax
and me is out of the question.— JANE
AUSTEN.

A BURNING QUESTION — a subject
causing widespread interest ;

Quod

demanding

solu-

a question
tion. P.

The people like to be roused by
red-hot, scorching speeches: they
want burning questions, intolerable
grievances.— BESANT.

To BEG
BEG.

THE QUESTION. See

Qui. — ON THE QUI VIVE — eager,
watchful; alert. C. Qui vive
is the summons addressed by
French sentinels to those who
approach them.

Every one was on the qui vive, as
Mrs. Jennynge expressed it, to see
the new-comers.— JAMES PAYN.

Quid. — A QUID PRO QUO —
something given in return ; a
recompense. P. Latin.

Unfortunately, in this prosaic
world, one cannot receive cheques
for one thousand pounds without,
in some shape or form, giving a qiiid
pro quo.— II. K. HAGGARD.

Quits. TO BE QUITS WITH A

PERSON — to have paid another
all you owe him ; to have a
clear account with him. C.
Used both of money dealings
and of injuries to be revenged.
My spade shall never go into the
earth again till I'm quits with him
(I have had my revenge).— C. READE.

To CRT QUITS — to acknowledge
that one's account with another
is clear ; to cease struggling. C.
But will he get her to marry him,
I wonder. If he does, I shall cry
quits with him indeed.— H. K.
HAGGARD.

Quod. — To PUT IN QUOD — to

imprison. S.

Do you really mean to maintain
that a man can't put old Diggs in
quod for snaring a hare without all
this elaborate apparatus of Roman
law?— M. ARNOLD.

198

Rain

R. — THE THREE R's — reading,
(w)riting, and (a)rithmetic. C.
These subjects were formerly
considered the necessary parts
of an ordinary education.

Fortunate indeed were the young-
sters who for a brief season tasted
even of the rich delights of the three
K's, as an alderman of that epoch
(1850) is said to have designated the
mysteries of reading, writing, and
arithmetic.— Edinburgh Review, 1887.

Rabbit. — RABBIT - IT or OD-
RABBIT-IT-— a common expres-
sion, having little meaning.
Formerly an oath with the
name of God in it. S.

Rack. — ON THE RACK — (a) in
a state of torture, of pain,
or of bodily or mental dis-
comfort. P.

A cool behaviour sets him on the
rack (makes him miserable), and is
interpreted as an instance of aver-
sion or indifference.— ADDISON.

(6) in a state of restless

activity. P.

Martin's ingenuity was therefore
for ever on the rack to supply him-
self with a light — T. HUGHES.

TO GO TO RACK AND RUIN — to

fall into utter disrepair ; to
go to destruction. P.

Mrs. Barry, indeed, though her
temper was violent and her ways
singular, was an invaluable person
to me in my house, which would
have gone to rack and ruin long
before, but for her spirit of order
and management, and for her excel-
lent economy in the government of
my numerous family.— THACKERAY.

So we must go to rack and ruin,
Kate, my dear.— DICKENS.
TO WORK BY RACK OF EYE to

be guided by the eye alone in
working ; to work without the
assistance of line or rule. F.

TO BE or LIVE AT RACK (or HECK)

AND MANGER — to live extrava-
gantly ; to spend money
heedlessly. C.

John Lackland .... tearing out the
bowels of St. Edmundsbury Con-
vent (its larders, namely, and cellars)
m the most ruinous way by living at
rack and manger there.— CARLYLE

Racket. — To BE ON THE
RACKET — to spend one's time
in frolic or dissipation. F.

He had been off on the racket, per-
haps for a week at a time.— Daily
Telegraph, 1886.

TO STAND THE RACKET to take

the consequences ; to be re-
sponsible. F.

He is as ready as myself to stand
the racket of subsequent proceed-
ings.— Daily Telegraph, 1882.

Ragr» — GENTLEMEN OF THE
ORDER OF THE RAG — military
officers. F. The rag refers to
their red uniform.

It is the opinion which, I believe,
most of you young gentlemen of the
order of the rag deserve.— FIELDING.

RAG - TAG AND BOB - TAIL— the

dregs of the people ; those
loungers about a city who are
always ready to flock together
and make a mob. C. Found
also in the more correct
form, tag-rag and bob -tail.
See TAG.

Mr. Gladstone, in fact, is tired of
being out in the cold. The pleasure
of leading the rag-tag and bob-tail
proves but so-so, compared with the
pleasure of commanding the House
of Commons.— St. Andrews Citizen,
1381.

Rage. -~ ALT, THE RAGE — ex-
tremely popular. C.

Uncle Tom, to the surprise of many
that twaddle traditional phrases
in reviews and magazines about the
art of fiction, and to the surprise of
no man who knows anything about
the art of fiction, was all the rage.—
C. READE,

NOTE.— Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Mrs.
H. Beecher Stowe.

Rain. — IT NEVER RAINS BUT
rr POURS — a phrase often used
when a rapid succession of
events occurs. It signifies
somewhat the same as " mis-
fortunes never come singly,"
but has a wider application
by its reference to all kinds
of events.

Nevertheless— for, in spite of the
proverb, "It never rains but it

Raise

199

Kara

pours," good fortune seldom befalls
us mortals without alloy— there were
drops of bitterness in his full cup.—
JAMES PAYN.

A RAINY DAY — a time of trouble
ana difficulty. C.

Thou'lt give away all thy earnings,
and never be uneasy because thou
hast nothing against a rainy day.—
GEORGE ELIOT.

Mr. Punch, in a cartoon, is repre-
sented as advising the British work-
man to avoid the gin-palace, and
put by for a rainy day.— Fortnightly
Review, 1887.

Raise.— -To RAISE ONE'S BACK
— to grow obstinate ; to rebel.
C.

He had raised his back more than
once against orders emanating from
the palace in a manner that had made
the hairs on the head of the bishop's
wife to stand almost on end.—
A. TROLLOBE.

To RAISE THE WIND. See
WIND.

Raison. — R.AISON D'ETRE —
claim to exist ; right to have
an existence. P. A French
phrase.

In the conviction that no real
amalgamation could ever exist be-
tween the two will be found the
rqison d'etre of the high character
with which some of the men of the
.— N

tiers Mat were credited.
Review, 1886.

ational

Rake;--— To RAKE UP THE FIRE
— to prepare the fire to last all
night, by covering it with a
large piece of coal and throw-
ing cinders or coal-slack on the
top. P.

When she had raked up the fire
for the night, she lit a candle and
sat down for half-an-hour to read
before retiring to rest.

Ramp. — ON THE RAMP — wild;
in a state of excitement. F.
See RAN-TAN.

It is apropos of a re-issue of Messrs.
Cassell's serial, British Battles by
Land and Sea, that Lord Wolselev
goes anew on the ramp.— Scottish
Leader, August 5, 1890.

Rampage. — ON THE RAMPAGE

—drunk. S.

Ran. — ON THE RAN-TAN — ex-
cited ; roaming about furi-
ously. S.

John had been (as he was pleased
to call it) visibly " on the ran-tan "
the night before.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Rank. — THE RANK AND FILE
—the undistinguished mass ;
the private soldiers of an
army. P.

While the rank and file of his
parliamentary opponents sought to
shout or laugh him down, he tells
his sister that he was receiving the
most flattering testimonies of ap-
proval from discriminating judges.—
Edinburgh Review, 1886.

IN THE RANKS — serving as a
private soldier. P.

Specimens (of gentlemen) are to be
found at the plough, the loom, and
the forge, in the ranks, and before
the mast, as well as in the officers'
mess-room, the learned professions,
and the Upper House itself.— G. J.
WHYTE-MEI.VILLE.

TO RISE FROM THE RANKS to

be promoted to the position
of a commissioned officer after
having served as a private
soldier. P.

Rap. — To RAP OUT — to speak
violently ; to utter loudly. C.
Generally used with the word
" oath " as object.

He was provoked in the spirit of
magistracy upon discovering a jud^e
who rapped out a great oath at his
footman.— ADDISON.

Frank rapped the words out
sharply. Mordle looked the picture
of surprise.— HUGH CONWAY.

TO RAP OVER THE KNUCKLES — to

administer a sharp reproof ;
to censure sharply. C.

The author has grossly mistrans-
lated a passage in the Defensippro
populo Anylicano; and if the bishop
were not dead, I would here take
the liberty of rapping his knuckles.—
DE QUINCEY.

Rara. — RARA AVIS — something
seldom seen. P. Latin. Liter-
ally, a " rare bird."

He had brought from India a
favourite native servant, his khit-
mutgar, Supashad ; a man who was
indeed a rara avis among English-
speaking khitmutgars, being very
intelligent, and only a moderate
thief.— Mistletoe Bough, 1886.

Rate

200

Red

Rate. — AT ANY RATE — in any
case ; whatever be the cir
cumstances. P.

If he could once reach the cave h
would at any rate get shelter and i
dry place to lie on.— H. K. HAGGARD

Raw. — A RAW RECRUIT — an
awkward or simple fellow
one who has not yet learned
his trade or profession ; one
who is " green." F.

For example, if Sir Barnet had th.
good fortune to get hold of a raw
recruit, or a country gentleman, am

fnsnared him to his hospitable villa
ir Barnet would say to him on the
morning after his arrival, "Now, my
dear sir, is there anybody you woulc
like to know?"— DICKENS.

Reach. — REACH-ME-DOWNS —
second-hand clothes. S. So
called in London because an
intending purchaser of such
clothes asks the shopman to
" reach-him-down " them in
order to try them on.

Read. — To READ A LESSON —
to scold or reprimand. C.

, Oh, you can speak to my Aunt
Molmeux and she will read,

fine lesson.— C. EEADE.

you a

TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES —

to see a writer's concealed
meaning. P.

He has not enough experience of
the way in which men have thought
and spoken to feel what the Bible
writers are about— to read between
the lines, to discern where he ought
to rest his whole weight, and where he
ought to pass lightly.— MATTHEW
ARNOLD.

Ready. — READY MONEY —
money which can be immedi-
ately made use of ; money in
one's hands. P.

No ready money was required by
the new heir.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Reap. — To BRING UP THE REAR
— to come last. P.

At half -past ten. Tom Moody, Sir
Huddlestone Fuddlestone's hunts-
man, was seen trotting up the
avenue, followed by the noble pack
of hounds in a compact body— the
rear being brought up by the two
whips clad in stained scarlet —
THACKERAY.

Reckon. — To RECKON WITH-
OUT ONE'S HOST — to calculate
blindly ; to enter rashly upon
any undertaking. P.
We thought that now our troubles

were over and our enemy's begin-
ning ; but we reckoned without our
host (were mistaken).— Macmillaris

Magazine. 1887.

In coming down so unexpectedly
to Prettywell, Sir Bate had not
reckoned entirely without his host.
—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

TO RECKON ON Or UPON - to

expect. P.

You reckon upon losing (expect to
lose) your friends' kindness.— SIR W.
TEMPLE.

TO RECKON WITH - to Call to

punishment ; to settle ac-
counts with. P. |

His justice will have another op-
portunity to meet and reckon with
them.— TILLOTSON.

Antony and Lepidus, too, had to
be reckoned with.— J. A. FROUDE.

Record. — To BEAT, BREAK,
or cur THE RECORD — to do a
distance in less time than it
has ever been done before. C.

The White Star steamer Teutonic
made the passage across the Atlantic
in 6 days, 19 hours. 5 minutes— thus
breaking the record.— The Scotsman,
August, 1890.

Speechly proceeded to cut the three
miles record nearly by twelve
seconds.— Eeferee, 1886.

Red. — RED -HANDED — in the
very act of committing a
crime. P. No doubt referring
to stains of blood.

"By taking the place of your serv-
ant, and so selling you into the
power of my friend Count Perete-
koff,"— and here he laughed a low,
cruel laugh,—" I was enabled to take
these wretches red-handed, and so
insure the fate they have so long
richly deserved."— Murray's Maga-
zine, 1887.

RED TAPE — officialdom ; useless
official formalities. P.

Unlike a minister in England who
steps into an office with the red tape
cut and dried for him, Lord Welles-
ley had no one to advise him.—
Asiatic Quarterly Review, 1887.

THE RED BOOK — the peerage
list. P.

And let us, my brethren, who have
not our names in the Red Book, con-
sole ourselves by thinking how

Reductio

201

Resurrection

miserable our betters may be, and
that Damocles, who sits on satin
d

cushions, and is served on
plate, has an awful sword ha
over his head.— THACKERAY.

sati
gol
igmg

A RED-LETTER DAY — an auspi-

cious or happy day. P.

All being holidays, I feel as if I had
none, as they do in heaven, where
'tis all red-letter days."— CHARLES
LAMB.

PAINTED RED — (of a village or
town) given over to merri-
ment and high jinks. S.
An American phrase.

Singapore has been in trouble.
During the greater part of three days
—22nd, 23rd, and 24th of February—
the town was "painted red" by
Chinese rowdies, and the air was full
of bludgeons and buckshot.— Japan
Mail, 1887.

A RED CENT — used, like " a
brass farthing," to signify
the least piece of money. F.
American.

Now the colonel, in short and
sharp sentences, interrupted by a
good deal of writhing and hard
swearing, said he would not leave
a brass farthing— a red cent was what
he actually mentioned— to any of
his relatives who had known him in

and.— WM. BLACK.
A RED RAG TO A BULL — what

especially provokes and irri-
tates. P.

He (George II.) hated books, and
the sight of one in a drawing-room
was as a red rag to a bull.— Temple
Bar, 1887.

Reductio. — A REDUCTIO AD
ABSURDUM — a particular case
which proves the absurdity
of a general statement. P.
Latin.

Certainly that appears to us the
reductio ad absurdum of the theory
of fortuitous variation.— Spectator,
February'^, 1888.

Reed. — A BROKEN REED — a
support which will fail you. P.

Though Mr. Crawley was now but
a broken reed, and was beneath his
feet, yet Mr. Tnumble acknowledged
to himself that he could not hold nis
own with this broken reed.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

In both cases have white men
found that the negro ally was a
broken reed.— Nineteenth Century,
November 1887.

Reel. — OFF THE REEL — in un-
interrupted succession. F.

Refusal. — To HAVE THE RE-
FUSAL OF' ANYTHING to be

allowed to buy it before any
one else; to have the first
offer of it. P.

What was her mortification when
the dowager assured her that the
identical Alhambra hangings had
not only been shown by Mr. Soho
to the Duchess of Torcaster, but
that her grace had had the refusal
of them.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Mrs. Flint will never let Mrs. Steel
have the refusal.— HALIBURTON.

Reins. — To GIVE THE REINS —
to allow unrestrained freedom ;
to release from control. P.

But how could he thus give reins
to his temper?— JAMES PAYN.

Removed. — ONCE OR TWICE
REMOVED — separated by one
or two steps of family relation-
ship. P. A person is cousin
once removed to the full
cousin of one of his parents,
or to the child of one of his full
cousins.

The old gentleman of our own time,
whose grandsire (once or twice re-
moved) gathered the arrows upon
Flodden Field.— JAMES PAYN.

Our cousins, too, even to the for-
tieth remove, all remembered their
affinity.— GOLDSMITH.

Res. — RES ANGUST^E DOMI —
limited means ; want of suffi-
cient funds for household com-
fort. P. Latin.

If it hadn't been for the res an-
gustcc domi — you know what I mean,
captain— I should have let you get
along with your old dug-out, as the
gentleman in the water said to Noah.
-W. D. HOWELLS.

Respects. — To PAY ONE'S RE-
SPECTS TO ANY ONE — to make
one a polite visit ; to meet one
with courtesy. P.

Her last pleasing duty, before she
left the house, was to pay her re-
spects to them as they sat together
after dinner.— JANE AUSTEN.

Every day Miss Swartz comes you
will be here to pay your respects to
her.— THACKERAY.

Resurrection. — RESURREC-
TION PIE — a pie composed of

Retching 202

the odd bits of meat that have
been cooked already. S.

Retching1. — RETCHING AND
KEAMING — stretching out th
arms and gaping, as when one
is aroused from sleep. F.

Return. — To RETURN TO OUR
MUTTONS — to return to the
main subject of our narrative
C. The translation of a pro-
verb taken from the old French
farce of Pierre Patelin.
To return to our muttons— this mode

of progression
At length upon Spanking Bill made

some impression. — BABHAM.

Rhyme. — NEITHER RHYME NOR
REASON — wanting in sense and
every other valuable quality.
P. Sir Thomas More advised
an author, who had sent him
his manuscript to read, " to
put it into rhyme," which,
when he had done, Sir Thomas
said, " Yes, marry, now it
is somewhat, for now it is
rhyme; before it was neither
rhyme nor reason."

WITHOUT RHYME OR REASON —
inexplicably ; from no cause to
be easily understood. C.

When a person on whom one is
accustomed to depend for most
of that social intercourse and those
pleasant little amenities that mem-
bers of one sex value from another,
suddenly cuts off the supply without
any apparent rhyme or reason, it is
enough to induce a feeling of wonder,
not to say of vexation, in the breast.

Ribbon. — A RED RIBBON or
RIBAND — the order of the
Bath. P. The knights of the
Bath wear a crimson ribbon
with a medallion bearing the
motto, Tria juncta in uno
(three joined in one).

He (Hastings) had then looked for-
war.d K,a coronet, a red riband, a
seat at the Council Board, an office
at Whitehall.— MACAULAY.

A BLUE RIBBON — the order of
the Garter, the most distin-
guished of the English orders
P. The phrase is used to

Big

signify a "distinction of the
highest kind."

In 1840 he was elected to a fellow-
ship at Oriel, then the blue ribbon of
the university.— Athenceum, 1887.
TO HANDLE THE RIBBONS — to

hold the reins ; to drive. F.

Otherwise, I have no doubt, I
should have been able to take a
place in any hippodrome in the
world, and to handle the ribbons (as
the high, well-born lord used to say)
to perfection.— THACKERAY.
Rich. — RICH
rich. F.

AB A JEW— very

Poverty prevails among the London
Jews to a much greater extent than
was imagined— sufficient, certainly,
to shake considerably popular faith
in the truth of the old saying, "Rich
as a Jew."— Spectator, 1887.

Richmond. — ANOTHER RICH-
MOND IN THE FIELD — another
unexpected adversary. P. The
phrase is taken from Shakes-
peare's Richard III., act v.,
scene 4. At the battle of
Bosworth, King Richard re-
plies to his attendant Catesby,
who urges him to fly, "I think
there be six Richmonds in
the field. Five I have slain
to-day instead of him."

This time it was a rival suitor who
made his appearance, and Brian's

hot Irish temper rose when he Saw
another Richmond in
FERGUS "W. HUME.

Rift. — THE RIFT IN THE LUTE —
the small defect or breach which
will gradually spoil the whole.
P.

A Some little rift had taken place in

the lute of her diplomacy.— JAMES

PAYN.

Unfaith in aught is want of faith in

It is Ihe little rift within the lute
That by-and-by will make the music

mute,
And ever widening, slowly silence all.

TENNYSON.
Rig1. — TO RIG THE MARKET —

to buy shares of a stock in
which one is interested, in
order to force up the price ;
a common practice* A stock -
broking phrase.

So you make your mine by begging—
(modern miners never dig),—

Right

And you float a gorgeous company.

The shares go spinning up ;
But you never rig the market.

(What an awkward word is rig.)
And you drain success in bumpers
from an overflowing cup.

Punch.

Right.— 'To PUT or SET TO
BIGHTS — to arrange ; to rectify ;
to set in order ; to cure. C.

She put her curls to rights, and
looked as pleased as fun.— HALI-

BtjRtON.

When I had put myself somewhat
to rights at the hotel, I hired a fly
and drove to Herr Kiicher.— Leisure
Hour, 188T.

Was It not well, then, that he
should see a letter which put that
mystery to rights ?— R. L. STEVENSON.

Old Cooper has set him to rights
(caused him to recover from sickness)
by this time, you may depend on it.
—JAMES PAYN.

BY RIGHTS — properly; accord-
ing to strict justice. P.

Had it not been for the pre-occu-
pied and uncomfortable state of his
mind, Arthur should by rights have
enjoyed himself very much at
Madeira.— H. R. HAGGARD.

A RIGHT ARM — one's staunchest
friend ; the principal supporter
of any one. P.

Sir Launcelot, my right arm, the
mightiest of my knights.

TENNYSON.
TO SEND TO THE RIGHT-ABOUT —

to dismiss without ceremony.
F.

The next offer Eliza would not
accept ; it was from a widower with
children, and she sent him to the
right-about.— MRS. H. WOOD.

Had he had the power of doing so,
that brilliant young gentleman would
have been sent to the right-about
with the shortest possible delay.—
Murray's Magazine, 188?.

A RIGHT - HAND MAN — a very
serviceable person ; a friend on
whom one chiefly depends. P.
The general liked it just as well-
wanted a pipe (of the wine) for the
C9mmander-m-chief. He's his royal
highness's right-hand man.— THACK-
ERAY.

HIS HEART IS IN THE RIGHT

PLACE — he is faithful and true-
hearted. C.

My daughters are plain, disin-
terested girls, but their hearts are in
the right place.— THACKERAY.

203 King

RIGHT AS A TRIVET — safe and
sound ; in a thoroughly satis-
factory condition. F.

Don't you hear me tell you that we
have found out all about the cheque,
and that you're as right as a trivet ? —
A. TROLLOPE.

Rirnmon. — To BOW DOWN IN

THE HOUSE OF RlMMON — to

conform to ceremonies of
which one disapproves; to sub-
ordinate one's religious con-
victions to political or social
expediency. Rimmon Was a
Syrian god. Naaman, when
he became a Jewish proselyte,
asked Elisha the prophet's
pardon for continuing to wor-
ship with his royal master
in the temple of Rimmon
(2 Kings v. 18).

Rimmon, whose delightful seat
Was fair Damascus, on the fertile

banks
Of Abana and Pharpar, lucid

streams.

MILTON, Paradise Lost, i. 467.

Others of the tell-tale letters show
us in detail how Defoe acquitted
himself of his engagements to the
government— bowing, as he said, in
the house of Rimmon.— MINTO.

. - TO RING THE CHANGES

ON ANYTHING — to make use of
an expression in a variety of
ways ; to repeat something in
various different forms. P.

Some of our English authors of
to-day have a trick of ringing the
changes on a phrase until the ear
gets rather weary of it.

RINGING THE CHANGES — a
method of cheating whereby a
customer gets back his own
coin and keeps the change. S.
He buys sixpence worth of
currants, tenders half a crown,
and gets back two shillings as
change. Then he says, "Oh,
here is a sixpence ; give me
back the half-crown, " which the
shopkeeper, taken unawares,
probably does, and the cheat
makes off with two shillings.

To

FORM A RING — to make a
union of manufacturers of a

Riot

certain article, so as to kee
up the price. F.

Experience has shown that th
operation of these trusts, or rings, o
syndicates, is completely bane:
The Scotsman, 1890.

Riot. — To RUN RIOT — to roam
wildly and without restraint
to be lawless in conduct. P.

The day was bright and lovely, an
I found my eyes running riot the
same as they had done during my
first ride on British soil.-BuR

ROUGHS.

And as he was whirled along on the
London and North- Western, how the
y ung soldier's thoughts ran riot ir
the future.-G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE

y ung soldier's thoughts ran riot in

he future. ~G.J.WHYTE-_

When we lean back with folded

arms in our corner of the family pew
are we thinking of heaven's high
King, and our position relatively to
him? or is not rather our fancy
running riot among our pleasanl
sins?— RHODA BROUGHTON.

Rise. — To TAKE or GET

RISE OUT OF A PERSON — to

amuse oneself by making
another angry or excited ;
to play a trick on another.
F. Originally, no doubt,
taken from angling, where
one casts a fly to get a fish
to " rise."

On one occasion I took what we
used tocall a " rise" out of Calverley.
—Temple Bar, 1887.

Road. — A ROYAL ROAD — a road
without difficulties. P.

There is no royal road to learning •
no short cut to the acquirement of
any valuable art.— TROLLOPE.
IN THE ROAD — forming an ob-
struction. C. The same as
" In the way."
Although as strong as a horse, he

— K. L. STEVENSON.
Roast. — TO CRY ROAST MEAT -

to be unable to keep one's good
fortune to oneself; to pro-
claim one's good luck C

fnTthe^may imagine«that to trumpet
forth the praises of such a person
would be crying roast meat, and call-
Ing in partakers of what they intend

t0 thelr U8e'

faS16 fP/>1i8.\beast not being able to
fare well but he must cry roast meat,

204 Rod

would needs proclaim his good for-
tune to the world below.— C. LAMB.

TO RULE THE ROAST Or ROOST

to be supreme. See RULE.
Rob. — To ROB PETER TO PAY
PAUL — to take what right-
fully belongs to one person
to pay another. P. The origin
of this expression is as follows :
In 1540 the abbey church of
St. Peter's, Westminster, was
advanced to the dignity of a
cathedral by letters patent;
but ten years later it was
joined to the diocese of London
again, and many of its estates
appropriated to the repairs of
St. Paul's Cathedral.

How was he to pay for it? The
horse was not his. To leave it would
be to rob Peter to pay Paul.— Leisure
Hour, 1887.

Robe. — GENTLEMEN OF THE
LONG ROBE — judges and bar-
risters. P.

. The genteel world had been thrown
into a considerable state of excite-
ment by two events, which, as the
papers say, might give employment
to the gentlemen of the long robe.—
THACKERAY.

Rock. — ROCKS AHEAD — a phrase
signifying that some danger
menaces. P. The title of
one of Mr. Greg's books is
Cassandra, or Rocks Ahead
— that is, " the Prophetess
of Evil, or Danger looming
near."

" Take him away again, sir. Don't
let him stay. Rocks ahead, sir!"
Mr. Bunker put up his hands in
warning.— BESANT.

ON THE ROCKS — hard up ; hav-
ing no money left. S.

ROCK - BOTTOM PRICES — the
lowest possible price. F.

The largest stock of United States
stamps of any dealer, at rock-bottom
prices.

Rod. TO PUT OR HAVE A ROD

IN PICKLE — to have a punish-
ment in store. F.

The house grows silent; theguests
return to their homes, and to the rods
their expectant wives have got in
pickle for them.— RHODA BROUGH-
TON.

Roger 21

Rog-ep. — THE JOLLY ROGER — •
the black pirate's flag. P.

The Hispaniola still lay where she
had anchored; but, sure enough,
there was the Jolly Roger— the black
flag of piracy— flying from her peak.
— R. L. STEVENSON.

Roi. — Roi FAINEANT — a do-
nothing king ; a sovereign
only in name. P. The later
Merovingian kings of France
allowed all power to pass
into the hands of the mayors
of the palace, and themselves
became rois faineants, or slug-
gard kings.

It was the old story— the young
Sultan who leaves everything to his
grand vizier, and finds himself a roi
faineant dethroned and imprisoned.
—Mistletoe Bough, 1887.

Roland. — To GIVE A RO-
LAND FOR AN OLIVER — to give
tit for tat ; to retaliate in a
forcible manner. P.

He withdrew moodily to a bench,
comforted, however, not a little by
the thought that he had given Mrs.
Carr a Roland for an Oliver.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

He then took a sheet of paper, and
said he would soon give her a Roland
for an Oliver.— C. READE.

Rolling:. A ROLLING STONE

GATHERS NO MOSS — a person
who is always shifting about
makes no money ; a restless
wanderer remains poor. P.
A proverb of Thomas Tusser's
(1523-80). Mr. Laurence Oli-
phant described his experi-
ences, as a traveller, in a series
of articles in Blackwood's Maga-
zine, entitled " Moss from a
Rolling Stone."

He had been a rolling stone, which,
if it had gathered no moss, had rolled
on it (made no money, had used
plenty of it).— JAMES PAYN.

Rome. — ROME WAS NOT BUILT
IN A DAT — great results can-
not be obtained in a short
period ; patience is required
in the production of any-
thing valuable. P.
"Yes," said Ella, amused by this
very moderate compliment to her
artistic skill ; "it is the one with the

Rope

coastguard station on it; but I have
not had time to put that in yet."

' I see ; Rome was not built in a
day, was it?"— JAMES PAYN.

WHEN AT ROME DO AS THE RO-
MANS DO or AS THE POPE DOES

— an ancient proverb recom-
mending prudence in beha-
viour. We must adapt our-
selves to the prejudices and
customs of others. St. Augus-
tine found on arrival at Rome
that they fasted on Saturday ;
he complied with this custom,
though it was strange to him.

Room. — ROOM AND TO SPARE
— plenty of accommodation ;
ample room. C.

To PREFER ANOTHER'S ROOM TO
HIS COMPANY — to wish an-
other to leave you ; to dis-
like his society. F.

When one is not en rapport with
one's friends about any particular
subiect in which for the time they
are interested, it is better to leave
them, for it is certain they would
rather have our room than our
company.— JAMES PAYN.

Root. — THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
— the love of money. P.
So called in the New Testa-
ment (1 Tim. vi. 10).

THE ROOT OF THE MATTER — SOUnd

religious principle ; deep-seated
religious faith. P. A phrase
much used by the Puritans,
and borrowed from the Old
Testament : " Seeing the root
of the matter is found in me "
(Job xix. 28).

Thou dost not believe but what the
Dissenters and the Methodists have
got the root of the matter as well as
the Church folks.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Rope. — GIVE A ROGUE ROPE

ENOUGH AND HE WILL HANG

HIMSELF — a wicked man is
sure to bring about his own
destruction. C.

He is a bad man, and a dangerous
man, but let him be. He is taking
plenty of rope, and he will hang him-
self one of these days. — H. R.
HAGGARD.

Rose

200 Round

WITH A ROPE ROUND ONE'S NECK
— in imminent danger of a
violent death. P.

This (hanging) was the usual fate
whichf ollowed failure in this country
(Central America); and those who
fought in it knew they were doing so
witn a rope round theirnecks— which
doubtless improved their fighting
qualities. — Blackwood's Magazine,
1886.

A ROPE OF SAND — something
which has an appearance of
strength, but is in reality
useless. P.

Where he (Love) sets his foot, the
rocks bloom with flowers, or the
garden becomes a wilderness accord-
ing to his good-will and pleasure, and
at his whisper all other allegiances
melt away like ropes of sand.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Rose. — UNDER THE ROSE —
privately ; secretly ; in confi-
dence. P.

The Alsatians and we have some
common enemies, and we have, under
the rose, some common friends.—

leadows went to the Black Horse,
the village public-house, to see what
farmers wanted to borrow a little
money, under the rose.— C. REA.DE.

John, saying nothing, continued
to disobey the order, under the rose.
— R. L. STEVENSON.

A BED OF ROSES a luxurious

place ; a very comfortable situ-
ation. P.

That James Ailsa, sensitive and
shrinking, did not repose just then
upon a bed of roses, may be easily
understood.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

Life could not not have been a bed
of roses for any of them. — MRS.
HENRY WOOD.

Rot. — ROT or ALL ROT — hum-
bug; nonsense. S. A favour-
ite schoolboy phrase in Eng-
land.

By this time Mouti had got the
horses up, and asked if he was to
mspan.

"No; wait a bit," said John.
"Very likely it is all rot" (my fears
are unfounded), he added to himself.
-H. R. HAGGARD.

Let's stick to him, and no more rot
(nonsense), and drink his health as
the head of the house.— T. HUGHES.

Rouge. — ROUGE ET NOIR —
a well-known game of cards.

French. Literally, " red and
black."

Those who are interested in the
mysteries of rouge et noir — BEACONS<
FIELD.

Roug-h. — To ROUGH IT — to en-
dure hardships ; to do with-
out comforts or luxuries. P.

Take care of Fanny, mother; she is
tender: and not used to rough it like
the rest of us.— JANE AUSTEN.

The luxurious style which men
who have served so long in the army,
and of ten been obliged^ to rough it,
know so well how to enjoy.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.
ROUGH ON — hard lines for ; a
hardship to ; unfortunate for.
C.

There was a [universal feeling, he
assured his ward, of sympathy for
him. Everybody felt that it was
rough on such a man as himself to
find that he was not of illustrious
descent.— BESANT.

A ROUGH CUSTOMER — an un-
pleasant individual ; one whose
manners are coa,rse. F.

A ROUGH DIAMOND — a person
with an unattractive exterior,
who possesses good qualities
of mind and heart. C.

As for Warrington, that rough
diamond had not had the polish of a
dancing-master, and he did not know
how to waltz.— THACKERAY.

THE ROUGH SIDE OF THE TONGUE

— rebuke ; abuse. P.

Johnson, after the manner of criti-
cal bears, often licked with the rough
side of his tongue.

Round. — A ROUND O — nothing.
F.

Alfred told her the round 0, which
had yielded to "the duck's egg," and
was becoming obsolete, meant the
cipher set by the scorer against a
player's name who is out without
making a run (at cricket).— C. RE ADE.

To GO THE ROUND — to circulate ;
to be carried to the different
members of a society. P.

In spite of the stories which have
lately gone the round of the European
press as to Russian mobilization
on the frontier of Roumania, it ia
probable that Russia will no longer
pursue the policy of tearing off bits
of Turkey.— Fortnightly Review, 1887.

IN ROUND NUMBERS — mention-
ing an approximate sum which

Row

has no small figures or frac-
tions. P.

The cost, in round numbers, will
be £3,200.

A ROUND ROBIN — a document,
signed by a number of indi-
viduals, which has the names
radiating from the centre, so
that no name heads the list. P.

Their names were reduced to
writing, to be respectfully submitted
to Johnson. But such was the awe
entertained of his frown, that every
one shrank from putting his name
first to the instrument; whereupon
their names were written about in a
circle, making what mutinous sailors
call a round robin." — WASHING-
TON IRVING.

TO ROUND ON A PERSON — to

prove unfaithful to him; to
behave treacherously to h m.
F.

"Jeremiah, if that venomous
wretch Phoebe Farebrother had
married you, would you be in dan-
ger now?"

"No; there would be nothing to
trouble me,if she hadn't rounded on
me.— B. L. FARJEON.

Row. — A ROW OF PINS — used
to signify what is of small
value or importance. F.

"True," would be my mournful
reply; "but he doesn't amount to a
row of pins" (is a very insignificant
person).— ROBERT GRANT, quoted in
Edinburgh Review, 1882.

Row. — A ROW ROYAL — a grand
fight ; a quarrel in which
much noise is made. F. This
" row " rhymes with " now,"
and is probably an abridge-
ment of " rout."

And the end is general exaspera-
tion, with fines, notices of leave,
warnings, cheekiness, retorts, and
every element of a row royal.—
BESANT.

Rub. — To RUB DOWN — to groom
a horse. P.
When his fellow beasts are weary

He'll play the groom, give oats, and
rub em down.— DRYDEN.
"I could milk a cow and groom a
horse with anybody."

"Ah !" said Nicholas gravely; "I'm
afraid they don't keep many animals
of either kind on board ship, Smike ;
and even when they have horses,
that they are not very particular

207 Rule

about rubbing them down." —
DICKENS.

To RUB UP — to renew; to re-
fresh ; to brighten. C.

You will find me not to have
rubbed up the memory of what some
in the city heretofore did.— SWIFT.

I shall be glad of the opportunity
of rubbing up my, classics a bit ; I
have been neglecting them lately.—
H. R. HAGGARD.

THERE'S THE RUB — that is the
point which causes me trouble.
P. A quotation from Shake-
speare— Hamlet's soliloquy.
"How does your account with him

stand?"

"My account! ah, there's the rub." ,
EDMUND YATES.

Rubicon. — To CROSS or PASS
THE RUBICON — to take a
decisive step ; to venture on
a great and dangerous under-
taking. P. The Rubicon is
a small river which separated
republican Italy from Cisalpine
Gaul. Csesar, whose military
command was limited to the
latter province, arrived at this
river, and after some hesita-
tion crossed it. By doing so
he broke the law, and became
an invader of his country.

Compelled to choose between two
alternatives, he laid the matter
before his wife, and awaited the

before ins wife, ana awaited tne
verdict from her lips. It came with-
out hesitation. "It is your duty;
the conseq uences we must leave. Go

forward, and to victory."

The die was thus cast, the Rubicon
crossed.— Quarterly Review, 1887.

Ruddock. — RED RUDDOCKS —

gold coin. S.

Rule. — To RULE THE ROOST or
ROAST — to manage ; to govern ;
to have the chief say in every-
thing. C. Probably the roost
(meaning an assembly of fowls)
is the original phrase.

The new-made duke that rules the
roast.— SHAKESPEARE.
Alma, slap-dash, is all again,
In every smew, nerve, and vein ;
Runs here and there, like Hamlet's

While everywhere she rules the roast.

PRIOR.

Mrs. Nash was ruling the roast at
Caromel's farm, being unquestion_

Rum

208

Run

y both mistress and master.—

RS. HENRY WOOD.

He was biding his time, and
patiently looking forward to the days
when he himself would sit authori-
tative at some board, and talk and
direct, and rule the roast, while
lesser stars sat round and obeyed, as
he had so well accustomed himself to
do.— A. TROLLOPS.

Hecruised around in the rivers and
inlets and sounds of North Carolina
for a while, ruling the roost.— Har-
per's Monthly, 1887.

Rum. — A RUM START — a strange
condition of affairs. S.

"Come," said Silver, struggling
with his ashen lips to get the word
out, "this won't do. Stand by to go
about. This is a rum start."— R. L.
STEVENSON.

A RUM CUSTOMER — a person
difficult to deal with. S.
If they (the Dutchmen) could

only keep their hands out of their
breeches pockets, they would be
rummer customers than they are
now.— CAPTAIN MARRVAT.

Run. — To RUN TO SEED. See

SEED.
To RUN RIOT — to roam wildly.

See RIOT.

TO BE RUN OUT OF ANYTHING!

to have no more in stock or in
one's possession. F.

I must buy some stamps ; I am run
out of Queen's heads.— S. BARING-
GOULD.

To RUN SHORT — to be insuffi-
cient. P.

However, the house was finished
at length and furnished— furnished
quietly and scantily, because the
money ran short.— Chambers's Jour-
nal, 1887.

SEVERAL DATS RUNNING — sev-
eral days in succession. C.

Fine ladies would never consent to
be asked for three Sundays running
in the parish church.— TREVELYAN.

IN THE LONG-RUN. See LONG.

TO RUN AMUCK Or AMOK — to rush

ahead violently ; to go at a
headlong pace. P. A Malay
phrase. Generally associated
with violent and angry col-
lisions.

Ready to run amuck with any one
who crossed him.— DISRAELI.

In their alarm they were ready to
run amuck of everything. — Man-
chester Guardian, 1880.

Satire's my weapon, but I'm too

discreet

To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet.
POPE.

But what do you mean by being
rich? Is it to run amuck and then
fail?— BES ANT.

TO RUN TO EARTH to SeCUTO

the capture of ; to hunt down.
C.

It looks extremely ugly, to say the
least of it, that all tne men who
helped to run to earth the various
members of the Ruthven family
were richly rewarded.— Spec tator,
January 7, 1888.

THE RUN OF ONE'S TEETH — as

much as one can eat. F.

It was an understood thing that he
was to have the run of his teeth at
Hazelhurst, and that his muse was
to supply all other wants.— Miss
BRADDON.

THE RUN OF PEOPLE ; THE COM-
MON RUN — ordinary folks ; the
average of people. C.
Perhaps I am scarcely j
of what is popularly caL___
common run of visitors at the "
tramarine."— JAMES PAYN.

THE ORDINARY or COMMON RUN —
what is customary or usual. P.

I saw at 9nce that these repasts are
very superior to the common run of
entertainments.— THACKERAY.

They had pretensions above the
ordinary run.— W. IRVING.

To BE RUN AFTER — to be popular
and admired. C.

" She gives herself wonderful airs,
it seems," said Bassett, rather bit-
terly.

Marsh fired up. "So would any
woman that was as beautiful, and as
witty, and as much run after as she
is."— C. READE.

She had been rather fond of society,
and much admired and run after
before her marriage.— T. HUGHES.

To RUN DOWN — (a) (of a vessel or
any body in motion) to sink
or overturn it by collision. P.

As he trotted on, he would call out
to fast postmen ahead of him to get
out of the way, devoutly believing
that in the natural course of things
he must inevitably overtake and run
them down.— DICKENS.

— (&) to speak against ; to
criticise unfavourably. C.

" How could you, could you deceive
me so?" cried Ella pitifully. "Sup-
pose I hadn't liked the poems?"

Run

209

"Well, then, I should never have
told you about them. But didn't you
guess the truth when Felspar used to
run them down, and protest that they
were not half good enough for the
illustrations?"— JAMES PAYN.

(c) to discover ; to hunt after

and find. F.

" Now, look here," said the captain :
"you've run me down ; here I am.
Well, then, speak up: what is it?"
— R. L. STEVENSON.

(d) to stop through want of

winding (of a watch). P.

The mechanism of the miller's life
stopped, but that of the watch went
on, for Joe wound it up that same
evening, and it had not since been
allowed to, run down.— S. BARING-
GOULD.

RUN DOWN — in a low state of
health. C.

This evening, especially, he was
much run down, and the unexpected
chop brought a sense of physical
comfort which he had not known for
a great while.— BESANT.
To RUN IN — to lock up. C.

Fifty inebriates were run in for the
night.

RUN ON — a phrase used in
printing, to signify that a
paragraph is to be continued
without a break.

A RUN UPON A BANK — a sudden
rush of depositors and holders
of notes anxious to obtain
their money. P.

Jessop's bank has such a number
of small depositors, and issues so
many small notes. He cannot cash
above half of them without notice.
If there comes a run, he must have
to stop payment this very day.—
Miss MULOCK.

To RUN FOR IT — to make off ;
to hurry away. F. For it
does not refer to any object,
but is a mere extra phrase.

But just then — crack! crack!
crack!— three musket-shots flashed
out of the thicket. Merry tumbled
head-foremost into the excavation ;
the man with the bandage spun
round like a teetotum, and fell all
his length upon his side, where he

lay dead, but still twitching; and
the other three turned and ran for it
with all their might.— K. L. STEVEN-
SON.

To RUN UP A SCORE — to buy

articles on credit. F.
Run up a score with that Jellico !

No: she'd not be such an Idiot as

that.— MRS. H. WOOD.
TO RUN ON ANYTHING (of the

mind) to be occupied with
thoughts of it. P.

In England everybody's head runs
on dukes.— JAMES PAYN.

TO RUN A RIO J TO RUN ONE'S

RIGS — to play a trick ; to be
riotous. F.

While I live you shall be kept
straight and like a lady ; and when
I'm gone I shan't be none (any) the
wiser if you go wrong and run your
rigs as you have done.— MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

To RUN OVER — (a) to overflow.
P.
He fills his famished maw, his

mouth runs o'er

With unchewed morsels, while he
churns the gore.— DRYDEN.

(b) to read or consider in a

hasty manner. P.

If we run over the other nations
of Europe, we shall only pass
through so many different scenes of
poverty.— ADDISON.
To RUN OUT — (a) to come to an
end. P.

When a lease had run out, he
stipulated with his tenant to resign
up twenty acres without lessening
his rent.— SWIFT.

(&) to digress ; to extend ;

to expand. P.

Nor is it sufficient to run out into
beautiful digressions.— ADDISON.
To RUN UP — (of a building) to
erect speedily ; to build in
a short time. C.

This whole street was run up in
three months' time.
Rush. — NOT WORTH A RUSH —
of no value. P.

John Bull's friendship is not
worth a rush.— ARBUTHNOT.

Sack

210

Salt

Sack. TO GET THE SACK to

be dismissed from employ-
ment. F. A phrase common
in French, where sac (sack)
means knapsack. It has,
therefore, reference to the
" marching off " of a soldier.

I say. I wonder what old Fogg 'ud
(would) say. if he knew it. I should
get the sack, I s'pose (suppose), eh?
—HUGH CONWAY.

"And what is it to him?" retorted
Evans with rude triumph; "he is
no longer an officer of this jail; he
has got the sack and orders to quit
the prison."— C. READE.

Sackcloth. — IN SACKCLOTH
AND ASHES — in grief and re-
pentance. P. This is a
Scriptural expression, and
comes from the habit of
Eastern nations on occasions
of sorrow and remorse.

A deplorable error and misfor-
tune, for which humanity should
mourn in sackcloth and ashes.— J.
S. MILL.

She felt that she might yet recover
her lost ground, that she might yet
hurl Mr. Slope down to the dust
from which she had picked him, and
force her sinning lord to sue for
pardon in sackcloth and ashes.— A.
TROLLOPE.

1. — A SAD DOG — a merry
fellow ; a gay man ; a man
given to joking. F.

I am afraid, ma'am, your son is
a sad dog.

Safe. — SAFE BIND, SAFE FIND —
what is packed up securely
will be easily got again. C.

Safe bind, safe find— you know the
proverb.— WILKIE COLLINS.

Sail. — TO SAIL CLOSE TO THE

WIND — to go very near to
impropriety or danger. C.
Said of a ship when nearly
running into the wind.

He had always been so especially
hard on a certain kind of young
English gentleman, who has sailed
too close to the wind at home and
who comes to the colony to be
wlntewashed.-H. KINGSLEY.
To MAKE SAIL — (a) to start (of
a sailing vessel). ( P.

The captain gave orders for un-
mooring ship, and we made sail,
dropping down slowly with the
d and tide.— R. H. DA

wind and tide.
(&) to start ;

ANA, JUN.
to go oft. F.

The signal to make sail for the
drawing-room was given, and they all
arose and departed.— THACKERAY.
TO STRIKE SAIL - (a) to lOWCP

the sails. P.

- (&) to be more humble ; to
lessen one's pretensions. P.

Must strike her sail, and learn

awhile to serve
While kings command.

SHAKESPEARE.

SAIL OF THE LINE — warships. P.

Before he left Egypt he (Nelson)

burnt three of the prizes. They

could not have been fitted for a

passage to Gibraltar in less than a

month, and that at a great expense,

and with the loss of the service of at

least two sail of the line.— SOUTHEY.

To SET SAIL. See SET.

Sake. — FOB SAKE'S SAKE — for

old times ; because of previous

acquaintance. F. Equal to

the Scotch " for auld lang-

syne."

I've a-been (I have been) long
minded to do't for sake's sake.— T.
HUGHES.
Yet for old sake's sake she is still,

dears,
The prettiest doll in the world.

C. KlNGSLEY.

Salt. — "ABOVE THE SALT — in
a position of honour. P. The
sa.t-cellar in the dining-hall
of former times was placed
half-way down the table,
and marked the division be-
tween the equals of the master
in rank and his inferiors.

BELOW THE SALT — in an inferior
position. P.

His lordship's business, however,
lies chiefly with those, so to speak,
below the salt. — G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

To EAT A MAN'S SALT — to partake
of his hospitality ; to be his
guest. C. This, among the
Arabs especially, constituted

Salt

a sacred bond between host
and guest. It is considered
unseemly for a person to eat
a man's salt and then to speak
ill of him.

One does not eat a man's salt, as
it were, at these dinners. There is
nothing sacred in this kind of Lon-
don hospitality.— THACKERAY.

To SALT A MINE — to sprinkle
some precious ore about it,
so that it may appear rich
and productive. C. A com-
mon trick.

If it hadn't been for the Dutch-
man's story, they would never have
known the mine was salted at all.—
St. Louis Democrat, April 17, 1888.

TO THROW SALT ON THE TAIL

a ludicrous phrase, applied to
the attempted capture of
something difficult to catch.
Children are told they may
catch birds if they succeed in
throwing salt upon their tails,
as in the nursery rhyme, —
Simple Simon went a-hunting

For to catch a quail ;
He got a pennyworth of salt
To throw upon its tail.

His intelligence is so good, that
were you coming near nim with
soldiers or constables or the like, I
shall answer for it you will never lay
salt on his tail.— SCOTT.

Plenty of subjects going about for
them that know how to throw salt
upon their tails. That's what's
wanted.— DICKENS.

THE SALT OF THE EARTH — the

wholesome portion of a com-
munity ; that portion of a
community which has a good
influence upon the rest. P.
The expression is taken from
Matthew v. 13 : "Ye are the
salt of the earth."

We require to call up before us
the dissenting community of the
period, with its strong underlying
sense, not only that it was the salt
of the earth, but that its bounden
duty was to prove itself so.— MBS.
OLIPHANT.

RATHER TOO SALT — said of an
excessive hotel bill or over-
charge of any kind. S.

To SPILL SALT. This is consi dered
unlucky. It is also considered
unlucky to help another to

211 Same

salt at table : " Help to salt,
help to sorrow."

Some of these eggs were for break-
fast, and I ate them with a good
appetite; but in helping myself to
salt I spilled it, on which she
started up with a scream.— THACK-
ERAY.

WORTH ONE'S SALT — of value ;
serviceable. C.

He loved to earn his money. He
delighted to believe— Toby was very
poor, and couldn't well afford to
part with a delight— that he was
worth his salt.— DICKENS.

Every man who is worth his salt
has his enemies.— T. HUGHES.

TRUE TO ONE'S SALT — faithful
to one's employer. P.

Faithful as they were to their salt.
they had never so much as dreamed
that the master whom they had
served so loyally could betray them.
— J. A. FROUDE.

WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. See
GRAIN.

Sam. — To STAND SAM — to enter-
tain friends ; to pay for
refreshments. S. Sam is a
contraction for " Uncle Sam,"
a jocular name for the U.S.
Government. The phrase,
therefore, originally means to
pay all expenses, as the govern-
ment does.

Samaritan. — A GOOD SAMA-
RITAN — one who behaves in a
kind and compassionate man-
ner to those who have no claim
upon him. P. See the parable
of the Good Samaritan (Luke
x. 29).

I took leave of the good Saniaritan,
who appointed two of my niggers to
see me out of the wood.— C. READE.

It is seldom that debtors or good
Samaritans waylay people under
gas-lamps in order to force money
upon them, so far as I have seen or
heard.— J. B. LOWELL.

Same. — ALL THE SAME — (a) no
difference. P.

"It must be late in the afternoon,
then," said the lawyer rather crossly.
"All the same to me," acquiesced
the Pater.— MRS. H. WOOD.
- (&) nevertheless. C.

He may be a reformed character.
All the same, I cannot employ him.

Sanctum

212

Scarlet

Sanctum. — SANCTUM SANCTO-
RUM— a private retreat ; the
room in a house set apart for
one's private use. C. Latin.

"If I might be allowed to pro-
pose," said Lazarus, "I would sug-
gest your following me into my
sanctum sanctorum."— S. BARING-
GOULD.

Sand. — THE SAND HAS BUN
OUT — the appointed term has
come to an end. P. Sand is
here the sand in the hour-glass,
by which time was formerly
measured.

"Hush, my child— never talk of
dying. Please God, you may have
many years of life before you."

len head a little

She shook her golde
sadly. "No. doctor, my sand has
run out ; and perhaps it is as well."
— H. R. HAGGARD.

A ROPE OF SAND. See ROPE.

Sang1. — SANG FROID — cold
blood ; calmness in the pres-
ence of excitement or of
danger. P. French.

Then Robinson, who had never
lost his presence of mind, and had
now recovered his sang froid, made
all four captives sit round together
on the ground in one little lot.— C.
READB.

Sans. — SANS FA CON — without
observing strict etiquette. P.
French.
"Will you both come and dine

Mr. Heighum?"
H. R. HAGGARD.

Satan. — SATAN REPROVING SIN.
This phrase is used when the
person who finds fault with
another is equally guilty of the
bad habit. F.

Satin. — A YARD OF SATIN —

a glass of gin. London slang.

Sauce. — WHAT is SAUCE FOR

THE GOOSE IS SAUCE FOR THE

GANDER — like things demand
like treatment. C.

Now, what's sauce for the goose is
sauce for the gander: if you put a
pressure on one class to make it
tram itself properly, you must put a
Pressure on others to the same end
— M. ARNOLD.

Sauye. — SAUVE QUI PEUT.
This phrase is used when, in
a time of danger, every one
looks out for his own safety.
P. French.

If Swift had not been committed
to the statesmen of the losing side,
what a fine satirical picture we
might have had of that general
sauve qui pent (scramble out of
danger) amongst the Tory party.—
THACKERAY.

Savoip. — SAVOIR VIVRE —
knowledge of polite life. P.
French.

Miss Nugent had always seen him
in large companies, where he was
admired for his savoir vivre and
entertaining anecdotes. — MARIA
EDGE WORTH.

Savour.- — To SAVOUR OF THE
PAN — to betray its origin. F.

TO SAVOUR OF THE FRYING-PAN

— to show signs of heresy. P.
Bishop Nix of Norwich used to
call the persons whom he suspected
of heretical opinions "men savour-
ing of the frying-pan."— SOUTHEY.

Say. — To SAY ONE'S SAY — to
say all one has to say ; to tell
one's own story in one's own
way. C.

Ladies and gentlemen, the work-
man has said his say, and I hope the
company have been amused. — C.
READE.

Scapce. — To MAKE ONESELF
SCARCE — to retire ; to with-
draw ; to go off. F.

As soon as ever they understood
the object of their feared and re-
spected commandant, a general de-
sire manifested itself to make them-
selves respectively and collectively
scarce.— H. R. HAGGARD.

When a lady tells you decidedly
she can't stop to talk to you, and
when she appears up to her eyes in
cleaning house or something of that
sort, the next thing to do is to make
yourself scarce.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Scarlet. — THE SCARLET WOMAN
— the Church of Rome. P. A
term borrowed from the Bible
(Rev. xvii. 4).

The latter old lady (Rome) may be
the Scarlet Woman, or the beast
with ten horns, if you will.— J. R.
LOWELL.

Opinion ! it's what the believers in
the Scarlet AVoman call inveterate

Schoolmaster

213

Scratch

contumacy; they used to burn people
lor it.— JAMES PAYN.

SCARLET FEVER — feminine pref-
erence for military men. F.
The British military colour is
red.

Schoolmaster. — THE SCHOOL-
MASTER IS ABROAD gOOd

education is spreading every-
where. P. Often, but wrongly,
used hi the opposite sense — to
imply that the schoolmaster is
absent, and is much needed.

Let the soldier be abroad if he
will, he can do nothing in this age.
There is another personage— a per-
sonage less imposing in the eyes of
some, perhaps insignificant. The
schoolmaster is abroad, and I trust
to him, armed with his primer,
against the soldier in full military
array.— LORD BROUGHAM. ,

Scissors. — SCISSORS AND PASTE
— the implements of a news-
paper sub -editor, who cuts out
extracts from other journals
for his own. C.

They saw in the applicant for the
editorship merely an inferior, whose
duty had probably lain in the
scissors and paste department.—
BESANT.

ScOPe. TO GO OFF AT SCORE

(a) to lose control of oneself ;
to speak in a rambling way.
F.

The conversation soon becoming
general, lest the black-eyed should
go off at score and turn sarcastic,
that young lady related to Jemima
a summary of everything she knew
concerning Mr. Dombey— his pros-
pects, family, pursuits, and char-
acter.—DICKENS.

Reuben would answer, going off at
score in his old way.— H. KINGSLEY.

(&) to proceed without any

hesitancy or break. C.

In every year of a boy's school-life
he learned to read two or three
little books, and he usually had
these so well by heart that he could
go off at score if you started him on
any given page.— Nineteenth Century,
Julyl&8S.

Scot. — SCOT FREE — quite un-
injured. P.

I could not name a single woman
of my acquaintance of whom I have
not heard some story or other
Even dear, good, old Hester doesn t

come off scot free. — FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

SCOT AND LOT — payment exacted
by the parish. P.

The right of voting at West-
minster was in the householders
paying scot and lot.— MACAULAY.

Scotch. — SCOTCH FIDDLE — the
itch. S.

A SCOTCH MARRIAGE — an irreg-
ular marriage. P. The
Scotch marriage law required
very few formalities. The
village of Gretna Green, on
the Border, was famous for
such marriages.

A good many years ago, when I
was very young, and a most con-
summate fool, I got myself en-
trapped into a Scotch marriage.—
Miss BRADDON.

A SCOTCH MIST — a drizzling rain.
C.

"Drip, drip, drip!" cried Celia,
pettishly: "one of those odious
Scotch mists, that is as likely to last
for a week as for an hour.— Miss
BRADDON.

OUT OF ALL SCOTCH — excessively.
F.

I DID NOT SCOTCH MY MIND — I

spoke plainly. F.

Scotland. — SCOTLAND YARD
— the London police head-
quarters. C.

He'll bleed you to your last six-
pence, and, as likely as not, when
you're cleaned out he'll write to Scot-
land Yard.— D. CHRISTIE MURRAY.
Who set Scotland Yard on my
heels? Who put you up to the fact
that I am the man who called him-
self Chicot?— Miss BRADDON.

Scrape. — To SCRAPE ACQUAINT-
ANCE WITH ANY ONE — to in-
sinuate oneself into terms of
familiarity ; to make friends in
a chance way. C.

Scratch. — To BRING ONE TO
THE SCRATCH — to cause one
to come to a decision. C.
The scratch is the line in a
prize-ring up to which the
boxers are led.

I'm the fellow to bring old Bryce
up to the scratch.-GEORGE ELIOT

TO COME TO THE SCRATCH — tO

declare oneself ; to come to a

Screw

decision ; to act decisively.
C.

Indeed, had it not been for a little
incident about to be detailed, it is
doubtful if Mr. Bellamy would have
ever come to the scratch at all.— H.
R. HAGGARD.

Finally, to my patron's great con-
tent, I consented to come up to the
scratch, and Monday night I had
the hardihood to present myself in
the music-room of the Adelphi.— C.
READE.

A SCBATCH RUNNER — one who,
in a handicap race, starts from
the line, or starting-post, and
gets no advantage.

OLD SCRATCH — the devil. F.

"Sam," says she, "what on earth
ails you, to make you act so like Old
Scratch in your Sleep?"— HALT BUR-
TON.

I'd as soon trust my affairs to Old
Scratch as to him.— MBS. H. WOOD.

A SCRATCH TEAM Or PACK a

number of individuals brought
together accidentally or hastily.
P.

It seems now to be generally
understood that Constantinople it-
self is not to be defended by this
country, unless Hungarian feeling
should make Austria fight, and un-
less a scratch pack of other allies
can also be obtained.— Fortnightly
Review, 1887.

Screw. — A SCREW LOOSE —
something wrong ; a dis-
turbing element. C. Said
when two friends have a
difference, or when something
wrong or unpleasant happens
in one's affairs.

"Jefferson forgot to insert one
little word," said I; "he should
have said 'all white men.'"

"Well," said he, "I must admit
there is a screw loose somewhere. "—
HALIBURTON.

Our landlady 'turned pale; — no
doubt she thought there was a
screw loose in my intellect.— O. W.
HOLMES.

AN OLD SCREW — a miserly fellow.
F.

This gentleman and the guard
knew bir Pitt very well, and laughed
at him, a great deal. They both
agreed in calling him an old screw,
which means a very stingy, avari-
cious person.-THACKERAY
To DRAW ONE'S SCREW — to draw
one's salary. S.

214 Sea

He's a reporter on the Newi, and
draws a handsome screw.— BESANT.

To SCREW ONE'S COURAGE TO THE

STICKING-PLACE— to resolve to

act decisively ; to summon lip
boldness to strike. P. A
quotation from Shakespeare
(Macbeth, act i. scene vii.
line 60) : " But screw your
courage to the sticking-place,
and we'll not fail."

He either did not fear him, or had
screwed his courage to the sticking-
place.— JAMES PAYN.
To PUT ON THE SCREW — to limit
one's credit; to be less bold
and venturesome in business
undertakings. C.

TO PUT UNDER THE SCREW to

coerce or compel. C.
To PUT THE SCREW ON — to bring
pressure to bear on ; to apply
force to. C.

He knew where he could put the
screw on George.— THACKERAY.
REGULARLY SCREWED — drunk.
S.

Sea. — AT SEA — in a state of
perplexity ; unable to give
any explanation or solution.
P.

It was disgusting that these two
young people— for nis niece looked
as much at sea (perplexed) as his
son— should be so wrapped up in
one another and their commonplace
affairs, as to have forgotten " Vorti-
gern and Rowena" already.— JAMES
PAYN.

I could not have been more at sea
had I seen a Chinese lady from
Pekin.-MRs. H. WOOD.

HALF SEAS OVER — the worse for
liquor. S.

To GET ONE'S SEA-LEGS ON —
to be able to Walk steadily on
shipboard. F.

Give him a little time to get the
use of his wits in emergencies, and
to know the little arts that do so
much for a patient's comfort— just
as you give a young sailor time to
get his sea-legs on and teach his
stomach to behave itself— and he will
do well enough.— 0. W. HOLMES.

BEYOND SEAS — on the other side
of the ocean. P.

The husband or lover may have
been out of the way— beyond seas,

Sear

215

Sell

perhaps— a sailor, very likely.— Miss
BRADDON.

BE A -HORSES — the white breakers
on the sea-coast.

Alice's eyes are fixed on the
white sea-horses.— AUSTEN PEMBER.

THE SON OF A SEA-COOK — a con-
temptuous term in use among
seamen. S.

If he got any more cheek from
him, or any other post and rail son
of a sea-cook.— H. KINGSLEY.

Sear. — THE SEAR AND YELLOW
LEAF — old age. P.

My way of life

Is fallen into the sear, the yellow
leaf.— SHAKESPEARE.
The baby in whose honour they
had all met is a matron in the sear
and yellow leaf.— THOMAS HARDY.

Season. — IN SEASON AND OUT
OF SEASON — at suitable times
and at unsuitable times. P.

He made many enemies by these
things, uttered in season and put
of season. — Macmillan's Magazine,
1887.

Second. — To COME OFF SECOND
BEST — to be defeated. C.

The Koh-i-noor, as we named the
gentleman with the diamond, left
us, however, soon after that "little
mill," as the young fellow John
called it, where he came off second
best.— 0. W. HOLMES.

See. — To SEE DOUBLE — to be
drunk. C*

TO HAVE SEEN BETTER DATS —

to have been in a higher social
position ; to have been in a
better condition. P. Used
both of persons and things.

He's an Englishman, and, I guess,
has seen better days.— HALIBURTON.

To SEE TO ANYTHING — to attend
to it ; to take care of it. P.

He's above thinking of farming
tools ; he sees to the bran-new gig.—
HALIBURTON,

She (Lady Palmerston) saw to
everything.— Public Opinion, 1886.
To BEE OFF — to accompany to
the place of departure ; to
witness the departure of. P.

Before he could say any more,
in came Bessie herself, saying that
the driver was waiting, and they
went out to see her Bister off.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

TO SEE WELL AND GOOD to

think fit; to be willing; to
consent. O.

An' if your reverence sees well
and good, I'll send my boy to tell
em as soon as I get home.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

TO SEE A PERSON AT YORK FIRST

— an expression of extreme
unwillingness, used where one
is unwilling to do a service
or grant a favour. F.

If a girl like Miss Jennynge had
done it— though, as a matter of fact,
she would have seen him at York
first (was most unwilling to do such
a thing)— it would have been civil,
and that's all.— JAMES PAYN.

Seed. — To RUN TO SEED — (a) to
grow rank; to become weak
by excess of growth. P.

I am inclined to think that there
is such a thing as architecture run to
seed.— Nineteenth Century, 1886.

There is no use denying the fact
that in the popular imagination the
Byzantine Empire appears as a po-
litical monstrosity ... a world, in
short, which consisted in civilization
run to seed.— Scottish Review, 1886.

Painters have been in the Bank
House, which has been running to
seed and calling in the most cry-
ing manner to be done up.— SARAH
TYTLER.

Mr. Monks is aware that I am not
a young man. my dear, and also that
I am a little run to seed.— DICKENS.

(&) to become seedy, or worn

out.

Seek. — To SEEK — lacking; de-
ficient. P.

The Germans in Greek
Are sadly to seek.— PORSON.

He did very well understand that
the adhesion of two such pretty and
well-dressed girls to the cause, which
is at present sadly to seek in the
matter of young ladies, would greatly
stimulate waverers and bring en-
thusiasm into the ranks.— BESANT.

Sell. — TO SELL ANOTHER MAN

— to deceive him. S.

Did I ever tell you how the voung
vagabond sold me last half?-T.
HUGHES.
TO SELL A MAN UP — to force

him to become a bankrupt ;
to compel him to have his prop-
erty brought to auction. P.

Then he would send in his bills,
sue her, sell her up, and drive her

Send

216

Set

to the last

out of the _

farthing.— BESANT.
To SELL OUT — (a) to leave the

army. P. This phrase was

used when commissions in the

army were bought and sold,

a system abolished by Mr.

Gladstone's government in

1869.
It was in this period that he

quitted the Guards, and sold out of

the army.— THACKERAY.
(&) to get rid of investments ;

to take ready money in place

of investments. P.
Still a great loss would be incurred

by selling out of them at a period of

depression.— C. KEADE.

To SELL OFF — to part with the
whole of anything. P.

George heard of a farmer who was
selling off his sheep about fifty miles
off near the coast.— C. READE.

Send. — To SEND TO COVENTRY
— to exclude from companion-
ship. F. " Sent to Coventry "
signifies in disgrace or dis-
favour with one's associates.
Most used by schoolboys, who
inflict the punishment fre-
quently on their fellows. See
BOYCOTT.

In fact that solemn assembly, a
levy of the school, had been held, at
which the captain of the school had
got up. and given out that any boy,
in whatever form, whoshould thence-
forth appeal to a master, without
having first gone to some prepositor
and laid the case before him, should
be thrashed publicly and sent to
Coventry.— T. HUGHES.

TO SEND ONE ABOUT ONE'S

BUSINESS — to dismiss peremp-
torily. P.

Upon this I was, naturally, molli-
fied^and sent himabout his business,
hoping to have seen the last of him
at Highmore.— C. READE.

Seniopes. — SENIORES PRIORES
— elders first ; let the older
people take precedence. C.
Latin.

We say at school, Seniores priores
(let favour go by seniority). — C.

Sere. — See SEAR.
Serve. — To SERVE A PERSON
our — to retaliate upon him

for feal or fancied wrongs ;
to wreak revenge on him. C.
"Little brute," cried Hawes vi-
ciously ; " I'll work him ; I'll serve
him out."— C. READE.

TO SERVE A MAN RIGHT to be

a right treatment for him ;
to punish him deservedly. C.

He knocked him clean off his legs
on to the deck, where he lay stunned
and bleeding. " Serve him right,"
cried Charlie from the hatchway.—
G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.
To SERVE ONE'S TURN — to be
useful on occasion ; to assist
or prove serviceable when
needed. P.

His connection with the press
serves our turn, Harry, doesn't it?—
EDMUND YATES.

TO SERVE ONE A BAD TURN to

do him an injury. C.

You mean well, I have no doubt ;
but you never in your life served
me a worse turn than when you pre-
vented me from hitting that man.—
W. E. NORRIS.

Set. — A SET DOWN — a chance
ride in a passing vehicle. F.

Part of the journey I performed on
foot ; but whenever I could I got a
set down, because I was impatient to
get near the Land's End.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

To SET ABOUT — to commence ;
to made preparations for. P.
They gave him hints that he might
set about doing something to provide
himself with a living. — WILLIAM
BLACK.

To SET ONE'S CAP AT — (of a
woman) to try to captivate ;
to try to obtain as a husband.
P.

" You won't like everything from
India now, Miss Sharp," said the old
"eshad
ly old

ici-iuw rani \>\j .uio DUU, j-^ave a care,
Joe : that girl is setting her cap at
you. —THACKERAY.

To SET ONE'S FACE AGAINST — to
oppose resolutely. P.

Nor was it in the least on aesthetic
grounds that he had set his face
against the whole scheme.— Good
Words, 1887.

TO SET THE TEETH ON EDGE — to

irritate ; to grate upon the
feelings. P.

His nails also were flat and shape-
less, and he used to be continually

iuu wuu t line cvciytu

India now, Miss Sharp." sai
gentleman ; but when the Is
retired after dinner, the
fellow said to his son, " Ha'

Set

217

Set

gnawing them till he had succeeded
m getting them down to the quick,
and they were a sight to set a Chris'
tian's teeth on edge.— S. WARREN.
To SET ONE'S FACE LIKE A FLINT
— to be resolute and deter-
mined. P.

They were a couple of lion-like
men ; they had set their faces like a
flint.-BuNYAN.

TO SET AGAINST Or OVER AGAINST

— to place on the opposite side
from, so as to counterbalance
or make even. P.

There were cows to be paid for,
with the smith and farrier's bill, to
l)e set against the rent of the
demesne.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

In fact, one vice is to be set over
against another, and thus something
like a balance is obtained.— R. H.
DANA.

To SET ON FOOT — to start; to
begin. P.

He did not stop to set on foot an
inquiry into his train of thought or
state of feeling.— DICKENS.

To SET THE THAMES (or A RIVER)
ON FIRE — to be conspicuously
able ; to be a man of light
and leading. P.

From nearer home we have the
well-known expression, " He will
never set the Thames on fire." It is
thus explained. Our ancestors used
a wooden mill, or quern, which
sometimes took fire when worked

of its becoming ignited were con-
siderably minimized.— A II the Year
Round, 1887.

I hardly expect him to set the
Thames on fire; but I hope his
mother will never have reason to be
ashamed of him.— W. E. NORRIS.

These lead lives colourless, so far
as the nation's advancement is con-
cerned. They set no stream on fire,
and count their duty to the state
satisfied when they have paid their

WELL SET UP — well built ; hav-
ing a powerful frame. C.

He was well set up ; a big, hand-
some fellow, with brown hair
straight and short, a smooth cheek,
and a full moustache.— BESANT.

To SET OFF — (a) to start. P.

He set off for Bedford early that
morning.— C. READE.

Vivian set off the next day for Sir
Badmore Scrope's.— BEACONSPIELD.

(&) to embellish ; to show to

advantage. P.

That is a becoming glass, Gwen-
dolen ; or is it the black and gold
colour that sets you off?— GEORGE
ELIOT.

Miss Crawley had a good taste,
she liked natural manners — a
little timidity only set them off.—
THACKERAY.

A SET-OFF — what counter-bal-
ances. P.

As a little set-off against the pig-
master's bills, I make heavy entries
against the good squire.— BLACK-
MORE.

Others talked of the shop as infra,
dig. ; the set-off against which was
the education and beauty of the
bride.— CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

To SET IN — to become settled in
a particular state. P.

The afternoon set in dull, and
toward evening the sea freshened
sufficiently to send most of the
passengers below.— H. R. HAGGARD.
To SET SAIL— to start on a voyage.
P.

Henry had taken the child Bhe
brought him in his arms, and set sail
in a vessel bound for Africa.— MRS.
INCHBALD.

My friend the captain never in-
quired after me, but set sail with as
much indifference as if I had been on
board.— GOLDSMITH.

To SET UP — to restore ; to re-
establish. P.

So he tried everything he could
think of to get set up (strong again).
— T. HUGHES.

" It says, by the way, that the Duke
of Dunderhead is certainly making
up to Mrs. Thumps, the rich Night-
man's widow; a precious good hit
that, isn't it ? You know the duke's
as poor as a rat ! "

'Oh, that's no news. It will quite
set him up (restore him to wealth),
and no mistake."— S. WARREN.
To SET UP FOR — to pretend to
be. P.

Henry White swore he would take
rooms at the Tremont House and set
up for a gentleman.— R. H. DANA,

JUN.

The youth, before setting up for a
gentleman, had been an attorney's
apprentice.— W. IRVING.
To SET STORE BY. See STORE.

TO SET LITTLE BY — to Value

slightly ; to despise. P.

His prince, the lord of that country,
will shortly come into these parts

Settle

218

Shake

and will know the reason, if they

have any, why his neighbours set so

little by him.— BUNYAN.
A SET-TO — a fight. F.
AT A DEAD SET — in a state of

stagnation ; at a standstill.

P.

TO MAKE A DEAD SET AT to

single out as the object of
one's attentions. C.

The old lady made a dead set at
the parson.

Settle. — To SETTLE A MAN'S
HASH— to kill him. S.

He received some terrible kicks on
the back and legs. "Give it him
on the head ! "—"Kick his life out ! "
— " Settle his hash !"— C. READE.

I take no blame for settling his
hash.— R. L. STEVENSON.
TO SETTLE DOWN — to adopt

a regular mode of life ; to
engage in one's life-work ;
to cease to wander about.
P.

"Surely," thought Angela, "he
is settling down ; he will soon find
work."— BESANT.

Seven. — THE SEVEN DEADLY
SINS — pride, envy, wrath, sloth,
covetousness, gluttony, and
lust. P.

Sure, it is no sin ;

Or of the deadly sins it is the least.
SHAKESPEARE.

Vulgarity is an eighth deadly sin,
added to the list in these later days.
— J. R. LOWELL.

SEVEN - LEAGUE BOOTS — boots
which carried their wearer at
an extraordinarily rapid rate.
P. An expression borrowed
from a well-known fairy tale.

Mr. Carlyle would be much better
if he did.n't take health by. the
throat (as it were), bathing as if he
were a little boy in the Serpentine,
walking as if he had seven-league
boots.— JANE CARLYLE.

THE SEVEN SLEEPERS — seven
Christian youths who fled
from persecution in the third
century, and fell asleep in a
cave. They did not awake
until their discovery more than
two hundred years later. The
story occurs in various forms.

A roasted ox and a lethargy like
that of the seven sleepers would

scarce restore you to the use of
your refreshed and waking senses.—
SCOTT.

A SEVEN PATS' WONDER — some-
thing which absorbs public
interest for a short time and
then is forgotten. C, See
NINE.

The seven days' wonder about the
boy had almost died away.— HUGH
CON WAY.

Sewn. — SEWN UP — intoxicated.
S.

He took care to tell you that some
of the party were pretty considerably
" sewn up a too.—1 THACKERAY.

Shade. — To PALL INTO THE
SHADE — to cease to attract
attention. P.

But, finally, the original Semite
fell more and more into the shade.
The Aryan came to the front.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Shake. — To SHAKE A LEO-—
(a) to dance. F.

I explain that the stage is ready for
them, if they like to act; or the
concert-room, if they will sing; or
the dancing- room, should they wish
to shake a leg.— BESANT.

(&) to move about. F.

He was so bad that father never
let him come into the house, w
he said, honesty alone should s
a leg.— BBS ANT.

To SHAKE ONE'S HEAD — to in-
dicate disapproval, doubt, or
dissent. P.

When he read the note from the
two ladies, he shook his head, and
observed that an affair of this sort
demanded the utmost circumspec-
tion.—GOLDSMITH.

NO GREAT SHAKES — Qf little

value or account. S.

Oatmeal is no great shakes at
best. It ain't even so good for a
horse as real yellow Indian corn.—
HALIBURTON.

TO SHAKE BY THE HAND OF SHAKE

HANDS — to salute by grasping
the hand. P.

But she smiles as she shakes her by
the hand.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

He said, " I wish you to abstain
from writing to Sir Charles, and him
to visit you only once more before
his marriage, just to shake hands
and part, with mutual friendship
and good wishes.— C. READE.

Sharp

219

Shilling

To SHAKE THE ELBOW — to gam-
ble with dice.

TO SHAKE THE DUST OFF ONE'S

FEET — <ct) an act showing one's
displeasure with any place,
and a determination never to
return thither. P.

He (Beaust) had been regarded by
the Austrians as the author of their
misfortunes, and wrote from their
capital to a friend in Saxony: "To-
morrow I leave Vienna. I will
shake the dust off my feet. I will
not return there in a hurry." —
Quarterly Review, 1887.

Soon after the interview just re-
corded, he left Barchester, shaking
the dust off his feet as he entered the
railway-carriage.— A. TROLLOPE.

(6) to cease travelling. C.

At length the pilgrim shook the
dust off his feet at Heidelberg.—
BEACONSFIELD.

To SHAKE IN ONE'S SHOES — to
be in a state of apprehension
or fright. C.

The children's copybooks, etc.,
were laid out for inspection, while
the embyro scholars manifestly
shook in their shoes before the ver-
dict to be pronounced on their halt-
ing performance.— SARAH TYTLER.

Sharp. — SHARP PRACTICE —
grasping behaviour ; conduct
which is defensible on legal
grounds, but is yet considered
ungenerous. P.

''I call this," said Tommy, in a
great rage, "confounded sharp
practice."— BESANT.

Sheep. — To CAST or MAKE
SHEEP'S EYES — to look at
with amorous eyes. C.

The horrid old colonel, with a head
as bald as a cannon ball, was making
sheep's eyes at a half-caste girl
there.— THACKERAY.

BLACK SHKEP — bad characters.
C.

" We are aa liable to have black
sheep here as elsewhere," the arch-
deacon replied.— A. TROLLOPE.

Sheet. — THREE SHEETS IN THE
WIND — half-intoxicated. F.

Captain Cuttle, looking, candle in
hand, at Bunsby more attentively,
believed that he was three sheets in
the wind, or, in plain words, drunk.
— DICKENS.

Shelf. — LAID or PUT ON THE
SHELF — no longer engaged in
active work ; set aside to
make room for more active
workers. P.

What is a man to do when he's
put on the shelf and has no home?
—Good Words, 1887.

Shell. — To SHELL OUT — to pay

out money. S.

We can always make the old villain
shell out, as he ought.— MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

Shield. — THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE SHIELD — the other side
of any question. P. The story
is told of two knights who,
meeting at a post from which
a shield was suspended, fell
to quarrelling about the mate-
rial of which the shield was
composed. The one held it
to be gold, the other silver.
From words they came to
blows. After a bitter struggle
they discovered that both were
right, since the one side was
gold, and the other side silver.

Shift. — TO MAKE SHIFT to

contrive with difficulty. P.

He had erected a mill in miniature
for the diversion of Edward's infant
grandson, and made shift in its con-
struction to introduce a pliant bit of
wood that answered with its fairy
clack to the murmuring of the rill
that turned it.— H. MACKENZIE.

By my other labours I make shift
to eat and drink and have good
clothes.— GOLDSMITH.

Shilling. — To TAKE THE
QUEEN'S SHILLING or GET THE
SHILLING — to become a soldier.
P. Soldiers on enlisting re-
ceived a shilling from the
recruiting sergeant as a sign
of the bargain having been
concluded.

It was then that, not caring what
became of me, I took the Queen's
shilling, and became a soldier.— B. L.
FARJEON.

"I am ready enough to become a
recruit," said Allen.

"But you can't find the man with
the ribbons and the shilling (the
recruiting-sergeant). Patience '.The
recruiting-sergeant is always about.
You will get that shillmg."-BESANT.

Shine

220

Shoot

Shine. — To TAKE THE SHINE
OUT OF — to surpass ; to out
shine ; to outvie. F. Also
but less correctly, OFF OF.

You will become a rival potentat
to my governor. You will take the
shine out of him directly. —C. READE

He is the first man of the age ; anc
it's generally allowed our doctors
take the shine off of all the world.—
HALI BURTON.

Ship. — WHEN ONE'S SHIP COMES
IN or HOME — when one's for-
tune is made. F.

Yesterday afternoon I brought my
long business to a head : the snip has
come home ; one more dead lift, and
I shall cease to fetch and carry for
the Princess Ratafia.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

The wealthy relative, of whom he
borrowed for Douglas's sake, pro-
posed to supply him with an income
of a hundred pounds per annum
until the major's next expected
ship should come in.— D. CHRISTIE
MURRAY.

SHIP-SHAPE — neatly arranged. F.
THE SHIP OF THE DESERT — the
camel. P.

Shoe. — To SHOE A GOOSE or A
GOSLING — to engage in a fool-
ish or fruitless undertaking. F.
" The smith that will meddle with
all things may go shoe the goslings,"
is an old proverb.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

To DIE IN ONE'S SHOES — to die
on the scaffold. F.

tenant Treegooze,
And there is Sir Carnaby Jenks of

+V»o T)!IIA«

And there is Mr. Fuse, and Lieu-

-..v* V6r6
the Blues,
All come to see a man die in his
shoes.— BARHAM.

TO STAND IN ANOTHER'S SHOES —

to occupy the position held by
another. C.

Don't think, if you value your

peace of mind, to stand in my shoes

wnen they are vacant.— THACKERAY.

TO TREAD THE SHOES STRAIGHT

— to be upright in one's con-
duct. F.

TO THROW AN OLD SHOE AFTER

ONE. This is done at wed-
dings to wish good luck to the
person. An old shoe means
" long life."

To SHAKE IN ONE'S SHOES — to be
in a state of nervous terror. C.

5 When Mrs. Proudie began to talk
the souls of the people he always
shook in his shoes.— A. TROLLOPE.
TO BE IN ANOTHER PERSON'S

SHOES — to be in the same posi-
tion as another. C.

" Oh, would I be in Arthur's shoes
after fourth lesson?" said the little
boys to one another.— T. HUGHES.

TO STEP INTO ANOTHER PERSON'S

SHOES — to take the position
previously occupied by an-
other. C.

" That will do, sir," he thundered ;
"that will do. It is very evident
now what would happen if you
stepped into my shoes after my
death."— Good Words, 1887.

To WAIT FOR ANOTHER'S SHOES
— to look forward with expec-
tation to his death. C.

The old cock means to crow yet
over some that are waiting for his
shoes.— SCOTT.

Cornelis, the eldest, who had made
calculations of his own, and stuck to
the hearth, waiting for dead men's
shoes.— C. READE.

QUITE A DIFFERENT PAIR OF

SHOES — an altogether differ-
ent case. F. Probably a cor-
ruption of the French tout
autre chose, " an altogether
different thing."

Promise and performance are a
very different pair of shoes.— BLACK-
MORE.

WHERE THE SHOE PINCHES —
where the difficulty or cause
of discomfort lies. C.

"He discharged me from visiting
the premises."

" That was not very polite."

"And threatened to horsewhip me
the next time I came there."

"Oh, that is where the shoe
pinches" (what irritates you).— C.
READE. ?

" I do not believe it : and, anyhow,
I will not have you flirting with her
in my presence.

"Ah, that is where the shoe
pinches."— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Shoot. TO SHOOT THE PIT — to

cheat a landlord by leaving
without paying the rent. S.
Compare " moonlight flitting"
and. " shooting of moons,"
which see.

Shop

SHOOTING OF MOONS.

221
See MOON.

Shop. TO TALK SHOP to

speak exclusively of one's own
business or professional affairs.
F.

"When he had a few clergymen
round him, how he loved to make
them happy ! "

"Never talked shop to them, did
he?" said the archdeacon.— A.
TROLLOPE.

Short. — SHORT COMMONS — want
of sufficient supplies ; scanty
rations. C.

He deserves to be soundly rated
and kept upon short commons for
backing bills.— Good Words, 1887.

In the midst of short commons,
anxiety, and hard work.— H. KINGS-
LEV.

A SHORT CUT — a quick path; a
path which saves distance ; a
method which saves time. P.

by

are

poin— _ .._.

and Anastasia, accompa
Vernon and Felspar, could
approaching them by a short cut.—
JAMES PAYN.

Catechisms of history, manuals of
arithmetic, short cuts to a smattering
of science, and guides to universal
knowledge.— Edinburgh Review, 1887.

SHORT SHRIFT — little time to re-
pent ; btit a small interval
before the infliction of pun-
ishment. P. Shrift was the
priest's absolution.

The neighbours would form a posse
in a twinkling, and chase the thief
night and day till they secured him ;
and then short shrift for the poor
wretch.— Macmillan's Magazine, 1887.

THE SHORT AND THE LONG OF IT

— the whole matter stated
briefly; the sum and sub-
stance of the matter. P.

The short and the long of it was, I
couldn't tell what to make of her.—
MAKIA EDGEWORTH.

And the short and the long of the
matter was, that while we could get
several who were willing enough to
ride to Dr. Livesey's, which lay in
another direction, not one would
help us to defend the inn.— K. L.
STEVENSON.
Shot. — SHOT IN THE LOCKER —
funds in hand. F.

"As long as there's shot in the
locker, she shall want for nothing,

Show

said the generous fellow.— THACK-
ERAY.

Shoulder. — To TURN, SHOW,

Or GIVE THE COLD SHOULDER —

to treat coolly ; to repulse. P.

Since I discarded him for Nave, he
has turned the cold shoulder upon
me.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

I'm afraid people are rather in-
clined to show them the cold shoul-
der.— Good Words, 1887.

Some time ago you had a friend
whose companionship I thought was
doing you no good, and I gave him
the cold shoulder.— JAMES PAYN.

TO HAVE AN OLD HEAD ON YOUNG

SHOULDERS — to be wise be-
yond one's years. C.

You appear to have an old head
upon very young shoulders.— CAP-
TAIN MARRYAT.

To RUB SHOULDERS — to come in-
to close contact. C.

Here was a dreary outlook for per-
sons who knew democracy, not by
rubbing shoulders with it lifelong,
but merely from books. — J. K.
LOWELL.

WITH ONE'S SHOULDER TO THE
COLLAR — hard at work. C.

Have I not always had my shoulder
to the collar?— A. TROLLOPE.
To PUT ONE'S SHOULDER TO THE
WHEEL — to commence work-
ing in earnest. C.

" Still, you have only to put your
shoulder to the wheel, insisted the
secretary. "Time and patience con-
quer everything."— JAMES PAYN.

It was only because he had never
yet put his shoulder to the wheel.—
Miss BRADDON.

ShOW. - TO SHOW THE DOOR — to

dismiss without ceremony. P.

The upshot of the matter for that
while was, that she showed both of
them the door.— R. L. STEVENSON.
To SHOW OFF — to make a vain
display; to display for the
purpose of exciting admira-
tion. P.

For this year the Wellesburn re-
turn match and the Marylebone
match are played at Eugby, to .the
great delight of the town and neigh-
bourhood: and the sorrow of those
aspiring young cricketers who have
been reckoning for the last three
months on showing off at Lords
ground — T. HUGHES.
v
Osborne cried,

.

You should have seen her dress
t, Emmy,"

for court,

Shrub

laughing. " She came to my sisters
to show it off."— THACKERAY.

To SHOW IN — to conduct into a
house. P.

"Without suffering me to wait long,
my old friend embraced me with the
most cordial welcome, showed me in,
and assured me that he considered
himself peculiarly fortunate in hav-
ing under his roof the man he most
loved on earth.— GOLDSMITH.

To SHOW TO A BOOM — to conduct
thither. P.

She was so fatigued with the
journey, she wished to be shown
to her room at once. — FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

To SHOW ONE'S TEETH — to dis-
play signs of anger. C.

To SHOW ONE'S HAND — to reveal
one's plan of action. P.

Mr. Heyton shows his hand.—
JAMES PA YN. (Chapter heading.)

From time to time a man must
show his hand, but save for one
supreme exigency a woman need
never show hers.— W. D. HOWELLS.

To SHOW A PERSON UP — to reveal
to the world a person's real
character ; to disclose a per-
son's villainy or hypocrisy. P.
"You are a liar, Uncle Coetzee,"
was the cool answer. " English with
the English, Boer Avith the Boer.
You blow neither hot nor cold. Be
careful lest we show you up."— H. R.
HAGGARD.

A SHOW OP HANDS— a display of
right hands in voting. P. A
chairman, wishing for the deci-
sion of a question by a meet-
ing, often calls for a show of
hands.

Shrub. — To SHRUB ABOUT — to
get along tolerably well ; to
be in a fairly good state. F.

Shut. — To SHUT UP — to be
silent. F.

"True for you. old man," said
Trevor, good-naturedly laughing.
"Pitch that fellow Dick over the
arm of the chair and make him shut
up. —Blackwood's Magazine, 1886.

You shut up, Johnny. If I pay
Reed out of my own pocket, it's noth-
ing to anybody."— MRS. H. WOOD.

To SHUT A PERSON UP — to silence
him. F.

. Though we agree with Mr. Skelton
m wishing that we had also Maillard's
account of it, we cannot doubt that

222 Sight

the reformer (to use the colloquial ex-
pression) shut him up.— Athenaeum,
1887.

TO SHUT THE STABLE DOOR WHEN
THE STEED IS STOLEN to take

precautions when too late. P.

And then it all came out— the old
story of shutting the stable-door on
the stolen steed, and separation,
when the mischief of constant com-
panionshiphadbeendone.— Mistletoe
Bough, 1887.

To SHUT UP SHOP — to close busi-
ness ; to cease working. F.

About this time, in the beginning
of 1824, the Jamaica Ginger Beer
Company shut up shop— exploded,
as Gus said, with a bang !— THACK-
ERAY.

Sick. — THE SICK MAN — Tur-
key. P. A name given con-
temptuously, in view of its
expected partition.

It was with Sir Hamilton Seymour,
the English ambassador, that the
Czar held the famous conversation
on the subject of the Sick Man,
and the partition of Turkey, when
Egypt was to have been England's
share.— Public Opinion, 1886.

Side. — To PUT ON SIDE — to be
arrogant and assuming in
manner. F.

You will put on all the side you
please when you are outside the
office.— BESANT.

Sight. — OUT OF BIGHT — in-
comparably ; beyond com-
parison. C.

She was walking back through the
quiet streets of the old-fashioned
market-town to the Bank House,
with its peculiar importance and
dignity, out of sight the best house
in Newton.— SARAH TYTLER.
A BILL AT SIGHT — a bill which
will be cashed when presented,
and not after three or six
months. P.

I'll pay you off that kiss with in-
terest; I'll answer a bill at sight
for it (pay at once), I will, you may
depend.— HALIBURTON.

To have stored moral capital
enough to meet the drafts of death
at sight must be an unmatched
tonic.— J. R. LOWELL.
A SIGHT OF THINGS — a great
number of things. F.

Bought a sight of furniture—
couldn't hardly get some of it up-
stairs.—O. W. HOLMES.

Silent

223

Sine

A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES — a pleas-
ant object ; something pleas-
ant to see. F.

"I hope," said she, "my lady will
come and see me when my lamb is
with me; a sight of her would be
good for sore eyes."— C. KEADE.

Silent. — SILENT AS THE GRAVE
— wholly silent ; saying noth-
ing ; making no noise. P.

"Livesey," said the squire, "I'll
be as silent as the grave."— E. L.
STEVENSON.

Silk. - TO MAKE A SILK PURSE

OUT OF A sow's EAR — to make
a handsome article out of
coarse and inferior materials.
C.

He flung the Phdnomenologie to
the other end of the room, exclaim-
ing, "That smart young fellow is
quite right! it is impossible to
make a silk purse out of a sow's
."— M.
"

ARNOLD.

.

" Ay," said the warder, in passing ;
"you may lecture the bloke (fellow),
but you will not make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear."— C. READE.
THE SILKEN TIE — the soft and in-
visible bonds of love and affec-
tion. P.
True love's the gift which God has

given

To man alone beneath the heaven. . .
It is the secret sympathy,
The silver link, the silken tie,
Which heart to heart, and mind to

In body and in soul can bind.

SCOTT.

To TAKE SILK — to be made a
King's Counsel (K.C.) at the
English bar, and be entitled
to wear a silk robe.

Weston became a distinguished
barrister and In due course took
silk.

Silver. — EVERY CLOUD HAS A
SILVER LINING- — there is al
ways some ray of hope in the
darkest condition of affairs.
P.

"I have a bad headache to-day,"
said Helen, by way of excuse for her
tears. " It has been gloomy weather

Gloomy within and without," he
assented, giving a meaning to her
words that she had not meant to
imply. "But in every cloud, you
know, however dark it may be, there
is a silver lining."— MRS. H. WOOD.

A SILVER WEDDING — the cele-
bration of the twenty-fifth an-
niversary of a wedding. P.

The jubilee of her Majesty will be
immediately followed by the year
marking the heir apparent's silver
wedding.— Fortnightly Review, 1887.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN

ONE'S MOUTH. See SPOON.

THE SILVER-FORK SCHOOL — a
name used by Thackeray for
the school of novelists who
describe only elegant life and
fashionable society.

Up to the heights of fashion with
the charming enchanters of the sil-
ver-fork school.— THACKERAY.

Simon. — THE REAL SIMON PURE
— the real person ; not a per-
sonator. P. Simon Pure is
a character in Mrs. Centlivre's
play, A Bold Stroke for a For-
tune. He is personated by a
Captain Feignwell, who is
nearly successful in obtaining
a wife and a fortune by his dis-
simulation ; but the real Si-
mon Pure, a Pennsylvanian
Quaker, turns up in time and
proves his identity.

And then Mr. Toogood had only
written one short scrap of a letter in
triumph: "Crawleyis all right, and
I think I've got the real Simon Pure
by the heels/'— A. TROLLOPE.

Simples. — CUTTING FOR THE
SIMPLES — an operation to be
performed for the benefit of
fools. C.

In the Lords and Commons (what
evils might be averted) by clearing
away bile, evacuating ill humours,
and occasionally by cutting for the
simples.— SOUTHEY.

Sine. — SINE DIE — without fix-
ing any future date ; Indefi-
nitely. P. Latin.

Our old friend was even now bal-
ancing on the brink of that eventful
plunge (a proposal of marriage),
which, if not made before the grand
climacteric, it is generally thought
advisable to postpone sine die —
G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

A SINE QUA NON — an essential ;
what is absolutely requisite.
P. Latin.

"Besides, sir," he added, turning
to the warder with an assumed air

Sinews

224

Six

of deference, "I believe it is a sine
quA non—I mean it is indispensable
—that for some time I must report
myself to the police once a month."
—HUGH CONWAY.

Sinews. — THE SINEWS OF WAR
— money; funds. P.

Widow Maxey had only become
reconciled to her abdication, be-
cause, as was well known, she
had remained in possession of the
sinews of war— that is, the actual
proprietorship of the horse and cart,
in addition to her savings.— SARAH

TYTLER.

Sink. — LEAVE HIM TO SINK OR
SWIM — do not aid him, but let
Mm fail or succeed by his own
efforts. P.

With or without reason, Miss
Huntley is of opinion that I de-
frauded you of your rights by taking
what my father's will gave me, and
that I afterwards turned you out
into the world to sink or swim, as
the case may be.— W. E. NORRIS.

Her husband told her that she
must sink or swim with him.— ED-
MUND YATES.

Sister. — SISTER ANNE — the
sister of Bluebeard's wife (in
the nursery tale). She kept
watch from a tower to see if
the expected aid would arrive.

"Sister Anne is on the watch-
tower," said he to Amelia; "but
there's nobody coming." — THACK-
ERAY.

He was prospecting down the
road, like another Sister Anne.—
JAMES PAYN.

Sit. TO SIT DOWN WITH — to

have to be contented with ; to
accept something whether we
like it or not. P.

Mr. Simpkins got the ten thousand
pound prize in the lottery, and we
sat down with (had to rest content
with) a blank.— GOLDSMITH.

To SIT BODKIN — to be squeezed
between two people. C.

There is barely room between Jos
and Miss Sharp, who are on the front
seat, Mr. Osborne sitting bodkin op-
posite, between Captain Dobbin and
Amelia.— THACKERAY.

To SIT UP FOR ANT ONE — to await
a person's return after the
usual bedtime. P.

Her own maid should sit up for
her.— GEORGE ELIOT.

To SIT UPON A PERSON — to snuh
him. F.

He asked, outside, with shame,
how it was that he allowed himsell
thus to be sat upon and ordered
out of the house by a mere girl.—
BESANT.

My lady felt rebuked, and, as she
afterwards expressed it, sat upon.—
MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

To SIT ON THORNS — to be in
state of discomfort or agony.
P.

He was sitting on thorns, all the
time, afraid lest she should refer to
the late event.

To SIT OUT ANYTHING — to refrain
from taking part in it. C.

Frank danced beautifully, bul
somehow we had given up dancing
together lately, and used to sit out
our dances together.— The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

To SIT OUT — to stay longer in
one's seat than another can.
P. Often used in accounts of
drinking parties.

On coming into the estate he gave
the finest entertainment ever was
heard of in the country ; not a man
could stand after supper but Sir
Patrick himself, who could sit out
the best man in Ireland.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

TO SIT ON THE RAIL OF FENCE

— to refuse to support any
party ; to reserve one's decision
as a voter. C. An American
phrase.

In the American political slang,
he (Henry IV.) was always sitting
on the rail between Catholics and
Huguenots.— The Times.

To SIT EGGS — to remain too long
as a guest. F.

To SIT UNDER — to attend the
services of. C.

On a Sunday the household
marched away in separate couples
or roups to at least half a dozen
of religious edifices, each to sit
under his or her favourite minister.
—THACKERAY.

TO SIT UNDER A CLERGYMAN —

to attend his church.

She, after a time, sat under him,
as the phrase is, regularly thrice a
week.— THACKERAY.

Six. — Six OF or TO ONE, AND

HALF A DOZEN OF Or TO THE

Sixty

OTHER — essentially the same ;
differing in nothing. C.

There's been a good deal of fun
made of rabbinical fables; but, in
point of fables, my opinion is, that
all over the world it's six of one and
half a dozen of the other.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

And so it's six to one and half a
dozen to the other— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

Also in the shorter form — six

AND HALF A DOZEN. C.

"What do they say about his
chance ? "

"Six and half a dozen, sir."— H.

KlNGSLEY.
SIX AND EIGHTPENCE the USUal

fee charged by a lawyer for a
consultation.

Always remember, Mr. Robarts,
that when you go into an attorneys
office door you will have to pay for it
first or last. In here, you see, the
dingy old mahogany, bare as it is,
makes you safe. Or else it's the salt-
cellar, which will not allow itself to
be polluted by six-and-eightpenny
considerations.— A. TROLLOPS.

Exp.— By "mahogany" is meant
the attorney's dining-table. Mr.
Robarts was to be looked on as a
guest. The salt-cellar is another
mark of hospitality. As long as
Mr. Robarts was in the lawyer's
private residence no fee would be
charged.

I have the right given me by a
genuine interest in his affairs— the
interest of a friend rather than a
lawyer. You don't suppose it's for
the sake of the six-and-eightpence.—
Miss BRADDON.

AT SIXES AND SEVENS — in dis-
order ; ill-arranged. C.

All goes to sixes and sevens— a
universal saturnalia seems to be
proclaimed in my peaceful and
orderly family.— SCOTT.

Its vicinity (the presence of soldiers
in a town), in our own experience,
has invariably over-roasted our mut-
ton, multiplied our cobwebs, and
placed our female establishment
generally at sixes and sevens.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Sixty. — LIKE SIXTY. See STAT-

ICE.

Skeleton. — THE SKELETON IN

THE HOUSE Or CUPBOARD the

secret cause of grief or shame
in a household. P.

After that first and last visit, his
father's name was never mentioned

225 Sky

in Pitt'spolite and genteel establish-
ment. It was the skeleton in the

house, and all the family walked by it
in terror and silence.— THACKERAY.
I find that the skeleton in my
domestic closet is becoming a pretty
big one.— DICKENS (Letters).
Skin. — TO SKIN A FLEA FOR ITS

HIDE — to be excessively mean

and avaricious. F.
"Generous!" I exclaimed: "why,

he's the meanest little hunks that

ever skinned a flea for the hide and

fat."— G. A. SALA.
To SKIN A FLINT — to be exces-

sively grasping. C. Hence

the term SKINFLINT for a miser.
Just as the toper squeezes the

empty bottle and the miser skins

the flint.— BESANT.
TO ESCAPE BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S

TEETH — to escape very nar-
rowly ; to come within an ace
of falling a victim. P.

It is true that ten years before this
he had, after an almost heroic resist-
ance, yielded to accept office in the
Palmerston Ministry, and escaped
only by the skin of his teeth.—
Leisure Hour, 1887.

The pit-brow women, to the num-
ber of something like five thousand,
were last summer only saved by the
skin of their teeth from having their
daily bread taken from them by a
Liberal government.— Contemporary
Review, 1886.

To SAVE ONE'S SKIN — to get off
without bodily hurt. C.

We meet with many of these dan-
gerous civilities, wherein it is hard
for a man to save both his skin and
his credit.— L'ESTRANGE.

Skip. — To SKIP OVER — to pass

unnoticed. P.
A gentleman made it a rule in

reading to skip over all sentences

where lie spied a note of admiration

at the end.— SWIFT.
Skirts. — To SIT UPON A MAN'S

SKIRTS — to meditate revenge

against him. F.
Sky. — To SKY A PICTURE — to

place it in an exhibition high

up on the wall. P.
This flight of Eastern imagery was

due to his picture having been skied

in the academy.— JAMES PAYN.

TO LAUD Or PRAISE TO THE SKIES

to be loud in praise of. P.

Indeed he was lauded by many
persons to the skies.— JAMES PAYN.
8

Slap

226

Slip

Slap. — A SLAP-BANG SHOP — a
low eating-house. S. A Lon-
don term.

They lived in the same street,
walked into town every morning at
the same hour, dined at the same
slap-bang every day.— DICKENS.

SLAP-UP — very fine ; elegant. S.
More slap-up still, have the two
shields painted on the panels with
the coronet over.— THACKERAY.

Sleeping1. — A SLEEPING PART-
NER — a member of a firm who
takes no share in its manage-
ment, but receives part of the
profits. P.

In most businesses there are sleep-
ins partners.— CAPTAIN MARBYAT.

His sole motive in consenting to

in the shameful plot, of wrnch his
daughter was the object, was to obtain
possession of his lost inheritance.—
H. K. HAGGARD.

LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE — do not
refer to unpleasant events of
the past. C.

Peter Scott was a jealous man to
begin with, and it was best to let
sleeping dogs lie.— Si. Andrews Citi-
zen, 1887.

TO SLEEP UPON ANYTHING — to

defer action until next morn-
ing. C. Cautious people often
prefer to wait at least twelve
hours before they commit
themselves to a course of ac-
tion.

Still he went in to breakfast with
some slight hope that, now Mrs.
Glegg had " slept upon it," her anger
might be subdued enough to give
way to her usually strong sense of
family decorum.— GEORGE ELIOT.
Sleeve. — To LAUGH IN ONE'S
SLEEVE. See LAUGH.

TO CARRY A THING ON ONE'S

SLEEVE — to reveal it to the
public gaze. P. See HEART
and WEAR.

He (the poet) should talk well, but
not with an obvious striving after
epigram; he should be sensitive
but not carry his Vanity openly on

S ° Peck *fc

IN ONE'S SLEEVE — secretly. C.

Mostly used of secret laughter.

No, not that woman," said Mr.

Harding enjoying his joke in his

sleeve.— A. TROLLOPE.

Sleig-ht. — SLEiGHT'OF-HANiD —
mantial dexterity ; clever use
of the fingers. P.

Vivian, you are a juggler : and the
deceptions of your sleight-of-hand
tricks depend upon instantaneous
motions.— BEACONSFIELD.

Slide. — TO LET THINGS SLIDE

— to refuse or neglect to in-
terfere ; to leave matters to
develop themselves. F.

She was not one of those diploma-
tists who advocate a masterly inac-
tion, and let things slide.— JAMES
PAYN.

Sling-. — To SLING ONE'S HOOK
or ONE'S DANIEL — to move oh.

S.

Slip. — TO SLIP OFF THE HOOKS

— to die. S.

Pray to God in heaven, Unless you
wish to see me run away. And if I
do, he slips off the hooks.— BLACK-
MORE.

He was not far from eighty when

he slipped off the hooks without an

ache or pain.— MRS.E.LYNNLIN±ON.

To SLIP ONE'S CABLE — to die. S.

He was dreadfully frightened at
the prospect of slipping his cable in
a foreign land.— G. A. SALA.
To SLIP ONE'S WIND— to lose one's
breath ; to die. C.

"You give him the right stuff,
doctor," said Hawes jocosely, "and
he won't slip his wind this time."—
C. READE.

To GIVE THE SLIP— to escape
secretly. F.

"I

lowed me down here," Itawdon
continued, still desponding.

"When they do. we'll find means
to give them the slip," said dauntless
little Becky.— THACKERAY.
TO SLIP THROUGH ONE'S FINGERS

— (a) to die unexpectedly and
without a struggle. P. Said
of a sick person.

— (6) to escape from a person's
grasp. C.

He would not let the thing slip
through his fingers ... a debtor
never yet escaped him, and never
should.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

When Chaldicotes slipped through
the duke's fingers and went into the
hands of Dr. Thorne, or of Dr.
Thome's wife, the duke had been
very angry with Mr. Fothergill.— A.
TROLLOPE.

I wonder the writs haven't fol-
Ita

Slough

227

Smoke

To SLIP INTO A MAN — tq give him

a sound beating. S.
THERE'S MANY A SLIP 'TWIXT

THE CUP AND THE LIP — men

cannot count on anything until
it is actually in their grasp, P.
" The original," says Charles
Reade, "is Greek, and comes
down to us with an example.
To the best of my recollection,
the ancient legend runs, that
a Greek philosopher was dis-
coursing to his pupil on the
inability of man to foresee the
future — ay, even the event of
the next minute. The pupil
may have, perhaps, granted
the uncertainty of the dis-
tant future, but he scouted the
notion that men could not
make sure of immediate and
consecutive events. By way
of illustration he proceeded to
fill a goblet. ' I predict,' said
he sneeringly, * that after fill-
ing this goblet, the next event
will be that I shaU drink the
wine.' Accordingly he filled
the goblet. At that moment
his servant ran in — ' Master !
master ! a wild boar is in
our vineyard ! ' The master
caught up his javelin directly,
and ran out to find the boar
and kill him. He had the luck
to find the boar, and attacked
him with such spirit that Sir
Boar killed him, and the gob-
let remained filled. From
that incident arose in Greece
the saying, ' Polla metaxu pe-
lei kulikos kai cheileos akra.' '

Mrs. Quiverful went off to her
kitchen and back settlements with
anxious beating heart, almost dread-
ing that there might be some slip
between the cup of her happiness
and the lip of her fruition, but yet
comforting herself with the re-
flection that after what had taken
place any such slip could hardly be
possible.— A, TROLLOPE.

SlOUgll. A SLOUGH OF DE-
SPOND—a state of utter despond-
ency. P. SeeBunyan'sPt&rira's
Progress, " The First Stage."

She seemed to be stuck in a slough
of despond, and could not move in
any direction to get out of it.-U.
READE.

Slow. — A SLOW COACH — a lazy
or inactive person. F.
. He's not very quick in temper, or
in anything else; he's what we call
a slow coach.— CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

Sly. — ON THE SLY — secretly. C.

"I thought you were down here
about it ?'p

" Only on the sly, Mrs. Walker. "-
A. TROLLOPE.

He was beginning to doubt this
clerk who attended that meeting on
the sly.— C. READE.

Sir all. — A SMALL-BEER CHRON-
ICLE— a record of insignificant
domestic events. C. The
phrase comes from Shake-
speare, Othello, act ii., scene 1
line 161 : " To suckle fools,
and chronicle small-beer."

This small-beer chronicle is
scarcely justified by the fact that
many of Agnes's acquaintances and
correspondents were persons of dis-
tinction.— Athenceum, 1887.

Small hours — the hours after
twelve ; midnight. P.

Although a fog rolled over the city
in the small hours, the early part of
the night was cloudless.— R. L.
STEVENSON.

SMALL TALK — conversation about
unimportant things, like the
weather or the every-day
events of life. P.

She was absorbed in digesting
Rolfe's every word, and fixing his
map in her mind, and filling in
details to his outline ; so small talk
stung her.-C. READE.

His voice was soft and low, and he
had a way of placing his white,
plump, glistening hand on the region
of his heart as he spoke, that gave a
sort of dramatic earnestness to what
would otherwise have been small
talk.— JAMES PAYN.

Smell. — To SMELL A RAT — to
detect something wrong. P.

Of his attachment to the doctrine
of the Trinity the Bishop of Exeter
may make what protestations he
will, Archdeacon Denison will smell
a rat in them.— M. ARNOLD.

Smoke. — To END IN SMOKE —
to come to no practical result.
P.

Snail

TO SMOKE THE CALUMET, Or THE

PIPE OF PEACE — to be formally
reconciled. C. The phrase
comes from a Red Indian cus-
tom.

This dinner was essentially a well-
dressed pow-wow to witness the
burying of the hatchet and the
smoking of the calumet.— MRS. E.
LYNN LINTON.

Snail. — AT A SNAIL'S GALLOP —
very slowly. C.
And if he happened not to feel
An angry hint from thong or steel,
He by degrees would seldom fail
T' adopt the gallop of a snail.

COMBE.

Snap. — To SNAP ONE'S FINGERS
AT — to defy ; to show one's
contempt for. C.

You live with me, and snap your
fingers at Hawes and all his crew.—

C. IlEADE.

To SNAP A MAN'S NOSE OFF — to
speak sharply to him. C.

Well, well, you needn't snap a
man's nose off! Come, what has
the young man been doing?— Good
Words, 1887.

Sneeze. — To SNEEZE AT A
THING — to despise it ; to think
little of it. F.
A buxom, tall, and comely dame
Who wished, 'twas said, to change

her name,

And if I could her thoughts divine,
Would not perhaps have sneezed at

mine.— COMBE.

Snuff. - TO TAKE IT IN SNUFF

— to take offence. F.

You'll mar the light by taking it in

snuff;
Therefore I'll darkly end my argu-

ment.— SHAKESPEARE.
IN SNUFF Or IN THE SNUFF -

offended. F.

He dares not come there for the
candle, for, you see, it is already in
snuff.— SHAKESPEARE.

And whereas in snuff and distaste
you may fling away from such res
mfccta, a little patience and words

228 So

that might snuff Tpepper else.— Old
Play.
UP TO SNUFF — crafty ; know-

S.

nezer, "dmna Jdon'tl fly up in the
snuff at me."— E. L. STEVENSON.
To SNUFF PEPPER — to take of-
fence. F.

I brought them in, because here
are some of other cities in the room

ing.

"Ah, I daresay," returned her
uncle. "You American ladies are
so up to snuff, as you say."— W. D.
HOWELLS.

A rough and tough, and possibly
an up-to-snuff old vagabond.—

DICKENS.
To SNUFF OUT — to die.

S.

So. — ONLY so-so — very ^indiffer-
ently ; not well. C.

"How do you find yourself, my
dear fellow?''

"Only so-so," said Mr. John
Spanker.— DICKENS.

"What cheer, Sol Gills?" cried the
captain heartily.

" But so-so," returned the instru-
ment-maker.— DICKENS.
AND so ON — and the like ; and
other similar words, acts, or
events. P.

He heard of a house here or a
house there, and went to see it, but
it was too large ; and of another, but
it was too small ; and of a third, but
it was not convenient for her pur-
pose ; and so on.— BESANT.
SO-AND-SO. A phrase used when
exact particulars are referred
to but not actually given. C.

It would also have been con-
siderate, at least, had Mr. Brown-
ing given the dates of dispatches
referred to by Lord Hawkesbury
as No. So-and-so, when answering
them or acknowledging their receipt.
—Spectator, December 17, 1887.

But my name is So-and-So is a safe
answer, and I gave it.— J. R. LOWELL.

So TO SPEAK — (a) An apologetic
phrase generally used with
statements which are not lit-
erally true. P.

Sometimes the home is visited by
the committee, who go round and
taste the soup, so to speak, confer as
to the accounts, and consider the
case of those ill-advised young people
who have requested permission to
stay out for an hour later than is
allowed by the rules.— BESANT.

— (6) if the phrase may be
used. P. Attached to state-
ments that must not be taken
literally.

If an old man has to go hungry, he
grows melancholy, because the situa-
tion is permanent, so to speak.

Soap

229

Soap. — HOW ABE YOU OFF FOB

SOAP ? A meaningless, bant-
ering phrase, at one time
common in England. S.

Or put their heads into his shop,
and asked how he was off for soap.—
S. BARING-GOULD.

Soft. — SOFT SAWDER — flattery.
S.

It is done by a knowledge of soft
sawder and human nature.— HALI-
BUBTON.

SOFT SOAP — complimentary
speeches. F. A person of in-
sinuating manners is said to
be soapy.

Sol. — SOI-DISANT — self -named ;
self-appointed. P. French.

Charges of seduction trumped up
by young women like Annette
Harchoux and their soi-disant
patrons must be subjected to a very
searching investigation.— Saturday
Review, 1887.

Some. — SOME OF THESE DAYS —
soon ; before very long. C.

Son. — SON OF A SEA -COOK — a
term of contempt used by
sailors to their companions. S.
Of course, in the use of sea-terms

you'll not wonder
If I now and then should fall into

some blunder.
For which Captain Chamier or Mr.

T. P. Cooke
Would call me a lubber and son of

a sea-cook.— BARHAM.

Song*. TO SELL FOB A SONG

or AN OLD SONG — to sell very
cheap. C.

O Kit ! Kit ! the firm ends with me.
I must sell the goodwill for the very
worst old song, if it once leaks out
what a fool you are.— BLACKMORE.

A skeleton clock and a couple of
bronze figures, picked up in one of
the slums of Covent Garden for a
song.— Miss BRADDON.

Sop. TO THROW A SOP TO CER-
BERUS— to try to pacify a
greedy enemy by granting
him favours. P. Cerberus, in
Roman mythology, was the
three-headed dog that watched
Pluto's palace in the infernal
regions.

To Cerberus they give a sop
His triple barking mouth to stop.
SWIFT.

Sow

For instance, the Transvaal Con-
vention that Mrs. Carr mentioned is
an admirable example of how such
pandering is done. No man of
experience can have believed that
such an agreement would be wise, or
that it can result in anything but
trouble and humiliation ; but the
trouble and humiliation will not
come just yet, and in the meanwhile
a sop is thrown to Cerberus.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Sope. — A SIGHT FOR
EYES — a welcome sight. F.

Well, the very sight of the Yankee
girls is good for sore eyes, the dear
little critters (creatures).-HALi-

BURTON.

SOPPOW. — SORROW — a word
used in Ireland to give a nega-
tive meaning to a sentence. F.
The birds were singing, and I
stopped whistling that they might
hear them: but sorrow bit could
they hear (they heard nothing) when
they got to the park gate, for there
was such a crowd and such a shout.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Sotto. — SOTTO VOCE — in a sub-
dued voice ; in a whisper. P.
Italian.

"She's worn out and upset, poor
little thing!" he said sotto voce —
Murray's Magazine, 1887.

SOUP. — SOUR GRAPES — a thing
despised because -t is unat-
tainable. P.

A famished fox once saw some
clusters of ripe black grapes hanging
from a trellised vine. She resorted
to all her arts in vain, for she could
not reach them. At last she turned
away, beguiling herself of her disap-
pointment, and saying, " The grapes
are sour, and not ripe as I thought."
—JEsop's Fables.

SOW. — TO SOW WILD OATS — to

be wild and extravagant when
young. P.

" Upon my honour," exclaimed Sir
Brian, "your excuse seems to me to
be your condemnation. If you were
a spendthrift, as young fellows often
are, there would be a chance of your
sowing your wild oats." — Good
Words, 1887.
TO SOW THE WIND AND REAP THE

WHIRLWIND — to behave reck-
lessly and wickedly, and suffer
a dreadful punishment. P.
From the Bible (Hosea viii. 7).

Sow

230

Spin

In Stevenson's The Mis-
adventures of John Nicholson,
the heading to chapter i. is
" In which John sows the
wind " and to chapter ii.,
" In which John reaps the
whirlwind."

His portrait of the poor crazy-
brained creature, Lord George
Gordon, who sowed the wind which
the country was to reap in whirl-
wind, is excellent.— F. MARZIALS, in
Life of Dickens, "Great Writers"
Series.
SOW. — TO HAVE THE WRONG SOW

BY THE EAR — to have captured
the wrong individual. Also
" the right sow." F.

However, this time he'd got the
wrong sow by the ear — T. HUGHES.

" It?s all right, old fellow," he said,
clapping his hand on Crawley's
shoulder; "we've got the right sow
by the ear at last."— A. TROLLOPS.

Spade. — To CALL A SPADE A
SPADE — to use plain language ;
to be straightforward in the
terms one uses. P.

Viola, when will you leave off
using such terrible words ? Our poor
father always said he never knew
such a girl for calling a spade a
spade.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

She was not an epitome of all the
virtues, but a woman of a decided
temper, not used to mince matters,
and calling a spade a spade.— MRS.
OLIPHANT.

Spanish. — A SPANISH CASTLE
— something visionary and un-
real. P. See CHATEAUX EN

ESPAGNE.

Nellie le Strange, with her light
heart, her tumble-down Spanish
castles (dreams never to be realized),
and her silly little tender jokes, has
gone away.— RHODA BROUGHTON.

Speak. — To SPEAK VOLUMES —
to furnish ample testimony. P.
Does it not, then, speak volumes
as to what the instinctive revolt of
the attitude is, to find her taking it
quite as a matter of course that a
high-bred, well-behaved young lady
of eighteen should be roused to
an outbreak like the following?—
Spectator, 1887.

To SPEAK OF — worth mention-
ing. P.

They have no institutions of their
own to speak of, no public buildings
of any importance.— BESANT.

TO SPEAK WELL FOR ONE to

speak in his favour ; to be to
his credit. P.

To SPEAK UP — to retort ; to
address a superior saucily. C.

This is followed by a disposition
on the part of the forewoman to find
fault, and by a determination on the
part of the work-girls not to be put
upon, with an intention of speak-
ing up should the occasion arise.—
BESANT.

Speap. — ACHILLES' SPEAR. It
was said that this spear could
both wound and cure. P.
Whose smile and frown, like to

Achilles' spear,
Is able with the change to kill or

cure.— SHAKESPEARE.

Spelling1. — A SPELLING BEE —
a gathering where prizes are
given to the persons who are
best at spelling. These com-
petitions were very popular in
Great Britain about the year
1876.

It was also spelled in a manner
disapproved by the great Butter,
and disallowed by spelling bees.—
BESANT. t

Sphinx. — THE SPHINX'S RID-
DLE. The Sphinx was a she-
monster who is said to have
proposed a riddle to the The-
bans, and to have murdered all
who failed to guess it. CEdi-
pus was finally successful in
guessing it, whereupon she
killed herself. P.

What solution, if any, have you
found for the labour question? It
was the Sphinx's riddle of the
nineteenth century.— E. BELLAMY.
Spick. — SPICK AND SPAN — very
neat and trim. F.

A spick and span new gig at the
door.— HALI BURTON.

"Because," said Belle— " because,
Mr. Ludgate, the furniture of this
house is as old as Methusalem ; and
my friend, Mrs. Pimlico, said yes-
terday it was a shame to be seen :
and so, to be sure, it is, compared
with her own, which is spick and
span new."— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
Spin. — To SPIN A TARN — to tell
a story. C. A sailor's phrase.

Blow-hard (as the boys called him)
was a dry old file, with much kind-
ness and humour, and a capital
spinner of a yarn.— T. HUGHES.

231
SPIRITS —

SPLICED —
A sailor's

Spirits

Spirits. — O UT OF

melancholy; gloomy; sad. P.
He was out of spirits; he had
grown very silent ; he did not read :
it seemed as if he had something on
his mind.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Spliced. — To GET
to be married. S.
phrase.

Split. TO SPLIT ON A FRIEND

— to inform against him ; to
reveal a scheme in which he
was concerned ; to betray
him. S.

Robinson sighed. ' What is the
matter?" said his master, trying to
twist his head round.

" Nothing ; only I am afraid they
—they won t split. Fellows of that
sort don't split on a comrade where
they can get no good by it."— C.
READE.
To SPLIT WITH — to quarrel with ;

to separate from. F.
SPLIT UP — having long legs. S.

The favourite came from Lincoln-
shire, a tall, well-split-up fellow.
To SPLIT HAIRS — to indulge in
over-refined arguments. P.

No splitter of hairs was he.— C.
READE.

Spoil. — To SPOIL THE EGYP-
TIANS— to get supplies from
one's enemies. P. A Scrip-
tural phrase (Exod. xii. 36).

More, he might even be able to
spoil that Egyptian George, giving
him less than his due.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

"It would be a spoiling of the
Egyptians perfectly justifiable," said
Maurice.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

TO SPOIL FOR A FIGHT to be

very anxious for a fight. F.

"You seem to be spoiling for a
fight," remarked Bracknell. "I
don't know that I have any
grievance against you, but I'll try
my best to indulge you by discover-
ing one."— W. E. NORRIS.
Spoke. — To PUT A SPOKE IN
ANOTHER'S WHEEL — to arrest
his progress; to hinder his
schemes. C.

You have put a most formidable
spoke in my wheel by preventing
the extension of the borough.— W.-hj.
NoRri|$, in Good Words, 1887.

Sponge. — To

ANOTHER — to

SPONGE UPON
get money or

Spoon

food in a mean way ; to take
advantage of another's good
nature to obtain money from
him, or a place at his table. P.

The ant lives upon her own
honesty; whereas the fly is an in-
truder and a common smell-feast,
that sponges upon other people's
trenchers.— L'EsTRANG E.

He could not allow people to say of
him that it was an easy matter to
abandon his own income, as he was
able to sponge on that of another
person.— A. TROLLOPE,

TO THROW UP THE SPONGE

to confess oneself vanquished ;
to yield. F. In pugilistic
encounters the two principals
are accompanied by seconds.
After each round these seconds
wipe the faces of the principals
and prepare them for the next
round. When a principal
refuses to enter for another
round, his second throws up
the sponge.

Had it not been for her, French
would have collapsed, and perhaps
would have thrown up the sponge.
—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Brooke cannot find it in his heart
to stop them just yet, BO the round
goes on, the Slogger waiting for
Tom, and reserving all his strength
to hit him out should he come in for
the wrestling dodge again: for he
feels that must be stopped, or his
sponge will soon go up in the air.—
T. HUGHES.

Spoon. — IT TAKES A LONG

SPOON TO SUP WITH HIM — lie

is a devil or an evil spirit.
C. The proverb runs, " It
takes a long spoon to sup with
the devil " — that is, the devil
is so crafty that if one forms
a league with him, most of the
profits are sure to go to him.

"Bespeak a long spoon."

"Why, Dromio?"

" Marry, he must have a long spoon
that must eat with the devil.' —
SHAKESPEARE.

He had voluntarily supped with
the devil, and his spoon had been
too short.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN

ONE'S MOUTH — born in wealth
and luxury. P.

"What! the settlement I have
made is more than enough— five

Spooney

thousand pounds more than enough.
One can see, young fellow, that you
were born with a silver spoon in
your mouth."— Longmans? Maga-
zine, 1886.
BORN WITH A GOLDEN SPOON IN

ONE'S MOUTH — born to great
splendour ; heir to great
wealth. C.

The result of his training has been
to make him thoroughly discon-
tented with his present lot, and dis-
posed to consider himself aggrieved
much above the majority of his
fellow-creatures, because he was not
born with a golden spoon in his
mouth.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

TO MAKE A SPOON OR SPOIL A

HORN — to succeed in an enter-
prise or fail deplorably. F.
The phrase is used when an
opportunity is furnished to
an untried but energetic per-
son of showing his skill. There
is always the fear of his ruining
the materials.

He may be a good enough sort at
cricket or billiards, in a smoking-
room or a drawing-room, but that s
about it. He will neither make a
spoon nor spoil a horn.— SARAH
TYTLER.

He, on the other hand, with an
exceptionally acute and vigorous
mind of his own, and determined
to make a spoon or spoil a horn, had
little idea of restricting himself to
the ordinary passive part allotted to
the "bookseller. "—MRS. OLIPHANT.

Spooney. — SPOONEY ON A GIRL
— foolishly fond of her. F.

"The reason." said she. "why I
had never either formed or pro-
voked any attachment was because
I was always so spooney on girls."—
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

George is getting spooney on that
girl, or she is getting spooney on
him.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Sport. — To SPORT ONE'S OAK
— to shut one's door to chance
visitors. F. A college phrase,
common at Oxford and Cam-
bridge.

Rumours of high play at cards, of
perpetually sported oak (continual
seclusion in his room), non-at-
tendance at chapel, and frequent
shirking of classes, lessened the
esteem m which Routh was held by
the authorities.— EDMUND YATES.

He remembered that he had been
concerned in the blocking up of that

232 Spring

chapel door and in the sticking of
a striking caricature on that su-
perciliously sported oak.— SARAH
TYTLER.

Spot. — ON THE SPOT — just
there ; instantly ; without
^change of place. P.

Though they had caused the death
of many men during the last two
years, they had not yet, as it hap-
pened, murdered a single one on the
spot.— C. READE.

It was determined upon the spot,
according as the oratory on either
side prevailed.— SWIFT.

Spout. — UP THE SPOUT — at the
pawnbroker's. S.

There's that dressing-case cost me
two hundred— that is, I owe two for
it; and the gold tops and bottles
must be worth thirty or forty.
Please to put that up the spout,
ma'am, with my pins, and rings,
and watch, and chain, and things.—
THACKERAY. •

I haven't a suit of clothes fit to go
in, even my (barrister's) wig and
gown are up the spout together.— D.
CHRISTIE MURRAY.

Sprat. — To THROW A SPRAT

TO CATCH A WHALE — to V6n-

ture something small in order
to obtain a large return. C.

" What are you at? Are you mad,
Tom ? Why^ there goes five pounds.

you never hear of the man

What a sin !J
"Did

that flung away a sprat to catch a
whale?"— C. KEAI>E.

Spread. — SPREAD-EAGLEISM —
(a) boastful American patriot-
ism. P. Compare it with
English Jingoism and French
Chauvinism.

When we talk of spread-eagleism
we are generally thinking of the
United States : but the real spread-
eagleism is that, not of the American
Republic, but of the Russian Em-
pire.— Fortniqhtly Review, 1887.

Hush, mv lord ! You forget that
you are a British peer. No spread-
eagle for you.— BESANT.

(6) any kind of blatant

patriotism. P.

Among educated people his (Vis-
count Wolseley's) spread-eagleism
may be left to work its own ridicule.
—Scottish Leader, 1890. ^

Spring*. — To SPRING A MINE
UPON ONE — to surprise one ;

Spur

to lay a plot and announce
suddenly its completion. P.

"But, my dear Samuel, this is so
altogether unexpected."

"So is the discovery of the manu-
script," put in the young fellow with
pitiless logic.

"It is like springing a mine on
me, my lad."— JAMES PAYN.

TO SPRING TO ONE'S FEET to

rise suddenly up. P.

He sprang to his feet, and pushed
the woman, a buxom party of about
thirty, from him.— H. R. HAGGARD.

SpUP. ON THE SPUR OF THE

MOMENT — acting under the
first impulse, without reflec-
tion. P.

The criticism offered on the spur
of the moment had been, in reality,
advanced by way of protest against
the whole document.— JAMES PAYN.
To WIN ONE'S SPURS — to gain a
reputation. P. Originally used
of feudal warriors who, by
doing some deed of valour, won
the spurs of knighthood.

The eicounter in which Charles
Townshend won his spurs was only
a preliminary skirmish.— TREVEL-

YAN.

Square. — ALL SQUARE — all
right ; quite satisfactory. F.

"Sit still ; it will be all square."

But in his heart he knew that it
was not all square, and that they
were in imminent danger of death
from drowning.— H. R. HAGGARD.
ON or UPON THE SQUARE — hon-
ourable ; fair ; even ; honour-
ably ; fairly. C.

If you think it fair
Amongst known cheats to play

upon the square,
You'll be undone.— ROCHESTER.

Ain't it all on the square? What
have you got to say to that?— T.
HUGHES.

For now I'm upon the square with
you (I am treating you openly and
fairly), I must be straight as an
arrow.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
To SQUARE — to settle ; to adjust.
P.

Lady Parker will square accounts
by sending you a card for a garden
party next July.— Miss BRADDON.
To SQUARE UP — to take the
attitude of a boxer ; to clench
the fists and prepare to fight.
C.

3 Stab

The speaker proceeded to square
up to George in a most determined
way.— H. R. HAGGARD.

To SQUARE OFF — the same as

TO SQUARE UP. C.

He felt as a peaceful citizen might
feel who had squared off at a stranger
for some supposed wrong, and sud-
denly discovered that he was under-
taking to chastise Mr. Dick Curtis,
the irpet of the Fancy," or Mr.
Joshua Hudson, the John Bull
fighter."— 0. W. HOLMES.
TO SQUARE ANYTHING TO Of

WITH — to make it agree with.

P.

Eye me, blest Providence, and

square my trial
To my proportioned strength.

MILTON.

Fortune, accident— call it rather
providence— has placed you in a cer-
tain station, and it is fit for you to
fulfil the duties of that station with-
out repining or restlessness because,
forsooth, it does not happen to
square exactly with some vague
notions of your own.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

To BREAK SQUARES — to depart
from an accustomed order. C.

TO BREAK NO SQUARES — to give

no offence ; to make no
difference. C.

A SQUARE MEAL — a full meal
which satisfies. F.

Talleyrand, even at the age of
eighty, ate but one square meal a
day.— Saturday Review, 1888.

SQUARE -TOES — a contemptuous
name for a person of strict
morals. F. The Puritans
wore shoes of this shape.

I never shall forget the solemn
remonstrances of our old square-
toes of a rector at Hackham.—
THACKERAY.

To CALL IT SQUARE — to consider
matters settled ; to make no
further claim. F.

I don't think I ever did Rogers any
wrong, and I never did think so;
but if I did do ii-if I did-I'm
willing to call it square, if I never
see a cent of money back again.— W.
D. HOWELLS.

Stab. — ON THE 'STAB — paid
regular wages ; on the staff
of a firm. S. 'Stab is here
a contraction for " establish-
ment."

Stable

234

Stand

Stable. — - To LOOK or SHUT

THE STABLE-DOOR WHEN THE

STEED is STOLEN — to take
precautions when too late. P.
The emperor of Austria, who has
given a great deal of time and pa-
tient labour to the reorganization of
the Austria-Hungary army, is, it is
understood, pleased with the recent
development of the powers of mobi-
lization of the Austrian cavalry.
But this is rather a case of shutting
the stable-door when the steed is
stolen. The Russians had a very
long start, and it is probable they
still maintain it.— Fortnightly Re-
view, 1887.

Staff. TO HAVE THE BETTER

END OF THE STAFF — to have

the superiority. C.

Miss Byron, I have had the better
end of the staff, I believe?— RICH-
ARDSON.

Stage. — A STAGE WHISPER —
a whisper that can be heard
by many. P.

Stake. — AT STAKE — in peril ;
about to be contended for.
P.

He wrote to tell the king that the
honour of himself and his brother
sovereigns, whose consciences they
directed, was at stake.— National
Review, 1887.

" Do not speak of him, Johnny."
"I must speak of him. A man
isn't to hold nis tongue when every-
thing he has in the. world is at
I stake. —A. TROLLOFE.
STAKE AND RICE — a wattled

fence. Provincial English.
Stale. — To LIE IN STALE — to
lie in ambush. Provincial
English.

Stall. TO STALL A DEBT

to refrain from pressing its
payment. Provincial English.
STALL TOUR MUG — be off j go
away. S.

Stand. — To STAND BY — (a) to
be faithful ; to assist in a diffi-
culty. P.

The man that stands by me in
trouble I won't bid him go when the
sun shines again.-C. READE.
— (&) to be ready; to hold
oneself in readiness. A nau-
tical use.

Standing-by is sailors' English for
being ready.— J. HOLDSWORTH.

" What did you say, Captain Cut-
tle?" inquired Walter.

"Stand by !" returned the captain
thoughtfully.— DICKKNS.

To STAND AT EASE — to take the

restful position allowed to sol-

diers in the intervals of drill. P.

By their rattles and slaps they're

not standing at ease.— BABHAM.

To STAND ON END — to stand
erect. P. Generally said of
the hair of a person who has
got a fright.

When I think of the souls of the
people in that poor village, my hair
literally stands on end.— A. TBOL-
LOPE.

My hair stood on my head like
quills.— R. L. STEVENSON.

TO STAND TO REASON— tO be

logically certain ; to be an
undoubted fact. P.

If you were heirtoadukedomand a
thousand pounds a day, do you mean
to say you would not wish for pos-
session ? iPooh ! And it stands to
reason that every great man, having
experienced this feeling towards his
father, must be aware that his son
entertains it towards himself. —
THACKEBAY.

It stands to reason that I must
either be driven along with the
crowd or else be left behind.— A.
TBOLLOPE.

To STAND ON CEREMONY — to act

with reserve ; to be stiff and
ceremonious in behaviour ; to
be backward. P.

Mordecai absolutely refused (this
bond), declaring that now he had
the power he would use it to obtain
the utmost penny of his debt ; ____
that a man lying on his death-bed
was no excuse to a creditor ; that he
was not going to stand on ceremony
about disturbing a gentleman in his
last moments.— MARIA EDO E WORTH.

TO STAND IN ONE'S LIGHT - to

hinder his Advancement. P.

Don't stand in the poor girl's light ;

ity's sake, George, le
peace.— C. READE.

for pity's sake, George, leave us in

.

At seventy, as at twenty-seven, he
is found standing in his own light
on many occasions through nervous
fear.— Leisure Hour, 1886.

To STAND IN NEED OF — to re-
quire ; to be in want of. P.

I stood in need of a comfortable
dinner.— GOLDSMITH.

Stand

She afterwards took him down-
stairs and gave him some supper, of
which he stood in great neecL-
JAMES PAYN.

So I proposed that we should try
to go out and get a bath, of which
we stood sadly in need.-H. K. HAG-
GARD.

To STAND TO— (a) to uphold;
to be faithful to. C.

"My lady, whatever I say you'll
stand to?"

"Whatever you say I'll stand to."
— C. KEADE.

(&) to oppose in a duel ;

to be a match for. C.

"A regular Turk," answered
Fagan; adding, "I never yet knew
the man who stood to Captain
Quin."— THACKERAY.

To STAND TO ONE'S GUN — to
offer resistance ; to defend
oneself. C.

Titmouse, though greatly alarmed,
stood to his gun pretty steadily.—
S. WARREN.

To STAND TREAT — to pay the
expenses of any feasting or
merriment. C.

He ordered in a glass of negus from
the adjoining public - house, after
some discussion, which ended in an
agreement that he should stand treat
that night, and Titmouse on the
ensuing one.— S. WARREN.
To STAND OUT — to object ; to
refuse to agree ; to separate
oneself from others. P.

If the ladies will stand out, let
them remember that the jury is not
all agreed.— SWIFT.

He always stands out and higgles,
and actually tires them till he gets a
bargain.— GOLDSMITH.

Miss Monica Thorne stood out,
but Mrs. Grantly gave way.— A.
TROLLOPE.

TO STAND IN GOOD STEAD to

be useful ; to prove of good
service. P.

"I pique myself on my wisdom
there, Arthur, and as an old fellow
to whom wisdom has become cheap,
I can bestow it upon you."

"Thank you. It may stand me in
good stead some day." — GEORGE
ELIOT.

To STAND OVER — to be delayed ;
to be set aside for a time. P.
He had a habit of giving and lend-
ing whenever he was asked, also of
buying whatever chanced to take
his fancy, and paying for it or let-

235 Star

ting payment stand over according
as he happened to have money in
his pocket or not at] the time.— Good
Words, 1887.

To STAND UP FOR — to champion ;
to speak in defence of. P.

You are always standing up for
the black people, whom the Boers
hate.-H. it. HAGGARD.

To STAND ONE'S FRIEND — to
prove faithful and friendly
in a difficulty or a crisis. C.
Mrs. Dolly regularly expected that
Ellen should, as she called it, stand
her friend in these altercations.—
MARIA EDOEWORTH.

TO STAND ON ONE'S OWN BOTTOM

— to be independent. C. Still
found in its original form,
" Let every vat (or tub) stand
on its own bottom."

Suppose an Irishman in England
were [to speak in praise or abuse of
the country, would one be par-
ticularly pleased or annoyed? One
would be glad that the man liked
his trip ; but as for his good or bad
opinion of the country, the country
stands on its own bottom, superior
to any man or men.— THACKERAY.

But I think it's better to let every
tub stand on its own bottom.—
HUGH CONWAY.

A STANDING DISH — a dish or
article of diet which regularly
appears at table. C.

STANDING ORDERS — general rules
or instructions constantly in
force.

Star. — His STAR is IN THE
ASCENDANT — he is lucky ; for-
tune favours him. P.

His feelings of resentment became
more lively, and not the less so be-
cause the expression of them had
been stifled, while he had con-
sidered the star of Titmouse to be
in the ascendant.— S. WARREN.

A MAN'S GOOD STAR — a lucky
influence affecting his life. P.
"Yes," said Ella patiently; "she
was, of course, the Pre"— (her good
star just saved her from saying the
Pretender)—" Prince Charlie in dis-
guise."—JAMES PAYN.

THE STARS AND STRIPES, or THE
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER — the
flag of the United States. P.

If I were a West Indian, I should
feel that under the Stars and Stripes

Stare

I should be safer than I was at pres-
ent from political experimenting.—
J. A. FROUDE.

I don't want to see my husband
walking into his proper place in
Westminster with Stars and Stripes
flying over his head.— BESANT.

Being a sharp fellow, he has ac
quainted himself thoroughly with
the geography of that country, and
the amount of capital requisite to
enable a man to set up for himself
under the Star-spangled banner.— G.
J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Stare. — To STAKE IN THE
FACE — to be very evident ; to
threaten ; to be ready to
overwhelm. P.

Is it possible for people without
scruple to offend against the law,
which they carry about them in
indelible characters, and that stares
them in the face whilst they are
breaking it?— LOCKE.

Statice. — LIKE STATICE or
STACIA or SIXTY. A phrase
used in comparing or estimat-
ing things. S. Statice is a
plant that grows among rocks
by the sea-shore.

It is the most costly government
in the world, considering our means.
We are actually eaten up by it ; it is
a most plaguy sore, and has spread
like statice till it has got its root
into the very core.— HALIBURTON.!

Status. — THE STATUS QUO —
the position in which affairs
actually are ; the present
situation of affairs. P. Latin.
It was hardly too much to assume
that a little further thought, a little
more consideration of future prob-
abilities, would have led to the
maintenance of the status quo.—
Good Words, 1887.

Stave. — To STAVE OFF — to pre-
vent ; to keep back for a time
and with difficulty. P.

I have more influence in the land
than you know of. Perhaps, even,
I could stave off the war.— H. K.
HAGGARD.

Stays. — IN STAYS. A sea
phrase, applied to a vessel
which is tacking, and whose
sails are shivering and have not
yet filled in the new tack. P.

"My pretty Patty," laughed her
cousin, "if you knew anything of

236 Stick

nautical matters, you would see that
it was not a cutter yacht, for she
has more than one mast; though,
certainly, as you saw her, she seemed
to have but one, for she was just
coming about, and was in stays.—
Verdant Green.

Steal. — To STEAL A MARCH
UPON — to gain an advantag6
over an enemy or a competitor
without his knowing it ; to
act before another is aware. P.
I long to see you happy— long to
behold the choice of sucn a heart as
yours. Pray do not steal a march
upon me; let me know in time.—
MARIA EDGE WORTH.

At last, one morning, happening to
awake earlier than usual, he stole a
march on his nurses, and, taking his
stick, walked out and tottered into
the jail.— C. KEADE.

Stick. A STICK-IN-THE-MUD

a slow person who is wholly
without the spirit of enterprise
or adventure. F.

This rusty-coloured one is that
respectable old stick-in-the-mud,
Nicias.— T. HUGHES.

To STICK BY — to be faithful to ;
not to desert. P.

He thought what a savage, de-
termined man Osborne was, and
how he stuck by his word.— THACK-
ERAY.

To STICK AT — to be scrupulous
about. P.

" I came here to-night to rob your
house," he said. " I have been lying
beneath your bed for hours, rehears-
ing as to how it should be done, and
resolved, if I met any resistance, to
do worse than rob, for I am one that
sticks at nothing. —JAMES PAYN.

Such women as Hester Beverley,

/l,~ xl~ i -A'-I_ -i A~TIJ_.~ _ r~i_/l

who do not stick at telling a false-
hood, will not hesitate to listen
door.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

at a

To STICK OUT — to be stubborn ;
to refuse to accede. P.

He would have clearly liked to
stick out ; but there was something
about the lot of us that meant mis-
chief, and at last he struck.— JR. L.
STEVENSON.

To STICK TO ONE'S COLOURS —
to be faithful to a cause ; to
refuse to yield. P.

The lady had made a great mis-
take in putting her supremacy to a
test so crucial, out, having made it,
she stuck to her colours. —JAMES

Stiff

237

Stolen

To STICK UP FOR — to champion ;
to speak in defence of. C'.

I'll stick up for the pretty woman
preaching.— GEORGE ELIOT.

A POOR STICK — a person without
character or energy. C.

He was a poor stick to make a
preacher on (of).— HALIBUBTON.

To CUT ONE'S STICK — to go off.
S.

It was plaguy lucky for the doctor,
I can tefl you, that he cut his stick
as he did, and made himself scarce,
for Alden was an ugly customer.—
HALIBURTON.

To STICK IN — to persevere. F.
To STICK ON — to overcharge ;

to defraud. F.
To STICK ONE'S SPOON IN THE

WALL — to die. S.

Stiff. - TO DO A BIT OF STIFF

— to give money for a bill ;
to cash a bill. S.

I wish you'd do me a bit of stiff,
and just tell your father if I may
overdraw my account I'll vote with
him.— THACKERAY.

A STIFF 'UN — a corpse. S.

Stile. - TO HELP (A LAME DOG)

OVER A STILE — to assist a poor
fellow in a difficulty. F.

I can help a lame dog over a stile
(which was Mark's phrase for doing
a generous thing).— C. KINQSLEY.

Still. — STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

— silent and undemonstrative
people have generally great
powers of thought and action.
C.

" What, kissing her hand, and he a
clergyman!" said Miss Dunstab

lergym

I did not think they ever did suc
things, Mr. Robarts.

"Still waters run deepest," said
Mrs. Harold Smith.— A. TROLLOPS.

Stir. — STIR-UP SUNDAY — the
Sunday just before Advent.
S. The Collect or Church
prayer for this day begins
with the words, " Stir up,
O Lord, we beseech thee."
Schoolboys who are looking
forward at this time to the
Christmas vacation irrever-
ently " stir up " or poke each
other's sides on this day.

StOCk. TO MAKE STOCK OF

to draw profit from ; to make
use of for one's own benefit.
C.

They could not have made stock
of it} as Susie would have done in
the circumstances.— SARAH TYTLER.
A STOCK PHRASE — an expression
in constant use by a person, so
that it has become a man-
nerism. P.

And the poor boy seemed to see
under the humble stock phrases in
which they talked of their labours
of love, and the future reward of
their present humilation, a deep
and hardly hidden pride.— C. KINGS-
LEY.

STOCK-IN-TRADE — marketable ar-
ticles ; the goods which a mer-
chant wishes to dispose of. P.
Also used of the accomplish-
ments or possessions which
a man can turn into money.

All his show was on his back, as
he said. His carriage, with the fine
gelding, was a part of his stock-in-
trade.— THACKERAY.

She has ideals, convictions, aspira-
tions—a whole stock-in-trade of
things that a good many girls seem
to get on very well without.— WM.
BLACK.

To TAKE STOCK OF — to observe
and estimate ; to watch min-
utely. P.

" You seem to have pbserved him
very closely, considering your op-
portunities.''

"I have. It is my trade to take
stock of my fellow - creatures."—
JAMES PAYN.

Though the countess is certainly
taking stock of Miss Rayne, when
she considers herself unnoticed, it
is with anything but a gratified
expression on her countenance.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.
To TAKE STOCK IN — to value ;
to regard with trust or con-
fidence. P.

Marse Dab himself, however, never
appeared to take much stock in the
genealogical advantages he enjoyed.
-Blackwood's Magazine, 1887.

Stolen. — STOLEN FRUIT — said
of something which is very
sweet. C.

It was so sweet to hear Edward
praised by one who did not know
us; it was like stolen fruit.— C.
READE.

Stone

Stone. — STONE - THROWING —
finding fault with one's neigh-
bours. P. No doubt taken
from Christ's saying, " He
that is without sin among
you, let him first cast a stone
at her " (John yiii. 7).

The stone-throwing spirit, the self-
depreciation of the capital, and the
occasional outbursts of Nihilism,
are only the natural results of the
autocratic .system.— Fortnightly Re-
view, 1887.

STONE-BLIND — completely blind.
P.

He is considered a rich man, and,
being stone-blind, he sent for this
girl.— CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

A STONE'S-THBOW — a short dis-
tance ; a hundred yards or
more. P.

.Rebecca and her husband were
but a few stone's-throws from the
lodgings which the invalid Miss
Crawley occupied.— THACKERAY.

TO LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED

to adopt every possible method
of search or inquiry ; to take
every possible means towards
gaining an object. P. A
phrase borrowed from the
Greek dramatist Euripides.
Polycrates asked the Delphic
oracle how best to find the
treasure buried by Mardonius,
the general of Xerxes, on the
field of Platea. The oracle
replied, " Turn every stone "
(Panta kinesai petron).

But Mr. Irwine '11 leave no stone
unturned with the judge— you may
rely upon that, Adam.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

" We shan't leave a stone unturned
on either side," said Mr. Quirk.—
S. WARREN.

StOOl. — TO FALL BETWEEN TWO

STOOLS — to adopt two plans
of action, and to fail ; to lose
oneself by trusting to two sup-
ports instead of boldly choos-
ing a single one. P.

What on earth should she do?
Fall to the ground between two
stools? No ; that was a man's trick,
and she was a woman, every inch.—
C. READE.

And they were very merry— so that
no one would have thought that

238 Strait

Johnny was a despondent lover,
now bent on throwing the dice for
his last stake; or that Lily was
aware that she was in the presence
of one lover, and that she was like
to fall between two stools (having
two lovers, neither of whom coula
serve her turn).— A. TROLLOPE.

Store. — To SET STORE BY or
ON — to value ; to think highly
of. P.

An artist sketched a likeness of
the young declaimer, on which, in
after days, those who were fondest

g? him set not a little store.—
EORGE ELIOT.

IN STORE — ready ; waiting ; soon
to disclose itself. P.

If he portrays persons generally as
well as he does places (as I do not
doubt), there must be another treat
in store for us.— JAMES PAYN.

Little anticipating the checkered
ills in store for him.— W. IRVING.

Story. — WEAK IN THE UPPER
STORY — crazy ; feeble-minded.
F.

Stove. — THE STOVE-PIPE HAT
—the tall silk hat. C.

About the only monstrosity I saw
in the British man's dress was the
stove-pipe hat.— BURROUGHS.

Straight. — A STRAIGHT TIP
— private and correct informa-
tion. S.

All he had to do was to give him
the straight tip, and let him go and
buy.— BESANT.

We got the straight tip; that's all
you need know.— Miss BR ADDON.

Strain. — To STRAIN AT A ONAT
— to make difficulties about
something insignificant. P.
A Scriptural phrase (Matt,
xxiii. 24).

You are just the chap to strain at
a gnat and swallow a camel.— HALI-
BURTON.

StPait. A STRAIT JACKET OF

WAISTCOAT — an article of dress
put on a madman when he is
unruly. P.

George Gaunt is accredited to a
keeper, who has invested him with
the order of the Strait Waistcoat.
—THACKERAY.

Exp.— George Gaunt, instead of
going as a secretary of legation to a
foreign court, has been intrusted to
a keeper, and is watched as a mad-
man.

Straw

MY EYES DRAW

STRAWS — I am very sleepy. C.

Lady Ans. I'm very sure 'tis time
for all honest folks to go to bed.

Miss. Indeed my eyes draw straws
(I am almost asleep).— SWIFT.

THE LAST STRAW — that which
finally causes a catastrophe ;
an event simple in itself, but
able, in conjunction with other
things, to cause a calamity.
P, The proverb runs : " It
is the last straw which breaks
the camel's back."

If there are any real tragedies being
acted out in Oldbury just now, you
may depend upon it they are unsus-
pected ones, or that all the good
' sy heaping last straws
t earners back.— ANNIE

people are busy heading last straws

on the fainting ct

KEARY.

Identification would mean loss of
credit, the last straw in many cases.
—Spectator, }887.
NOT TO CARE A STRAW Or TWO

STRAWS — to be perfectly in-
different. P. A straw is the
symbol of what is worthless.

I don't think she could have cared
two straws about the woman.—
Murray's Magazine, 1887.
A STRAW BID — a worthless bid
(at an auction). P. The
bidder in such a case is unable
to pay if the article is knocked
down to him.

A MAN OF STRAW — a creature
evolved from the fancy, and
wholly unlike the real person ;
an unreal person ; a dummy.
P.

The man of straw who offers bail
is furnished the money by those who
stimulated the outrage.— C. READE.

Major, there's a man of straw in
that house. — G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

You'bring me a party that will give
me enough for those mills to clear
me of you, and I'll talk to you. But
don't come you here with any man of
straw.— W. D. HOWELLS.

239 Strike

lovers, generally taken as
typical of a sentimental young
man and his sweetheart. P.

He brought his lovely wife to a
romantic -looking cottage, covered
with roses and myrtle, and there
their Strephon and Phyllis-like ex-
istence had commenced.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

Stpikel — To STRIKE WORK —
to refuse to work until better
terms are promised. P.

A number of functions, in fact,
struck work.— H. DRUMMOND,
To STRIKE ONE'S COLOURS or
FLAG — to surrender. P.

Anastasie was aware of defeat ; she
struck her colours instantly.— R. L.
STEVENSON.

The flush of victory, the intoxica-
tion of success, had passed over to
another: and it was he who had to
strike his flag and own himself de-
feated.—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

STRIKE ME LUCK or LUCKY. An
old phrase, used when a bar-
gain was made, and money
exchanged in token thereof.
"Come, strike me luck with^ ear-
nest, and draw the writii

The conduct of the whole dialogue
is masterly. Both Milton and Cow-
ley sustain their parts with admi-
rable propriety. It is no sham fight

i an

ley sustain their parts with admi
rable propriety. It is no sham fighl
in which one of the interlocutors is
a man of straw, set up only to be
knocked down.— J.COTTER MORISON.

Strephon. — STREPHON AND
PHYLLIS — a pair of rustic

''There's a God's penny for

BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

TO STRIKE A BARGAIN — to COn-

clude • a bargain. P. The
striking of hands was a sign
of a bargain being concluded.

Mr. Miles answered by offering to
bet he should make the best servant
in the street ; and. strange to say. the
bargain was struck, and he aid turn
out a model servant.— C. READE.
TO STRIKE ALL OF A HEAP to

astonish ; to dumfounder, F.
I ran to Paley and told him what
had befallen upon the house. He
was not struck all of a heap, as I
thought he would be.— C. READE.

STRIKE WHILE THE DION is HOT
— do not miss a favourable
opportunity ; act when the
conditions are favourable. P.
"Let George cut in and win her,
was his advice. "Strike while the
iron's hot, you know— while shes
fresh to the town."— THACKERAY.

To STRIKE UP — to begin ; to set
on foot. C. Generally said
of music.

An introduction took place' be-
tween the squire and the clergyman s

Struck

240

Supper

volatile pupil, which struck up an
immediate alliance of obliger and
obliged.— G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.

I fancy it requires more than or-
dinary spirit now for a good old
gentleman, at the head of his family
table, to strike up a good old family
song.— THACKERAY.
To STRIKE IN — to make an abrupt
entry into a conversation. P.
See CUT IN.

But at this moment the lieutenant
struck in. " Oh, that is quite fool-
ish!" he cried.— WM. BLACK.
To STRIKE ONE'S TENT — to depart.
C.

However, he had amassed a good
deal of money in this gambling hell
of his ; and so he was able to per-
suade a few of his meaner depend-
ants to strike their tents along with
him, and go out into the wilderness.
— WM. BLACK.

Struck. — STRUCK UPON — at-
tracted by. F. An Ameri-
canism.

" But that young man had perfect
ways."

"Seem struck upon Irene?" asked
the colonel.— W. D. HOWELLS.

Stuck. — STUCK UP — proud ;
conceited. F.

"They didn't 'seem stuck up,"
urged his wife.— W. D. HOWELLS.

Study. — A BROWN STUDY — a
state of mental absorption ; a
dreamy condition of mind. P.
He'll poison his patients some day
when he's in a brown study.— FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

Stump. — To STUMP UP — to pay
out money. S.

Why don't you ask your old gover-
nor to stump up ?— DICKENS.

ON THE STUMP — lecturing ; on
a lecturing tour. F.

Suaviter. — SUAVITER IN MODO
— possessing tact; having a
pleasant mode of dealing. P.
Latin. The full phrase is
SUAVITER IN MODO, PORTITER
IN RE, " Pleasant in' the
manner of carrying out an en-
terprise, firm in the business
itself."

Let Mr Slope be the fortiter in re,
he himself would pour in the sua-
mter in modo.—A. TROLLOPE.

Sub. — SUB ROSA — in confidence ;
secretly. P. The Latin form
of " Under the rose." See
ROSE.

By-the-bye, I wonder some of you
lawyers (sub rosa, of course) have not
quoted the pithy line of Mandeville.
— S. T. COLERIDGE.

Such. — SUCH AND SUCH — cer-
tain. An adjective phrase,
which saves the need of using
a definite numeral or other
adjective. P.

She had written to him to say that
she would be at her father's on such
land such a morning, and he had gone
to her there.— A. TROLLOPE.

She had always been accustomed
to such and such things ; there was
no possibility of living without them.
— MABIA EDGEWORTH.

Sugar. — A SUGAR-PLUM — some-
thing very nice. C.
For this pretty toy Mr. Conway
e nad

Dalrymple nad picked up a gilt
sugar-plum to the tune of six hun-
dred pounds.— A. TROLLOPE.

Sui. — Sui GENERIS — peculiar;
belonging to a class apart ; not
like anything else. P. Latin.
Not a Clinton, nor yet a Carew, she
was sid generis, and supreme.— MRS.
E. LYNN LINTON.

Summer. — THE LITTLE SUM-
MER OF ST. LUKE — a mild spell
of weather which usually
comes about the middle of
October. St. Luke's Day,
the 18th of October, gives it
the name.

INDIAN SUMMER. See INDIAN.

Sunshine. — To HAVE BEEN
IN THE SUNSHINE — to be drunk.
F.

He was in that condition which his
groom indicated with poetic ambigu-
ity by saying, that " master had been
in the sunshine."— GEORGE ELIOT.

Sup. — To SUP WITH PLUTO — to
die. P. Pluto was the Latin
god of the infernal regions,
where the spirits of the dead
existed.

Supper. — To SET ONE HIS
SUPPER — to perform a feat that
cannot be imitated or sur-
passed. F.

Sure

241

Sweet

Sure. — As SURE AS A GUN —

certainly ; without fail. F.
"As sure as a gun," said she, "that

must be the knock of the post."—

MACAULAY.
To BE SURE — certainly ; no

doubt. C. An exclamation

having no decided force or

meaning.
Lord! what a life mine is, to be sure.

-S. WARREN.

Surprise. — A SURPRISE PARTY
— a party of friends who ap-
pear unexpectedly at the house
of some one of their acquaint-
ance, bringing food with them.
This is usually done in the
evening. P. An American
custom.

Swallow. — ONE SWALLOW

DOES NOT MAKE A SUMMER —

we must not frame a general
law from one single phenome-
non. P.

"When the Family Galas were

about to be executed unjustly, witl

the consent of all "

statesmen in France, one man in the

,11 the lawyers and

nation saw the error, and fought for
the innocent, and saved them ; and
that one wise man in a nation of
fools was a writer of fiction."

"One swallow does not make a
summer, for all that."— C. READE.

Swear. — To SWEAR BY AN-
OTHER— to be an imitator or
admiring follower ; to admire
all his actions ; to have full
confidence in. C.

" I suppose I oughtn't to say it be-
fore you, observes Miss Smiles pres-
ently, "because, of course,you swear
by everything British."— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

Gilbert smiled. "The performance
was not quite such a risky one as it
looked, I think: but, of course, that
is the sort of thing that makes these
pie swear by Monckton."— Good

To SWEAR IN — (of a magistrate)
to engage formally the services
of men for the government. P.
Governor Lanyon is sending Raaf
down with power to swear in special
constables, and enforce the law at
Potchefstroom.— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO SWEAR LIKE A TROOPER — to

use profane language freely.
P.

She was perfectly tipsy, screaming
and fighting like a Billingsgate fish-
woman, and swearing like a trooper.
—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

To SWEAR OFF — to renounce ;
to give up. C. Often used
intransitively.

"Will you have a drink with us,
Jack?"

"No, mate, I've sworn off "(given
up drinking).

To SWEAR OUT — to renounce ; to
give up. Old-fashioned.
Your grace hath sworn out house-
keeping.—SHAKESPEARE.

Sweat. — THE SWEAT OF ONE'S
BROW or FACE — hard labour.
P.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground.— Gen. iii. 19.

" 'Tis the sweat of our brow, Tum-
mus. none of 'em (them) think on
(of). — BLACKMORE.

In this practice, indeed, he imi-
tated some of the most renowned
geniuses of the age, who have la-
boured in secret with the sweat of
their brows for many a repartee.—
SMOLLETT.

Sweet. — SWEET ON or UPON —
attached to ; having a fancy
for. F.

"Mark my words, Rawdon," she
said. "You will have Miss Sharp
one day for your relation."

" What relation,— my cousin, hey,
Mrs. Bute? James sweet on her,
hey?" inquired the waggish officer.—
THACKERAY.

A SWEET TOOTH — a liking for
sweetmeats and dainties. P.

All people with healthy physical
appetites have a sweet tooth some-
where in their heads.— Macmillan's
Magazine, 1887.

I know she has a sweet tooth still
in her head.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.
ONE'S SWEET WILL — uncon-
trolled wishes ; the unre-
strained desires of one's heart.
C. A phrase generally used
somewhat sarcastically.

If only the idealists can have their
way, and work out the yearnings of
their own sweet will, we shall soon
be a teetotal, vegetarian, and non-
tobacco -smoking people. — Family
Herald (quoted in Edinburgh Re-
view, 1887).

Swell

242

Sydney

the limits of her own parole.— BLACK-
MORE.

Swell. — THE SWELL MOB —
people of bad character ; men
who prey on the vices or follies
of others. F.

The fact was that he had been one
of the swell mob. — CAPTAIN MAR-
KYAT.

t When he had worn something of
the air of a dandy, or, at the worst,
of a successful swell-mobsman.— D.
CHRISTIE MURRAY.

Swim. — IN THE SWIM — in the
current of events ; acquainted
with all that is going on. C.

Swing1. — IN FULL SWING — very
busy ; working busily. C.

The street market was in full
swing.— BESANT.

TO GIVE FULI^ SWING TO — to

indulge freely ; to let loose ;
to free from control. P.

But let us return to Nature: do
you mean that we are to give full
swing to our inclination, to throw
the reins on the neck of our senses ?
— M. ARNOLD.

TO HAVE FULL SWING — to be

allowed free and uncontrolled
exercise. P.

Every one has his full swing, or
goes to the devil his own way.—
HAZLITT.

SWOOP. AT ONE FELL SWOOP —

with one unlucky blow ; by a
single catastrophe. P.

At one fell swoop it had cleared
the sideboard of glasses, decanters,
silver waiters.— WILSON.

SWOP. — TO SWOP HORSES CROSS-
ING THE STREAM— to make an
exchange at a critical time when
all one's energies should be
devoted to the business in
hand. F.

Swopd. — AT SWORDS' POINTS—
bitterly hostile. P.

This the captain took in dudgeon,
and they were at swords' points at
once.— R. H. DANA.

THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES.
Damocles was a courtier in
the palace of Dionysius the
Elder, ruler of Syracuse. Hav-
ing extolled the felicity of
princes, he was answered in
the following fashion by his
master. He was invited
to a sumptuous banquet,
and arrayed in royal robes,
was given the principal seat ;
but over his head hung a
sword suspended by a single
horse-hair. By this Dionysius
meant to intimate the pre-
carious nature of the power
and felicity of princes.

When it is said to be the Czar's
wish that the aged Emperor of Ger-
many's end should be peaceful, and
that it is only because he would not
that his last moments should be dis-
turbed by the clash of arms that he
desists from action, it will be seen
how thin is the thread by which the
sword of Damocles is suspended.—
St. Andrews Citizen, 1887.

TO PUT TO THE SWORD — to Mil. P.

AT SWORDS DRAWN — bitterly
hostile. P. See DAGGER.

Giovanni belonged to a family
who, from the earliest times, had
been at swords drawn with the gov-
ernment.—MARION CRAWFORD.

Sydney. — SYDNEY SIDER — a
convict. S.

There is no euphemism invented
yet for the word ft convict," which is
available among the labouring class
of Australia when a convict is pres-
ent. Those who think they know
something of them might fancy that
"Old hand," " Vandemoman, or
even Sydney aider, were not particu-
larly offensive.— H. KINGSLEY.

243

Take

T. — To A T. — exactly. C. Per-
haps from a T-Square.

" Well," said I, "there is a pretty
show of girls, that's certain; but
they wouldn't condescend to the like
of me. I was thinking there were
some of them that would just suit
you to a T."— HALIBURTON.

The fool forgets there is an Act of
Parliament, and that we have com-
plied with the provisions to a T.— C.
READE.

Table. — To TURN THE TABLES —
to reverse the position of
two rival parties. P.

It was no light act of courage in
those days, my dear boys, for a little

fellow to say his prayers publicly,

Rugby.
when Arnold's

even at

anly piety had be-
school, the tables
he died, in the

ly. A' few years later,
manlv

j leaven the scl , ._

turned. Before he died, in _
school-house at least, and I believe
in the other houses, the rule was the
other way.— T. HUGHES.

If Mr. Dillon had said that such an
outrage as this was nothing but the
turning of the tables on the atroci-
ties or the penal code, we should
not have blamed him.— Spectator,
1887.

TABLE D'HOTE — the public din-
ing table at a hotel. P. A
French phrase. Literally, the
" host's table," from the custom
of the landlord presiding at
the public dinner.

I was very fond of dining at table
d'hote anywhere. — The Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

UPON THE TABLE — known to
every one— a matter of public
discussion. P.

I will not, however, take up the
time of this— I mean your time— by
recapitulating all that I told you on
that occasion; the facts are, so to
speak, all upon the table, and I will
merely touch upon the main heads
of the case.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Tableaux* — TABLEAUX viv-
ANTS — " living pictures ; " dumb
representations, generally of
historical scenes, in which the
figures are real people. French.
A favourite amusement in social
gatherings.

On the 2Gth of January 1500, having
accomplished the first half of his

task, he (Csesar Borgia) entered
Rome as a conqueror, on which
occasion a representation was given
of the triumph of Csesar, with the
various episodes of the life of the
Roman Csesar, shown in tableaux
vivants, suggested by the painter
Mantegna.— Blackwood's Magazine,
1888.

Tag-. — TAG-RAG AND BOB-TAIL
— the ill-dressed rabble. P.
See RAG-TAG.

He invited tag-rag and bob-tail to
the wedding.— L'EsTRANGE.

Tall. — TO KEEP THE TAIL IN

THE WATER — to thrive ; to
prosper. F.

To TURN TAIL — to retreat in an
undignified way.

"Never thought I should live to
turn tail in this way," growled one
soldier to another as they passed
out.— English Illustrated Magazine,

Tailor. — NINE TAILORS MAKE
A MAN. An old saying. See

NINE.

I believe Pinchin's father to have
been a tailor. There is no harm in
the craft, honestly exercised; but
since the world began nine tailors
have made a man, and you cannot
well see a knight of the shears with-
out asking in your own mind where
he has left his eight brethren.— G. A.
SALA.

Take. — To TAKE ABACK — to
bewilder ; to astonish ; to sur-
prise. P.

"A what?" asked Hardy rather
taken aback.— DICKENS.

For to hand in a dead woman
might take him aback, as it had
taken me.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.
To TAKE BACK. — to recall words
that have been spoken ; to
retract. C.

"I've disgusted you, I see that;
but I didn't mean to. I— I take it

" Oh, there's nothing to take back,"
said Corey.— W. D. HOWELLS.
TO TAKE HOME TO ONESELF — to

understand completely. C.

Jael did not at all take home to
herself the peculiar meaning of her
friend's words.— A. TROLLOPS.

Take

244

To TAKE AFTER — to resemble ; '
to imitate. P.

We cannot but think that he has
taken after a good pattern.— ATTER-

Thank God, you take after your
mother's family, Arthur.— GEORGE
ELIOT.

To TAKE THE CUE — to under-
stand a hint. P.

The ladies took the cue and retired.
— C. READE.

TO TAKE TO THE ROAD to be-

come a highwayman. P.

The pewterer was unfortunate in
his business, and took to the road.—
G. A. SALA.

To TAKE DOWN — (a) to humiliate
to lower the pretensions of. C.
Our reverend's been taken down a
bit since that gent at the hall lit his
pipe in the church porch.— A. JES-
SOPP, in Nineteenth Century, 1887.

"The fact is," went on the other,
"that I thought you wanted taking
down a peg."— Good Words, 1887.

(6) to take the place of a

scholar higher up in the form.
A school phrase.

(c) to commit to writing

spoken words as they are
uttered. P.

He wrote letters and took down
instructions in shorthand.— BESANT.

TO TAKE FLIGHT to gO Off. C.

My good Matilda, I am sick of this.
I have been bored to-night, and what
is much worse, I have been snubbed.
Suppose we take flight for Cannes?
—Good Words, 1887.

To TAKE IN GOOD PART — to hear
or receive willingly. P.

I will just add one little word,
Utterson, that I'm sure you'll take
in good part. This is a private mat-
ter, and! beg of you to let it sleep.—
R. L. STEVENSON.

TO TAKE ANYTHING TO HEART

to bear it seriously ; to be
much affected by it. P.

The next day he called at Gras
mere, Susan "met him all smiles
and was more cheerful than usual
The watchful man was delighted
"Come; she does not take it tc
heart." He did not guess that Susan
had cried for hours and hours ove
the letter.— C. READE.
To TAKE IN HAND — to under
take ; to commence working
with. P.

Take

But that acquaintances-mere ac-
quaintances-should have taken it
in hand to give her pecuniary assist-
ance, was a humiliation indeed. —
JAMES PAYN.

'o TAKE HOLD OF — to seize ;
to occupy. P.

But there was something in the
delicate handwriting and perfume
of the letter that took hold of my
imagination.— Mistletoe Bough, 1885.
'o TAKE IN— (a) to deceive ; to
delude. P.

" At all events, everybody was very
hard upon him. just because they
were taken in/' argued Margaret.
" If he had acknowledged what they
admired so much to have been his
own, they would have seen nothing
in it to admire."— JAMES PAYN.

Here were two battered London
rakes, taking themselves in for .a
moment, and fancying they were in
love with each other like Phyllis and
Corydon.— THACKERAY.

(6) to escort to a room. P.

As for Miss Huntly, she rather
prided herself upon her immunity
from "airs," and would have been
quite content to accept Mr. Bus-
well's arm, had that person been re-
quested to take her in to dinner.—
Good Words, 1887.

(c) to comprehend; to absorb

mentally. P.

It is not to be supposed that he
took in everything at one glance.—
DICKENS.

To TAKE OFF — (a) to mock at ;
to make sport of ; to mimic. P.
Taking off (making fun of) the
factory ladies.— HALIBURTON.

I know the man I would have : a
quick-witted, outspoken, incisive
fellow delights in taking off big-
wigs and professional gowns, and m
the disembalming and unbandagmg
of all literary mummies.— O. W.
HOLMES.

(&) to murder. Old fashioned.

The deep damnation of his taking off.
SHAKESPEARE.

TO TAKE ONESELF OFF — (a) to go

away. C.

Sincerely thankful was he when
the meal came to an end, and when
( Brian, with a murmured excuse,
took himself off. -Good Words, 1887.
The stranger suddenly took him-
self off, ana was no more seen by
the young lady.— A. TROLLOPE.
6) to commit suicide. C.

bu argue," said Mrs. Wallace,
" that in the case of wicked people,
the very best thing they can do is to

Take

take themselves off, as you call it
since in so doing they do the work
a service.'— JAMES PAYN.

To TAKE ON — to be affected ; t(
be overcome by one's feelings
C.

"Dear heart! rdear heart!" crie.
the squire, who was deeply attachec
to his sister; "don't take on so, mv
dear good J9an."— BLACKMORE.

.It is a pity you take on so, Mis,,
Bnggs. the young lady said, with a
cool, slightly sarcastic air.

"My dearest friend is so ill, anc
wo-o-o-ont see me," gurgled oui
Briggs in an agony of renewed grief
—THACKERAY.

IN A PRETTY TAKE ON much

affected. F.

.She was in a pretty take on, too
sir, because, as she said— to use her
very words-she was chiselled out o
a dance.— S. BAKING-GOULD.
To TAKE IT our — (a) to take ex-
ercise ; to relieve one's physical
energies. C.

Her limbs were elastic, so that she
seem ed. when she walked as if she
would like to run, jump, and dance,
which, indeed, she would have
greatly preferred, only at Newnham
they take it out at lawn tennis.—
BESANT.

(6) to obtain an equivalent

for a loss sustained. C.

"Can't you keep awake till you
have stated your case?" asked
Harry. "Come, old boy; you can
take it out in slumber afterwards."
— BESANT.

TO TAKE IT OUT OF A PERSON —

to exhaust his energies. P.

So they tried back slowly and
sorrowfully, and found the lane,
and went limping down it, plashing
in the cold puddly ruts, and begin-
ning to feel how the run had taken
it out of them.— T. HUGHES.

To TAKE PART — to share : to act
along with others. P.

Take part in rejoicing for the vic-
tory over the Turks.— POPE.

To TAKE PLACE — to happen. P.
Whether anything of the nature
of a family collision nad taken place
onl the occasion of her doing so,
John Lawrence did not know. —
Murray's Magazine, 1887.

To TAKE STOCK IN. See STOCK.

To TAKE BT STORM — to secure
by one great effort ; to over-
come by one single blow. P.

245 Take

In face and manner and speech
she was of those sweetly innocent
girls who take men's hearts by
storm.— MRS. H. WOOD.

Of course, at my age, I was soon
all right again, and going to take
tne world by storm to-morrow morn-
ing.—C. E.EADE.

To TAKE TO— to apply oneself to ;
to conceive a liking for. P.
Miss Betsy won't take to her book.

Men of learning who take to busi-
ness discharge it generally with
greater honesty than men of the
world.— ADDLSON.

The squire took to her very kindly
(was very well pleased with her).—
A. TROLLOPS.

To TAKE TO ONE'S BED — to be
prostrated by illness. P.

It is quite true that at times he
took to his bed.-Letter quoted in
Nineteenth Century, 1887.

To TAKE TO ONE'S HEELS to

commence running ; to start
off at a rapid pace. P.

I gave a view halloa, took to my
heels, collared my gentleman, and
brought him back.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

To TAKE TO TASK — to reprove ;
to lecture ; to find fault
with. P.

"I am only saying what Dr.
Cooper&has just told me— that Mr.
Josceline's life must be counted by
hours. There is no hope."

" Still," urged Mrs. Armytage, irri-
tated at being taken to task— and, as
was evident, with the approval of the
company— by a lady so inferior to
her in the social scale— "the truth
must be told, we are taught, even of
the dead."— JAMES PAYN.

TO TAKE TOO MUCH to get

drunk. C.

She knew he was of no drunken
kind, yet once in a way a man might
take too much.— BLACKMORE.
To TAKE IN TOW — to conduct ;
to take charge of. P. Origi-
nally a sea phrase.

Sir Brian stood in the middle of
Pall Mall shaking his stick at the
cabman, whose number he took,
and causing some interruption to
the traffic, until he was courteously
but firmly taken in tow by a police-
man, who remarked that the road-
way was intended for wheeled
vehicles and the pavement for foot
passengers.— Gooa Words, 1887.

Take

To TAKE TURNS — to engage in
anything alternately, each one
in succession being allowed to
take part. P.

I think a good way will be for each
of them, even the youngest, to take
turns in ordering the dinner and
seeing it prepared.— BESANT.

To TAKE UP — (a) to put in
jail. P.

For many a time, when they take
a man up, they spread it about that
he's turned informer like the rest.—
CHARLES LEVER.

— (6) to help ; to aid ; to
patronize. P.

He told his story from the begin-
ning: how he had experienced no-
thing but failure and disappoint-
ment ; how he had been taken up by
the queer old fellow at the chop-
house, etc.— BESANT.

(c) to engross ; to comprise.

P.

I prefer in our countryman the
noble poem of Palamon and Arcite,
which is perhaps not much inferior
to the Ilias, only it takes up seven
years.— DRYDEN.

— (d) to reply to ; to interrupt
with a criticism. P.

One of his relations took him up
roundly for stooping so much below
the dignity of his profession.—

L'ESTRANOE.

Meantime a shrewd woman was
there listening with all her ears— a
woman, too, who had vague suspi-
cions about him, and had taken him
up rather sharper than natural, he
thought, when, being off his guard
for a moment, he anticipated the
narrator, and assumed there were
two burglars.— C. READE.

TAKEN UP — wholly occupied ;
engrossed. P.

Mr. Fraser did not answer him
immediately, so taken up was he in
noticing the wonderful changes a
week had wrought in his appear-
ance.—H. R. HAGGARD.

To TAKE UP ARMS FOR — to de-
fend ; to champion. C.

Miss Smiles takes up arms at once
for Mrs. Beverley. — FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

To TAKE UPON ONESELF — to ven-
ture (in a moral sense) ; to
undertake a responsibility. P.
The Parliament took upon them
to call an assembly of divines to
settle some Church questions —
SOUTH.

246 Talk

" Well, well, well ! " he murmured.
"But it doesn't do to say so, you
know, Mr. Segrave. At times, I con-
fess, he appears to me to take too
much upon him."— Good Words, 1887.
TO TAKE A MAN AT HIS WORD

to believe what he says. P.

If I should decline all merit, it
was too probable the hasty reader
might have taken me at my word.—
GOLDSMITH.

" It seems a pity," Harry chimed
in, "that so much protesting was in
vain. Perhaps Mr. Messenger took
him at his word. "—BESANT.
To TAKE A TELLING — to receive
advice or a rebuke patiently.
C.

TO TAKE IT INTO ONE'S HEAD

to conceive a sudden intention ;
to resolve upon without any
apparent reason. C. Gener-
ally used of a capricious whim.

Mrs. Crumpe took it into her head
that she could eat no butter but of
Patty's churning. —MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

To TAKE UP WITH — to be friendly
with ; to seek the society of ;
to keep company with. O.

Do you suppose that Penelope
Lapham is a girl to take up with a
fellow that her sister is in love with,
and that she always thought was in
love with her sister, and go off
and be happy with him?— W. D.
HOWELLS.

Taking. — IN A TERRIBLE TAK-
ING— greatly agitated. C.

" Zounds, Blanche ! what did you
say?" burst out the general in a
terrible taking, as he thought how
everything must come out.— G. J.
WHYTE-MELVILLE.

Talk. — To TALK A PERSON'S
HEAD OFF — to be excessively
talkative ; to weary another
with talking. C.

I only hope, Heigham, that old
Pigott won't talk your head off : she
has got a dreadful tongue.— H. R.
HAQQARD.

TO TALK A PERSON UP to Cajole

a person with flattering words ;
to persuade a person to do
some action. P.

I sent for Mr. Flamborough, and
they talked him up as finely as they
did me.— GOLDSMITH.
To TALK OVER — (a) to persuade
a person by talking ; to induce

Tandem

247

a person to change his opinio
by talking with him. P

emba

Tar

over Trevittick, wh
esced.-H.

ough

But he taile

He talke ,

sulkily acqulesced.-H. KINGSLEY
- (&) to discuss a subject. P.
Tandem. — To DRIVE TANDEM —
to drive a coach to which tw
horses are harnessed one i
front of the other, and no
side by side. P.

He had already given up drivin
tandem.— A thenceum, 1887.
Tangent. — OFF AT A TANGENT
This phrase is used of quick an
sudden movements, where
person breaks away unex
pectedly. C. Especially use
of conversations ; but also
as in the second example, o
one's thoughts.

She could scarcely say ten words
except about herself ; so when Bas
sett questioned her about Sir Charle
and Lady Bassett, she said " Yes," o
o, or " I don't know," and was oft

doings. -C. READE.

John Treverton, smoking his cigar
and letting his thoughts wande
away at a tangent every now and
then.-Miss BRADDON.
Tansy. — LIKE A TANSY — per
feet ; complete. C. Tansy
was a drink composed o:
many ingredients, and re
quiring great care in its com
position.

swerall, is i

Tantalus. — A TANTALUS cup
— a cup in which the water
vanishes as soon as the thirsty
person attempts to drink.
P. Tantalus was a tyrant
who, for his many crimes, was
tortured in the infernal
regions by having water ever
at his lips. As soon as he tried
to drink, however, the water
slowly receded, and left him
more thirsty than ever.
.Nothing occurred to interfere with
the plan of action decided on by

Tantrums. — IN ONE'S TAN-
TRUMS— in a bad humour. F.
* M *i? *he sa^ Dobbs Broughton he
told that gentleman that Mrs. Van
Siever hacf been in her tantrums -
A. TROLLOPS.

"What, you are in your tantrums
again!" said she.— C. READE.

Tape. — TAPE or RED TAPE —
official routine ; official delay
and obstruction. P.

T7hej £?st and reserve of office
melted like snow in summer before
the sun of religion and humanity
How unreal and idle appeared now
the twenty years gone in tape and
circumlocution.-a READE.

Tapis. — ON THE TAPIS — under
discussion. P. Topis is French
for " carpet."

_Well, as .my engagement to Ladv
Catherine is still on the tapis, it will
be as well to assume that I did not
(give her a chance of marrying me)
—Mistletoe Bough, 18&5

The Schleswig-Holstein question
comes on the tapis, and no one
seems to know much of anything
about the place geographically.—
fortnightly Review, 1887.

— '. TO HAVE A LICK OF THE

TAR-BRUSH — to be partly of
negro blood. F.

TARRING AND FEATHERING — a
punishment inflicted upon an
unpopular person. Joseph
Smith, the founder of Mor-
monism, was so treated.
King Richard Coeur de Lion,
before sailing for the Holy
Land, had a law enacted in
the fleet that " a robber, who
shall be convicted of theft,
shall have his head cropped
after the manner of a champion,
and boiling pitch shall be
poured thereon, and then the
feathers of a cushion shall
be shaken out upon him, so
that he may be known, and
at the first land at which the
ships shall touch he shall be
set on shore."

Tartar

248

Tell

TARRED WITH THE SAME BRUSH or
STICK — possessing the same
peculiarities ; marked by the
same qualities. C.

As a sample of the self -trained
and self-educated amateur, he was,
however, tarred with the same brush
as John Lawrence.— M urray's Maga-
zine, 1887.

We are all tarred with the same
stick, we women.— C. READE.

Tartar. — To CATCH A TARTAR
— to capture what proves to
be a troublesome prisoner ;
to seize hold of what one would
afterwards willingly let go. P.

Keckless Reginald soon found he
had caught a Tartar in his new
master.— C. READE.

She let him have his head for a
bit, and then, when he'd got quite
accustomed to the best of every-
thing and couldn't live without it,
she turned him into the street,
where there is no claret and no
champagne. So that poor man
caught a Tartar, didn't he?— BESANT.

Task. TO TAKE TO TASK to

reprove; to find fault with. P.
Mrs. Baynes took poor madame
severely to task for admitting such
a man to her assemblies.— THACK-
ERAY.

Tattoo. — THE DEVIL'S TATTOO
— beating, usually with the
fingers, on a table or other
flat surface. P. Generally
a sign of impatience or of
ill -humour.

" Ah, what shall I do, Lord Steyne,
for I am very, very unhappy?"

Lord Steyne made no reply except
by beating the devil's tattoo and
biting his nails.— THACKERAY.

There lay half-a-dozen ruffians
writhing on the ground, and beating
the devil's tattoo with their heels.—
C. READE.

Tea. — A STORM IN A TEA -CUP —
a petty squabble ; a disturb-
ance marked by much noise,
but of no importance. C.

For all that, his sympathies had
been entirely with her in the recent
squabble. "What a ridiculous little
storm in a tea-cup it was!" he
thought with a laugh.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

A TEA FIGHT — a social gathering
where tea is the beverage
drank. S.

Teens. — IN ONE'S TEENS — be-
tween the ages of twelve and
twenty. C.

He (the great Conde") was a ripe
scholar even in his teens, as the
Latinity of his letters proves.—
Edinburgh Review, 1887.

Teeth. — To CAST or THROW

ANYTHING IN ONE'S TEETH —

to reproach one with any-
thing. P.

You've got the girl, and we must
keep her; and keep her well to9;
that she may not be able to throw it
in your teeth that she has made such
sacrifices for you.— BLACKMORE.

"She was ill, and she gave you a
letter for me. Where is it ? "

"I confess that the first part of
your information is true, Mr. Ruth-
ven, though I don't know why an
act of benevolence should be thrown
in my teeth as if it were a crime.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.
FROM THE TEETH OUTWARDS
— without real significance ;
merely on the surface. C.

Much of the Tory talk about
General Gordon lately was only
from the teeth outwards.— Daily
News, 1886.

To HAVE CUT ONE'S TEETH or
EYE-TEETH — to be crafty. S.

He and I were born the same year,
but he cut his teeth long before me.
— C. READE.

Tell. — To TELL ON or UPON —
to affect ; to influence. P.

His previous exertions had told on
his constitution.— Quarterly Review,
1807.

"Pull yourself together, Brad-
shaw," said the lawyer. "This sus-
pense, I know, is telling upon all of
you."— R. L. STEVENSON.

To TELL OFF — to count separ-
ately ; to number in order. P.
But one day after chapel, as the
men were being told off to their
several tasks, Robinson recognized
the boy by his figure.— C. READE.

TO TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL

to repeat in public what has
passed in the company of
intimates ; to reveal private
matters. P.

"Look here, Duff ham,", he went
on ; " we want you to go with us and
see— somebody : and to undertake
not to tell tales out of school."—
MRS. HENRY WOOD.

Tempers

249

Thick

Tempers. — GOD TEMPERS THE

WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB

God makes misfortunes bear
lightly on the feeble. P. A
French saying, of which Sterne
has made use.

"You are very kind," said Mrs.
Crawley. "We must only bear it
with such fortitude as God will give
us. We are told that he tempers
the wind to the shorn lamb."— A.
TBOLLOPE.

Ten. — TEN TO ONE — ten chances
to one ; almost certainly. C.

Whenever the reader lights upon
the title which Fox had waded
through so much to earn, it is ten to
one that within the next half-dozen
lines there will be found an allusion
to the gallows.— TBEVELYAN.

ONE OP TEN THOUSAND — an
exceptionally excellent per-
son. P.

She did not know that she herself
was a woman of ten thousand. She
spoke believing herself to be a com-
mon type of humanity.— JAMES
PAYN.

THE UPPER TEN or TEN THOUSAND
— those moving in the highest
London society. P.

Lord Swansdown has had some
dealings with him in an agricultural
way, and wishing to show him
civility on his accession to the upper
ten, desired his wife to send him an
invitation for the shooting season.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

But to tens of thousands— includ-
ing. I'll be bound, the upper ten-it
will be utterly unknown.— JAMES
PAYN.

Tenterhooks. — ON TENTER-
HOOKS— in a state of discom-
fort or agony. P. Tenter-
hooks are the hooks on which
a web of cloth is stretched by
the selvages on a frame.

I must say I should like to have it
settled as soon as possible, because
it keeps a man on tenterhooks, you
know, and feeling like a fool.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Terms. — ON TERMS — friendly.
P.

He wasn't on terms with Flash-
man's set.— T. HUGHES.

ON GOOD Or EXCELLENT TERMS

friendly; intimate. P.

I am not on good terms with Sir
Charles.— C. EEADE.

To COME TO TERMS — to make
bargain. P.

When George returned to the
farmer, the latter, who had begun to
fear the loss of a customer, came at
once to terms with him.— C. READE.

"The Manor House does not be-
long to me."

"So I understand; but I should
think you could come to terms with
your brother."— Good Words, 1887.

Teppa. — TERRA FIRMA — dry
land. P. Latin.

Another foaming breaker, supple-
mented by a vigorous shove from
their stalwart arms, sends their un-
wieldy craft up high and dry, and
the spray-splashed passengers can
step out on terra jirma.—Scribner's
Magazine, 1887.

Tete. — A TETE-A-T^TE — a con-
fidential conversation. C.
French.

"You will forgive me, Philip, for
interrupting your Ute-a~t6te} but
may I ask what is the meaning of
this?"

Philip returned no answer.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Tether. — To THE END OF
ONE'S TETHER — as far as one
is able to proceed. C.

I tell you plainly I have gone
pretty well to the end of my tether
with you.— C. READE.

Thames. — To SET THE THAMES
ON FIRE. See SET.

Thanks. — THANKS TO THIS or
THAT — this is the cause ; the
result is due to this. P.

If we are to believe the book,
thanks to the American social sys-
tem, she had a series of wonderful
escapes from ill-considered matches.
—Edinburgh Review, 18S2.

That. — AT THAT — A phrase
in common use in America,
signifying that certain con-
ditions are conceded.

John, looking at him, guessed that
he could not weigh less than seven-
teen stone, and he was well within
the mark at that (if he allowed him
such a weight).— H. R. HAGGARD.

There. — ALL THERE. See ALL.
Thick. — THROUGH THICK AND

THIN — through every obstacle ;

daunted by nothing. P.
These fellows who attacked the

inn to-night— bold, desperate blades

Thin

250

Thorn

for sure— and the rest who stayed
aboard that lugger, and more, I dare
say, not far off, are, one and all,
through thick and thin, bound that
they'll get that money.— R. L.
STEVENSON.

The first dawn of comfort came to
him in swearing to himself that he
would stand by that boy through
thick and thin, and cheer him and
help him and bear his burdens.— T.
HUGHES.

THICK - SKINNED — not sensitive ;
not easily rebuked, P.

" Ah ! you wouldn't be if you saw
Annerley Hall," returns the baronet,
too thick-skinned to recognize a re-
buff.—FLORENCE MARRY AT.

There was something in his com-
panion's astounding thickness of
skin that tickled his humour.—
JAMES PAYN.

Thin. — To RUN THIN — to seek
release from a bad bargain. F.

THE THIN END or EDGE OP THE
WEDGE. See WEDGE.

Thing1. — THE THING — exactly
right ; just what ought to be.
F.

"You are not at all the thing (by
any means as well as you ought to
be), my darling boy, said Mrs.
Sharp to Christopher. — BLACKMORE.
Although they all knew the gongs
by heart, it was the thing (con-
sidered right and necessary) to have
an old manuscript book descended
from some departed hero, in which
they were all carefully written out.
— T. HUGHES.

Where energy was the thing, he
was energetic enough.— A II the Year
Round, 1887.

TO KNOW A THING OB TWO to be

wise or cunning. F.

"Mr. Levi," said he, "I see you
know a thing or two ; will you be so
good as to answer me a question?"—

C. JR.EADE.

Thingumbob. — THINGUMBOB,

THING UMEBOB, THINGUMMY, Or

THINGAMY — a word used to
replace a name that is forgotten.
F. " What d'ye call him ? "
is sometimes used in this way.

"Make your mind easy," replied
Mr. Mi es calmly ; " he won't escape ;
we shall have him before the day is
out."

"Will you, sir? that is right-but
how?"

"The honourable Thingumbob,
Tom Yates's friend, put us up to
it."-C. READE.

" My gracious. Mildred," suddenly
exclaimed Agatha, " do you see who
that is there leaning over the bul-
warks? Oh, he's gone ; but so sure
as I am a living woman, it was Lord
Minster and Lady Florence Thing-
umebob, his sister, you know, the
pretty one."— H. R. HAGGARP.

The merchant who discharged his
clerk last week because he never
could remember the word mucilage,
and persisted in saying thingummy,
has got another who is unsound on
the word chronometer, and calls it a
watch-you-call-it.— St. Andrews Citi-
zen, 1887.

There was Mr. So-and-So and Mrs.
Thingamy.— WILSON,

Think. — To THINK BETTER OF
IT — to change one's mind ;
to abandon a resolve, P.

You will think better of your de-
termination.—DICKENS.

"I said plainly that I (will not
marry him.

"I know you did, my dear; but
Mrs. Gamier and I fancied you might
have thought better of it."— FLOR-
ENCE MARRYAT.

TO THINK NO END OF A PERSON

to have a very high opinion of
his character. F.

Thipty. — THIRTY-NINE ARTI-
CLES— the statement of the
toctrines of the Church of
England which every clergy-
man must sign. P, Theodore
Hook, when asked if he was
ready to sign the Thirty-nine
Articles, replied flippantly,
" Yes ; and forty if you wish."
Mr. Punch, like Theodore Hook,
had not any great reverence for the
Thirty - nine Articles. — Fortnightly
Review, 1887.

Thomas. — A VERY THOMAS —
an unbelieving, incredulous
person. P. The disciple of
our Lord who bore that name
refused for a time to believe
in Christ's resurrection, See
John xx. 24, 25.

Moreover, when he sees the lock
of hair and the love-letter— and per-
haps there may be other discoveries
by the time he returns— he must be
a very Thomas not to believe such
proof.— JAMES PAYN.

Thorn.— To BIT ON THORNS —
to be in a position of excessive

Thousand 26! „„.„„,

±roprt; tOet^M, &££&&£?&

-hinehsh rparior r^i^S. " V,

A THORN IN THE SIDE Or THE

FLESH — a perpetual source of
annoyance. P.

me a thom in

Sir Charles demurred. " Oh, I
don't want to quarrel with the fellow •
but he is a regular thorn in my side'

TO THROW THE HANDKERCHIEF

to propose marriage ; to choose
a wife. C. The Sultan is said
to select women for his harem
in this fashion.

Presently he looked up, probably
for the return of Davey, and ner-
ceived her waving her handkerchief
toward him -a signal which the
emaie oracle of the "Ultramarine"
W0u •iave reprobated exceedingly
to her it would seem only one step
the handkerchief.

with his littfe trumpery estate, all
m broken patches. He shoots my
pheasants in the unfairest way."-

C. JLxEADE.

Thousand.— A THOUSAND AND
ONE — a very large number ;
an innumerable collection. P.

a 35 TOfftSfTiftM!! I «-«»-««•*"**** .*.

TAn-laX^ SLr.^SS T°T™°,W ™E HANDLE XJTEK

IiT^ * **Y ' viic ui tlluoc

thousand and one persons who were
now always coming to ask permission
tosee the manuscript.— JAMES PAYN.
Thread. — To TAKE UP THE
THREAD OF — to commence again
where a stoppage has taken
place ; to resume the treat-
ment or discussion of. P.
Harry possessed a ready symp
he fell easily and at once int~ ^
direction suggested by another's
words. Thus, when Angela talked
took

"V*v*«. O.****w, Tinv^ii .****

about the palace, he also — ^ ^ —
thread of invention, and made be-

ook up the

w*M*M«i« vj. invciitiuii, aim niclUc Uc-

lieve with her as if it were a thing
possible-a thing of brick and mor
tar.— BESANT.
To HANG BY A THREAD — to be

in imminent danger ; to be
ready to fall. P.

THE BLADE — to lose even the
little which remains to one C
The question is, Will you at all
better yourselves by having now
one of your hot fits, speaking with
promptitude and energy and, in
fact, going to war with Russia for
what she has done? Alas! my dear
friend, this would be throwing the
handle after the blade with a ven-
geance.—M. ARNOLD.

To THROW DIRT Or MUD AT

to abuse ; to speak evil of. C
Then throw dirt at the plaintiff.
He is malicious, and can be proved
to have forsworn himself in Bassett
v. Bassett.-C. READE.

A woman in my position must ex-
pect to have more mud thrown at
her than a less important person —
TJ-T^T,,,^™ MARRYAT.

one living, and hangs by a thread
over others.— Spectator, 1887.

Thpough. — THROUGH HANDS
—finished ; executed. C.

"And now," continued the butler,
addressing the knife-boy, "reach me
a candle, and we'll get this through
hands at once."— R. L. STEVENSON.

Throw. — To THROW THE GREAT
CAST — to venture everything ;
to take a step of vital impor-
tance. P.

In a word, George had thrown the
great cast.— THACKERAY.

TO THROW DUST IN THE EYES OF

— to confuse ; to mislead. P.

HEAD OF — (of a woman) to
, show a man that she is eager
to receive a proposal of
marriage. C.

As for the girls, Claire, they just
throw themselves at a man.— BESANT.

They say that unless a girl fairly
throws herself at the young men's
heads she isn't noticed. -W. D.

HOWELLS.

To THROW OVER — to abandon ;
to cease to aid or acknow-
ledge. P.

"Look here, Musselboro ; if you're
going to throw me over, just tell me
so, and let us begin fair.

Thumb

" I'm not going to throw you over ;
I've always been on the square with
you."— A. TROLLOPE.

Do you suppose Captain Mitchell
can help being so comically miser-
able, or that Kitty Greenwood can
help being made ridiculously happy,
by the attentions of a man who, in the
nature of things, will end by throwing
her over?— Good Words, 1887.

They say that he is engaged to a
girl in England, and has thrown her
over for the widow.— H. K. HAGGARD.

To THROW STONES — to find fault
with other people. P.

There is an old proverb about the
inexpediency of those who live in
glass houses throwing stones, which
I always think that we (who are in
society) would do well not to forget.
—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

To THROW UP — to reject ; to
cast off. P.

" What do you mean, Lady Bellamy,
when you talk about my duty?"

"I mean the plain duty that lies
before you of marrying your Cousin
George, and of throwing up this
young Heigham."— H. R. HAGGARD.

TO THROW UP THE SPONGE. See

SPONGE.

To THROW OFF — (of hounds) to
start in pursuit of game. P.

Some of the carriages turned out
of the field to follow slowly along the
road, in hopes of seeing the hounds
throw off.— MARION CRAWFORD.

To THROW UPON ONE'S HANDS —
to give one the responsibility
of. P.

In spite of his warning the mother
had been left behind, and he was in
the unenviable position of having a
child thrown upon his hands until
the next stoppage.— HUGH CONWAY.

Thumb. — RULE -OF -THUMB —
measurement or calculation
without the aid of precise
instruments ; rough and ready
calculation. P.
We never learnt anything in the

,yy when I was a youngster, except
a little rule-of-thumb mathematics —
T. HUGHES.

The real truth is, Winterborne,
that medical practice in places like
this is a very rule-of-thumb matter.
—THOMAS HARDY.

UNDER THE THUMB OF — com-
pletely subservient to ; quite
under the control and direction
of. C.

252 Ticket

Your Cousin George is very fond
of a pretty woman, and, to be plain,
what I want you to do is to make
use of your advantages to get him
under your thumb and persuade him
into selling the property.— H. R

From the death of Louis XI. female
influence was constantly on the in-
crease, and we may designate the
century from 1483 to 1689— with the
exception of Louis the Twelfth's
reign— as the era of the ascendency
of women and favourites. The kings
were either nobodies, or were under
the thumb of their wives or mis-
tresses.—National Review. 1887.

"If you think I'm going to be afraid
of Mother Van, you're mistaken.
Let come what may, I'm not
to live under her thumb/ _.
lighted his cigar.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO TURN THE THUMBS UP — to

decide against. P. A classical
phrase. The Romans in the
amphitheatre turned their
thumbs up when a combatant
was not to be spared.

They had unanimously turned their
thumbs up. " Sartor," the publisher
acquainted him. "excites universal
disapprobation.' —R. GARNETT.

TO BITE ONE'S THUMBS AT —

to show contempt for. F.

Tick. — ON TICK — on credit ;
not paid for. F. Abbreviated
from " On ticket," on credit.

"Won't you be tempted now?" he
added to Susan Potter.

She laughed. "Not with these
things. I should never hear the last
of it if Potter found out I went on
tick for finery."— MRS. H. WOOD.

There are few, I guess, who go upon
tick as much as we do.— HALIBURTON.

To TICK OFF — to mark separately
after examination. P.

He would drop suddenly upon his
cousin Josephus, and observe him
faithfully entering names, ticking off
and comparing, just as he had done
for forty years, still a junior clerk.—

Ticket. — To GO ANT TICKET —
to vote for any cause. F. An
American political phrase.

Yes; I love the Quakers. I hope
they'll go the Webster ticket.—
HALIBURTON.

TICKET - OF - LEAVE — a warrant
given to convicts who are

Tickle

allowed their liberty on cond
tion of good behaviour. P.

I suppose he's out now on a ticke
oi-ieave. — HUGH CONWAY

ti 3? fy ffi°und themselves outlaw
ticket-of-leave men, or what you w

253 Time

Emma>as now in a humour

WHAT'S THE TICKET ? — what
to be done ? S.
. ''Well," said Bob Cross, "what
the ticket, youngster? are you t

Wlth me?"

THAT'S THE TICKET — you hav
done the right thing; that'
well done. 3. From the win
mng ticket in a lottery.

Tickle. — To TICKLE TO DEATH
— to amuse exceedingly. F.

Tide. — To TIDE OVER — to over
come a difficulty temporarily

Such questions as these are some
times very anxious ones in a remote
country village, where every pound
spent among the inhabitants serves
to build lip that margin outside the
ordinary income of the wage-earners
which helps the small occupants to
tide over many a temporary embar
rassment when money is scarce —
Nineteenth Century, 1887.

Tile. — A TILE or A SLATE LOOSE
— something wrong with the
brain ; a disordered brain. S.
-Do you think I am as mad as he is ?
Attack a man who has just break-
fasted with me, merely because he
has a tile loose !-C. READE.

Time. — AT TIMES — occasion-
ally. P.

She knew that at times she must
be missed.— Miss AUSTEN.

IN NO TIME — very quickly ;
with great speed. F.

They listened a moment: there was
no fresh sound. Then Brutus slipped
down the front stairs in no time : he
found the front door not bolted —
C. READE.

FROM TIME TO TIME — at inter-
vals. P.

.She lived with them entirely, only
visiting her grandmother from time
to time.— Miss AUSTEN.

IN TIME — (a) after a season ;
when some years have passed.

(b) punctual or punctually •
not behindhand. P

Impey posted back to Calcutta, to

MACA ™AY°r opening of term.-

TO HAVE A GOOD TIME or A REAL

GOOD TIME— to enjoy oneself.
O. An American phrase.

It was also largely due to the vigi-
lant politeness of young Havering,

had a good time.— A/TROLLOPE"
How you will enjoy it! I guess
you'll have a real good time, as ou?
cousins say.-FLORENCE MARRYAT.
FOR THE TIME BEING — tempo-
rarily ; for the particular sea-
son or occasion only. P.

It is the leading boys for the time
being who give the tone to all the
rest, and make the school either a
noble institution for the training of
cnristian Englishmen, or a place
where a young boy will get more evil
than if he were turned out to make
his way in London streets, or any-
thing between these two extremes —
T. HUGHES.

TIME our OF MIND — from a re-
mote date ; longer than any
one can remember. P.

Having, out of friendship for the
family, upon whose estate, praised
be Heaven ! I and mine have lived
rent free, time out of mind, volun-
tarily undertaken to publish the
memoirs of the Rack-rent Family. I
think it my duty to say a few worcis,
in the first place, concerning myself
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

^O TAKE TIME BY THE FORELOCK
— to act promptly ; to make
no unnecessary delay. P.

Now, sir. it's got to come to blows
sooner or later ; and what I propose
is, to take time by the forelock, as
the saying is, and come to blows some
fine day when they least expect it.—
R. L. STEVENSON.

.T THIS TIME OF DAY — at SO late

a date ; in our present stage
of civilization. F. The phrase
refers to a period, not to a day
of twenty -four hours.

But although there was no evil
and little real selfishness in Mrs.
>iickleby's heart, she had a weak

Timeo

head and a vain one ; and there was
something so flattering in being
sought (and sought in vain) in mar-
riage at this time of day (so late in
life), that she could not dismiss the
passion of the unknown gentleman
quite so summarily or lightly as
Nicholas appeared to deem becom-
ing.— DICKENS.

More than anything else, at this
time of day (now that she was an
elderly woman), I was sorry for her.
—HENRY JAMES, JUK.
TIME AND AGAIN — very frequent-
ly. C,

Time and again I've had my doubts
whether he cared for Irene any.—
W. D. HOWELLS.

Timeo. — TIMED DANAOS ET
DONA FEBENTES — I fear the
Greeks even when they bring
gifts. A line from the Latin
poet Virgil, signifying that an
enemy is to be feared even
when he professes friendship.

"Come in here— there's a good fel-
low— I want to speak to you.

"Why is he so infernally genial?"
reflected Philip. " Timeo Danaos ct
donaferentes."—H. R. HAGGARD.

Tin. — TIN — money. S.

"Monstrous nice girl, 'pon
honour, though, Osborne," he was
good enough to add. "Lots of tin,
I suppose, eh? "—THACKERAY.

Tip. — TO TIP THE WINK - to give

the signal. S.

For without putting on his fighting
face, he calmly replied that he had
seen Mr. Metaphor tip the wink, and
whisper to one of his confederates
and thence judged that there wa
something mysterious on the carpet
—SMOLLETT.

ON THE TIP OF ONE'S TONGUE —
ready to be uttered ; on the
point of utterance. C.

It had been on the tip of my tongue
to say where I had just seen Jellico
and the trade he was doing.— MRS
HENRY WOOD.

Mary Wells ran in, with an angn
her tongue.—

254 Token

quite'out of cash until my father tips
up."— THACKERAY,

To TIP ONE'S FTN — to hold out
one's hand to shake. S,

Tiptoe. — ON TIPTOE — in eager
expectation ; in a state of
excited suspense. C.
Religion stands on tiptoe in our land,
Ready to pass to the American strand.

HERBERT.

The news that Smike had been
caught and brought back in triumph
ranlike wildfire through the hungry
community, and expectation was on
tiptoe all the morning.— DICKENS.

Tip-top. — TIP-TOP — first-class.
F.

One of those tip-top firms in the city
would have gone straight off to take
counsel's opinion.— Miss BRADDON.

Tit. — TIT FOR TAT — something
given

THE STRAIGHT TIP — early and
accurate Information. S.
STRAIGHT.

To TIP UP — to pay money ; tc
open one's purse. S.

" I should have liked to make he
a little present," Osborne said to hi
friend in confidence, "only I am

in return ; just retalia-
tion. C.

"Tit for tat! tit for tat!" they
cried. "Squire, you began it, and
you have your due."— BLACKMORE.

To. — To AND FRO — backwards
and forwards. P.

Speckled spiders, indolent and fat
with long security, swing idly to and
fro in the vibration of the bells.—
DICKENS.

A TO-DO — a commotion ; a noise
and confusion. P.

His mother, inside the vehicle, with
her maid and her furs, her wrappers,
and her scent-bottles, made such a
to-do that you would have thought
she never had been in a stage-coach
before.— THACKERAY.

Toe. — THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
TOE. A phrase used with ref-
erence to dancing. F.

Come, and trip it as you go
On the light fantastic toe.

MILTON.

Mr. St. Leger evidently prided him-
self, as Mr. Fitzloom observed, on his
light fantastic toe.— BEACONSFIELD.
To TOE THE MARK — to be careful
in one's conduct. F.

Now you know what I am! I'll
make you toe the mark, every soul of
you, or I'll flog you all, fore and att,
from the boy up.— R. H. DANA, JUN.

Token. — BY THE SAME TOKEN
— moreover ; likewise ; nay
more. C.

Why, I caught two of their inflam-
matory treatises in this very house.

Tom

255

Tooth

By the same token, I sent them to
the executioner at Marseilles, with a
request that he would burn them
publicly.— C. READE.

For we have that memorandum in
writing with a pencil, given under
his own hand, on the back of the
lease, to me, by the same token when
my good lord had his foot on the
step of the coach.goingaway.— MARIA
EDGEWORTH.

MORE BY TOKEN — moreover; in
truth. C.

Whether it were St. George, I can-
not say, but surely a dragon was
killed there; for you may see the
marks yet where his blood ran down,
and more by token the place where
it ran down is the easiest way up the
hillside.-T. HUGHES.

Tom. — TOM, DICK, AND HARRY
; — -ordinary, insignificant peo-
ple ; the multitude. C.

"But all are not preachers and
captains in the Salvation Army?"

No; there is my cousin Dick.
We dre, very properly, Tom, Dick,
and Harry."— BESANT.

If that girl isn't in love with you.
she is something very like it. A girl
does not pop over like that for Dick,
Tom, or Harry.— H. R. HAGGARD.

TOM - AND - JERRY SHOP. See
JERRY.

TOM TIDDLER'S GROUND — said
to be a contraction for TOM
teE IDLER'S GROUND. F. An
imaginary garden of ease and
wealth, where children pick
up gold and silver.

I'm here, my soul's delight, upon
Tom Tiddler's ground, picking up

gie demnition gold and_ silver.—
ICKENS.

Now the spacious drawing-room,
with the company seated round the
glittering table, busy with their glit-
tering spoons and knives, and forks
and plates, might have been taken
for a grown-up exposition of Tom
Tiddler's ground, where children
pick up gold and silver.— DICKENS.

Tommy. — TOMMY ATKINS — the
typical British private soldier.
F.

The commanding officer at Wool-
wich garrison has issued an order
forbidding soldiers to be seen carry-
ing children in the street. In the
privacy of bis house Tommy Atkins
may still, I suppose, hold his baby
in his arms, but beyond the domestic
circle he must sink the parent in the
soldier.-^. Andrews Citizen, 1887.

tongue in their cheek or with a fine
impulsiveness, tell people that their
natural taste for the bathos is a relish

To - moppow. — To - MORROW
COME NEVER — a future date
that will never arrive. F.
"illy. You married to my sister!
en will that be?

rarc. Very soon, my dear. To-day
or to-morrow perhaps.

Sally. To-morrow come never, I be-
lieve.— COLM AN.

Tongue. — WITH THE TONGUE
IN THE CHEEK — mockingly ;
insincerely. C.

And if statesmen, either with their

for the sublime, there is more need
to tell them the contrary.— MATTHEW
ARNOLD.

TO HOLD THE TONGUE — to be

silent. P.

'Tis seldom seen that senators so

young
Know when to speak and when to

hold their tongue.— DRYDEN.

To GIVE TONGUE — to speak out
C.

Only when Mary fired a broadside
into her character, calling her a bold,
bad, brazen-faced slut— only then did
Mrs. Richard give tongue on her be-
half.—MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Tooth. — TOOTH AND NAIL —
with great energy ; violently ;
fiercely. P. As if attacking
both with the teeth and with
the nails.

She would then ignore the verbiage,
as that intellectual oddity, the public
singer, calls it, and fall tooth and
nail upon the musical composition,
correcting it a little peevishly.—
C. READE.

Lady Barbara Pollington had fallen
upon the brewer, tooth and nail, and
was proving conclusively to him that
in anything but a corrupt and rotten
state of society he would at that
moment be working off a well -de-
served sentence of imprisonment
with hard labour.-(?ood Words, 1887.

There are men that roll through
life, like a fire-new red ball going
across Mr. Lord's cricket -ground on
a sunshiny day ; there is another sort
that have to rough it in general, and,
above all, to fight tooth and nail for
the quartern loaf, and not always
win the battle.— C. READE.

A SWEET TOOTH — a liking for
sweet things. C. See SWEET.

Top

256

IN THE TEETH OP — (a) in direct
opposition to ; in spite of. P.

But when we fly antagonistically in
the teeth of circumstances, bent on
following our own resolute path, we
take ourselves out of Gods hands,
and must reap the consequences.—
MRS. HENRY WOOD.

Grace Crawley's fortune was made
in the teeth, as it were, of the pre-
vailing ill -fortune of the family.—
A. TROLLOPE.

Notwithstanding his brave threats
made behind Angela's back, about
forcing her to marry him in the teeth
of any opposition that she could
offer. George reached home that
night very much disheartened about
the whole business.— H. R. HAGGARD.

(&) in presence of ; with

something right before one. P.

The carrier scarcely knew what to
do in the teeth of so urgent a message.
— BLACKMORE.

He was not, in most people's
opinion, a very estimable man, but
he had the talent— by no means a
despicable one— of maintaining his

§rsonal dignity in the teetn of
e most adverse circumstances.—
urray's Magazine, 1887.

Top. — THE TOP OF THE MORN-
ING TO you ! — a morning salu-
tation. C. Now old - fash-
ioned.

"You, doctor? Top of the morn-
ing to you, sir!" cried Silver, broad
awake and beaming with good nature
in a moment.— R. L. STEVENSON.

TO THE TOP OF ONE'S BENT

fully; wholly; to the farthest
limit. C.

They fool me to the top of my bent.
SHAKESPEARE.

Accordingly Goldsmith was fooled
to the top of his bent.— W. IRVING.

" If his master were a mere dreamer,
in fact, which is not the case, yovi
would say that he encouraged him in
his hallucinations."

"I see: he humours him, like the
prince in the play, to the top of his
bent."— JAMES PAYN.

To TOP ONE'S BOOM — to hurry
off. F. A sea phrase.

"Ah, well!" he sighed; "I suppose
that I had better top my boom again ? "

"Do what?"

"I mean I had better leave
Madeira."— H. R. HAGGARD.

A TOP-SAWYER — a first-rate fel-
low. S. Of the two men
who work a frame-saw in a

Touch

saw-pit, the one who stands
above is called the top-

Well, he may be a top-sawyer, but
I don't like him.-C. READE.

AT THE TOP OF THE TREE in the

foremost place ; at the head
of one's profession. C.

" Indeed, Mrs. Armytage, we have
all set our hearts upon being on the
very top of the hill.*

"I don't know as to that," was the
grim reply, "but I know who has
set her heart upon being at the top
of the tree."— JAMES PAYN.

He's had wit enough to get to the
top of the tree, and to keep himself
there.— A. TROLLOPE.
THE TOP NOTCH — the highest
point. F.

It is two weeks since they (the
locusts) first appeared in that county,
and the effect of their blighting
touch has not yet reached the top
notch.-ATew; York Herald, 1888.

To TOP UP WITH — to finish with.

Q

What'll you drink, Mr. Gargery,
at my expense, to top up with?
—DICKENS.

Torch. — To HAND ON THE
TORCH — to continue the work
of enlightenment. P. A clas-
sical phrase.

Though Italy now (in the sixteenth
century) ceases to be the guiding
light of Europe, her work has been
done among the nations, and in their
turn France, England, and Germany
hand on the torch, and the warmth
and radiance survive still, and are
reflected in the Italy of our own
day.— Quarterly Review, 1887.

Toss. — To TOSS UP — to decide
in a chance way, as by throw-
ing up a coin. C.

It is a queer picture-that of the
old prince dying in his little wood-
built capital, and his seven sons
tossing up who should inherit and
transmit the crown of Brentford
(petty crown).— THACKERAY.

Touch. — TOUCH AND GO — said
of a critical situation, where a
very small influence will turn
the scale. C,

" It was touch and go (my escape
was a narrow one), doctor, was it?
inquired the other with a seriousness
as strangely foreign to the phrase as
the phrase itself was to the speaker's

Tour

257

Tread

usual manner of expressing himself.
—JAMES PAYN.

IN TOUCH WITH — having a deli-
cate appreciation and intimate
knowledge of ; in sympathy
with. P.

It would be impossible to discover
a more ideally perfect ambassador
than is Lord Lyons ; but the republic
is not popular in Paris smart society,
and while Lyons himself does not
go out, the embassy is, like all em-
bassies, in touch with smart society.
—Fortnightly Review, 1887.

Certainly this is inherent in the
office and function of the country
parson, that he is not quite in touch
with any one in his parish if he be
a really earnest ana conscientious
parson.— Nineteenth Century, 1887.

TO TOUCH PERSONS OFF — to be

too clever for them ; to be
more than a match for them.
F.

"Well done, my good boy," re-
turned she; ''I knew you would
touch them off."— GOLDSMITH.
TO TOUCH IT OFF TO THE NINES

— to act with great cleverness ;
to do anything perfectly. S.

If I didn't touch it off to the
nines, it's a pity. "I never heard
you preach so well," says one, " since
you were located here." — HALI-

BUBTON.

Four*. — A TOUR DE FORCE — a
feat of strength or of skill. P.
French.

"That is not worthy of a mathe-
matician," said Mr. Fraser with some

irritation : " it is nothing but a trick,
e force."— H. R. HAGGARD.

[ a tour de^

Tout. — THE TOUT ENSEMBLE —
the whole taken together. P.
French.

" What a lovely woman this is ! "
said Mrs. Bellamy, with enthusiasm
to Miss Lee, so soon as Philip was
out of ear-shot. "Her tout ensemble
positively kills one."-H. E. HAG-

GABD.
TOW. — TO TAKE IN TOW — to

take charge of. F.

Dr. Blimber accompanied them ;
and Paul had the honour of being
[ taken in tow by the doctor himself—
a distinguished state of things, in
which he looked very little and
feeble.— DICKENS.

Town. A MAN ABOUT TOWN

a fashionable gentleman ; a

man who spends his life;in city
clubs and in pleasure. P.

" Why should I give her pure heart
to a man about town ?"

"Because you will break it else,"
said Miss Somerset.— C. READE.

Tracks. — To MAKE TRACKS —
to go off ; to depart quickly.

S.

" I'd have made him make tracks,
I guess, as quick as a dog does a
hog from a potato - field. — HALI-

BURTON.

"I am glad that the old gentleman
has made tracks," said John.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

Trade. — Two OF A TRADE —
two people in the same busi-
ness or profession. C.

It is proverbial that two of a trade
seldom agree.— Edinburgh Review,
1886.

Trail. — To TRAIL OFF — to move
heavily ; to lose impetus. C.
The example given refers to a
novel that had been begun
with some spirit.

How was it that, after this, A Heart
of Gold began to trail off?-B. L.
FARJEON.

Trap. — To UNDERSTAND TRAP
— to be knowing or wide-awake.
F.

My good lady understood trap as
well as any woman in the Mearns.—
SCOTT.

Traveller. — To TIP THE TRAV-
ELLER — to deceive ; to fill
with false information. S.

Aha! dost thou tip me the traveller,
my boy?— SMOLLETT.

Tread. — To TREAD THE BOARDS
— to be an actor ; to follow
the stage as a profession. P.

The theatres occupied a much
higher position in society. Kemble
andhismajesticsister, Mrs. Siddons,
trod the boards.-JAMES PAYN.

TO TREAD ON A MAN'S CORNS —

to annoy or hurt him. C.

" Only," he added, " I'm glad I trod

on Master Pew's corns," for by this

time he had heard my story.— R. L.

STEVENSON.

TO TREAD ON ANOTHER'S TOES —

to annoy or exasperate hun.
p.

The old West Indian families are
very proud and sensitive, but there

Treasure

is not much possibility of their
' g their toes trodden upon in
ing like the way that made

having their toes trodden upon in
anything like the way that made
Mr. Froude's last book the subject

of such an outcry by some of our
antipodean friends and relations.—
Spectator, 1887.
TO TREAD ON EGGS — to Walk

with the utmost care ; to be
very circumspect. C.

"It's real mean of him, isn't it?"
says Miss Smiles. " Why, it might
come to her husband's ears any day,
and poor Emily will feel as if she
was treading on eggs all her life."—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Treasure. — TREASURE -TROVE
— treasure hid away and ac-
cidentally discovered. P.

And so Farmer Caresfoot became
the lawful owner of Cratham Abbey
with itB two advowsons, its royal
franchises of treasure trove and deo-
dand, and more than a thousand
acres of the best land in Marlshire.
— H. R. HAGGARD.

Treat. — To STAND TREAT — to
entertain at a public place ;
to pay the holiday expenses of
a party. C.

They went out to Versailles with
their families ; loyally stood treat to
the ladies at the restaurateurs.—
THACKERAY.

Tree. — UP A TREE — in a fix ;
cornered ; unable to do any-
thing. S.

I'm completely up a tree this time.
— HALIBURTON.

AT THE TOP OF THE TREE. See

TOP.

Trice. — IN A TRICE — without
delay ; very quickly. C.

If she gives him proper encourage-
ment, he 11 pay the money in a trice.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Tpiek. — To TRICK OUT — to dec-
orate ; to dress brilliantly. P.
It finds itseL tricked out in gay
garments, and it has money put in
its pocket, and it is bidden to dance
and be merry.— WM. BLACK.

Trip. — To TRIP UP — to cause
to fall. P.

Paddy was tripped up.— BEACONS-
FIELD,

TO CATCH A MAN TRIPPING — to

discover a man making some
error or committing some of-
fence. P.

258 Trump

FThough the police know him, and
would give their eyes to catch him
tripping, he never tumbles into
their trap.— Miss BR ADDON.

Triton. — A TRITON OF or AMONG
THE MINNOWS — a man who
appears big because his com-
panions are so small. P.
Triton was a sea-god, the
trumpeter of Neptune.
Hear you this Triton of the min-
nows ?— SHAKESPEARE.

Trojan. — LIKE A TROJAN —
gallantly ; bravely. C.

He had lain like a Trojan behind
his mattress in the gallery ; he had
followed every order silently, dog-
gedly, and welL~R. L. STEVENSON.

TPOt. — TO TROT OUT — to show

for inspection ; to exhibit to
a company. F.

" Come, come," said James, putting
his hand to his nose and winking at
his cousin with a pair of vinous eyes,
"no jokes, old boy; no trying it on
me. You want to trot me out, but
it's no go."— THACKERAY.

Truant. — To PLAT TRUANT —
to be absent without leave.
P.

"He'll be back on the 15th," said
the knight, "unless he means to
play truant."— A. TROLLOPE.

True. — TRUE BLUE — thoroughly
faithful and trustworthy ;
staunch. P.

Squire Brown, be it said, was a
true blue Tory to the backbone.—
T. HUGHES.

He had, I suspect, been watching
his master, like a true blue British
cur.— H. K.INGSLEY.

TRUE AS STEEL — faithful ; stead-
fast ; wholly to be trusted.
P.

Thank Farmer Meadows, for he
'twas that sent Tom to the prison,
where he was converted, and became
as honest a fellow as any in the
world, and a friend to your George,
as true as steel.— C. READE.

Trump. — To HOLD TRUMPS —
to be lucky ; to be sure of
victory. F. Trumps are the
winning cards at whist. The
word is a form of " triumph."
You never hold trumps, you know :
I always do.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Trumpet

259

Turf

To PLAT ONE'S TRUMP CARD — to

use one's best chance of suc-

cess. C.
He was a man with power in

reserve ; he had still his trump card

to play.— BESANT.
TO TURN UP TRUMPS — (a) to

prove successful ; to be for-
tunate. F.

There are plenty of instances, in
the experience of every one, of short
courtships and speedy marriages
which have turned up trumps— I beg
your pardon— which have turned out
well after all.— WILKIE COLLINS.
- (6) to prove of signal service;
to prove very useful. F.

When he turned up trumps I let
things be.— H. KINGSLEY.
To TRUMP UP— to fabricate ; to
make up with an evil motive
P.

" The girl has gone mad."

" Goou heavens ! you don't say so !

"Yes, I do, though; and I'll tell
you what it is, Bellamy, they say
that you and your wife went to
Madeira and trumped up a story
about her lover's death in order to
take the girl in."— H. R. HAGGARD.
Trumpet. — To BLOW ONE'S
OWN TRUMPET — to speak boast-
fully. C.

After such a victory our old friend

the archdeacon would have blown

his own trumpet loudly among his

friends.— A. TROLLOPE.

Tpumpetep. — To BE ONE'S

OWN TRUMPETER - to SOUnd

one's own praises ; to speak
favourably of one's own per-
formances. C.

He hoped I was a good boy, which,
being compelled to be my own
trumpeter, I very modestly declared
I was.— CAPTAIN MARRYAT.
Try. — To TRY IT ON — to see
how far one may venture with
impunity ; to test one's
power. C.

several other rooms the poor
llowstriediton.-T. HUGHES.
, then, he is trying it on with
Miss Rayne. There is no doubt of
that. I watched them through the
tableau.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.
To TRY ON — to see if clothes fit.
P.

In the conduct of the show-room
and the trying-on room she has all
her own way.— BESANT.

In se

littlefe

Well,

To TRY ONE'S HAND AT — to ven-
ture upon for the first time ;
to make a beginning with. C.
He had on several occasions been
induced to try his hand at ecarte.—
S. WARREN.

To TRY CONCLUSIONS — to have
a decisive struggle. P. A
Shakespearean phrase.
After that he would have to try
lusions with his own people.—
LI

MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.
Tuck. — To TUCK INTO — to eat
heartily of. S.

" I won't myself." returned Squeers ;
" but if you'll just let little Wackf ord
tuck into something fat, I'll be
obliged to you."— DICKENS.
To TUCK UP — to draw tight
round one ; to roll up so as
not to drag or hang. F.

"Why," said Lord Jocelyn, with a
shudder, " you will rise at six ; you
will go out in working-clothes, carry-
ing your tools, and with your apron
tied round and tucked up. —BESANT.
A TUCK-OUT — a feast ; an eat-
ing of dainties. S. A " tuck-
shop '* is a confectioner's.

Old Dobbin, his father, who now
respected him for the first time, gave
him two guineas publicly, most of
which he spent in a general tuck-out
for the school.— THACKERAY.

. — THE TUG OF WAR — the
hardest part of any under-
taking ; the real struggle.
P. The name is also given
to a favourite athletic pas-
time, where two sides pull at
the opposite ends of a rope.

When Greeks joined Greeks then
was the tug of war.— N. LEE.

It was when the ladies were alone
that Becky knew the tug of war
would come.— THACKERAY.
Tune. — To THE TUNE OF — to
the amount of. F. A sur-
prisingly large sum of money
is generally mentioned after
the phrase.

Then Mr. Titmouse ventured to
apply to Mr. O'Gibbet, that gentle-
man being Mr. Titmouse's debtor
to the tune of some five hundred
pounds.— S. WARREN.
Turf. — ON THE TURF — engaged
in horse-racing. P.

"My dear Digbv, you talk like a
racing-man," said Mrs. Brabazon.

Turk

260

Turn

" You should remember that we are
not all of us on the turf."— JAMES
PAYN.

Turk. — To TURN TURK — to
grow ill-tempered and arro-
gant. F.

Emma's having turned turk,
startled my father.— H. KINGSLEY.

Turn. — To TURN IN — to retire

for the night. F.
'Well, I'll turn

I'm

"wen, ill turn in; I'm
tired," said Larry, rising and
his hand on the old man's sh
— All the Year Round, 1887.

. .
der.

To TURN OFF — to dismiss. P.

"Then why don't you turn her
off?"

" Who'd take such a useless old
hag if I turned her offi? "— C. READE.

To TURN OUT — (a) to prove in
the sequel ; to result. P.

£37,000 was private capital sunk in
the land without any prospect of
seeing the capital again, and, as
things have turned out, without even
getting the interest.— Spectator, 1887.

The tidings turned out to be
correct.— DICKENS.
— (&) to eject ; to evict. P.

TO TURN OUT IN THE COLD to

repulse; to reject; to remove
from a pleasant situation. C.
It was a warm evening, as his
father had observed; but in one
sense he had been turned out in the
cold, and he felt it bitterly.— JAMES
PAYN.

To TURN UP — to show oneself ;
to appear ; to happen unex-
pectedly. C.

" Perhaps my sister will turn up."
How can she, if the roads are
impassable?" — Blackwood's Maga-
zine, 1886.

He had come over to England to be
an apothecary, or anything else that
might turn up.— DICKENS.

He s turned up. by Jove, a trump
(nice fellow) all of a sudden.-
S. WARREN.

And nobody ever turned up that
was able, in any way, to understand
her.— BLACKMORE.

But something might turn up ; and
it was devoutly to be hoped that
Dr. Tempest would take a long time
over the inquiry.— A. TROLLOPE.
To TURN UP ONE'S NOSE AT — to
show contempt for. C.

When first Chaldicotes, a very old
country-seat, had by the chances
of war fallen into their hands, and

been newly furnished, and newly
decorated, and newly gardened, and
newly green-housed, and hot-watered
by them, many of the county people
had turned up their noses at them.—
A. TROLLOPE.

TO TAKE TURNS. See TAKE.

BY TURNS — alternately ; one
after another. P.
They feel by turns the bitter change
Of fierce extremes ; extremes by
change more fierce.— MILTON.

To TURN ONE'S COAT — to be a ren-
egade ; to join the party one
has opposed. C.

I never turned my coat, as some
fine gentlemen who have never been
to Constantinople have done. I
never changed my principles.— G. A.
SALA.

The celebrated Sir John "One, a
soldier of fortune like Dalgetty. who
had already changed sides twice
already during the Civil War, and
was destined to turn his coat a third
time before it was ended.— SCOTT.

To TURN ONE'S BACK ON — to
refuse to acknowledge ; to
repulse. C.

He could not consent to turn his
back upon helpless travellers.—
W. IRVING.

TO TURN A DEAF EAR to refuse

to listen. P.

The Russian government, in the
last few years, made repeated appli-
cations to the governments of France
and England for protection against
Nihilist conspirators who made
Paris or London their residence; but
the English government has turned
a deaf ear to the requests made for
legislation.— FortnightlyReview, 1887.
To TURN ONE'S HAND TO — to be
ready to work at. C.

I can turn my hand to anything.—
W. IRVING.

To TURN THE HEAD OF — to

intoxicate ; to destroy the
moral balance of. P.

The youth's head is turned with
reading romances.— SCOTT.

He was but a stripling of sixteen,
and being thus suddenly mounted
on horseback, with money in his
pocket, it is no wonder that his head
was turned.— W. IRVING.

"If you only know how much we—
I mean I— made last week."

"Please do not tell me that. You
might turn my head."— BESANT.
To TURN IN ONE'S GRAVE. A
phrase used with reference to

Turn

261

Twcedlc

dead people, when something
happens which would have
annoyed them exceedingly
when alive. P.

O William Slagg, you must have
turned in your grave.— HUGH CON-
WAY.

TO TURN THE CORNER — to pass a

critical point ; to change for
the better. C.

For the present this young man
(although he certainly had turned
the corner) lay still in a very pre-
carious state.— BLACKMORE.

To TURN OVER — to transfer. P.
Tis well the debt no payment does

demand.

You turn me over to another hand.
DRYDEN.

To TURN ON ONE'S HEEL — to go
off with a gesture of con-
tempt. P.

A very dry recognition on Miss
Anna Marias part replied to the
effort I made to salute her, and, as
she turned on her heel, she said to
her brother, "Breakfast's ready,"
and left the room.— C. LEVER.

TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF — to

commence a new course of life ;
to improve in conduct. P.

Then, in a private postscript, he
condescended to tell us that all
would be speedily settled to his
satisfaction, and we should turn
over a new leaf.— MARIA EDGE-
WORTH.

TO TURN ONE ROUXD ONE'S

LITTLE FINGER — to manage
with ease. C.

"But he turns you and me round
his little finger, old boy— there's no
mistake about that." And East
nodded at Tom sagaciously.— T.
HUGHES.

To TURN A PENNY — to earn
money. C.

I attend sales, and never lose a
chance of turning a penny.— C.

READE.
TO TURN THE TABLES. See

TABLE.

TO TURN TAIL — to go off J to

turn back. F.

That night two supers turned tail.
An actress also, whose name I have
forgotten, refused to go on with her.
— C7 READE.

To TURN TO ACCOUNT — to make
good use of ; to profit from. P.

It is possible that he would turn
them to good account.— THACKERAY.

The Americans are a time and
money saving people, but have not
yet, as a nation, learned that music
may be turned to account.— R. H.
DANA, JUN.

TO DO A GOOD TURN — to be of

service. P.

Indeed, I tried, at Angela's sugges-
tion, to do you a good turn with
Philip Caresfoot.— H. R. HAGGARD.
TO DO A BAD Or AN ILL TURN —

to injure. P.

Go to Crawley. Use my name.
He won't refuse my friend, for I
could do him an ill turn if I chose.—
C. READE.

He is a wicked fellow, Bessie, and
a dangerous fellow ; but he has more
brains and more power about him
than any man in the Transvaal, and
you will have to be careful, or he
will do us all a bad turn.— H. R.
HAGGARD.

TO TURN THE STOMACH — to CaUSO

sickness or loathing. P.

The stomach turns against them.—
HAZLITT.

To TURN UPOX — to prove un-
faithful to ; to desert. P.

But he (George IV.) turned upon
twenty friends. He was fond and
familiar with them one day, and he
passed them on the next without
recognition.— THACKERAY.

Turned. — TURNED our OF —
educated at. C.

Indeed, he knew that the argu-
ments of those who hold the doctrine
of predestination, and its correlative
reprobation, are logically unanswer-
able by the best theologian ever
turned out of Oxford.— HUGH CON-
WAY.

Turtle. — To TURN THE TURTLE
— to capsize. S.

Yes, Mr. Keene ; but turning the
turtle is not making a quick passage
—except to the other world.— CAP-
TAIN MARRYAT.

Tweedle. — TWEEDLEDUM AND

TWEEDLEDEE tWO things

which differ very slightly, and
are very insignificant at best.

Some say, compared to Bononcini,
That Mynheer Handel's but a ninny ;
Others aver that he to Handel
Is scarcely fit to hold a candle.
Strange all this difference should be
'TwixlTweedledumandTweedledee.
JOHN BYROM.

Twenty

Although Swift could not see the
difference between tweediedee and
tweedledum, posterity has notshared
the dean's contempt for Handel; the
world has discovered a difference be-
tween tweediedee and tweedledum,
and given a hearty applause and
admiration to Hogarth, too, but not
exactly as a painter of Scriptural
subjects, or as a rival of Correggio.—

THACKERAY.

I'm afraid there won't be
Instruct my ignorance of the differ-

ence between tweedledum and
tweediedee before the end of No-
vember.—W. E. NORRIS, in Good
Words, 1887.

Twenty.— TWENTY AND TWEN-
TY— many; innumerable. C.
Twenty and twenty times =
once and again.

I have hinted it to you twenty and
twenty times by word of mouth.—
S. RICHARDSON.

Twig. TO TWIG A PERSON — to

comprehend him ; to under-
stand his meaning ; to know
what his intention is. S.

" Stay," cried he ; "if he is an old
hand he will twig the officer."— C.
READE.

I twig you now, my boy, Sam Slick,
the clockmaker.— HALIBURTON.

Two. — IN TWO TWOS — imme-
diately ; without any delay.
F.

"Do they, indeed?" says I; "send
them to me, then, and I'll fit the
handle on to them in two twos."—
HALIBURTON.

TO PUT OF LAY TWO AND TWO
TOGETHER — to reason logically ;
to draw a logical conclusion.
C.

The young fellows in Dublin, too,
by laying two and two together, be-
gan to perceive that there was a
certain dragon in watch for the
wealthy heiress.— THACKERAY.

With one thing and another now I
am so knocked about that I cannot
put two and two together.— BLACK-
MORE.

Gwendolen was a woman who
could put two and two together —
GEORGE ELIOT.

TO HAVE TWO STRINGS TO ONE'S

BOW — to have two things to
rely upon ; to have a second
resource to fall back upon. C
Now I must go and write a line or
two for the public, and then inspect
the asylum with Suaby. Before post-

262 L Twopenny

time I will write a letter to a friend
of mine who is a Commissioner of
Lunacy, one of those strong-minded
ones, we may as well have two
strings to our bow.— G. READE.

You have now, as you see, what it
is always well to have— two strings to
your bow.— JAMES PAYN.

The American heiress is both
powerful and wealthy, and Hester
Beverley knows well the advantage
in this world of having two strings
to your bow.— FLO RENCK MARRY AT.
To MAKE TWO BITES OF A CHEERY

— to divide something so
small as not to be worth a di-
vision. P.

If I was In your place, I wouldn't
make two bites of a cherry. — C.
READE.

TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT GAME—

— another person can retaliate
in the same way. C.

"Woman, what do you mean?"
cries the visitor, rising to her feet.

Now, don't you call me any
names, or you will find that two can
play at that game." — FLORENCE

Mr. Baesett had invoked brute
force in the shape of Burdock.
"Well, sir," said he, "it seems they
have shown you two can play at that
game."— C. READE.

Two UPON TEN — two eyes on ten
fingers — that is, " keep a
watch on his movements or
he may steal." S. This
watchword is often passed
round a shop when a suspi-
cious character has entered it.

Twopence. — To WANT TWO-
PENCE IN THE SHILLING — to
be weak in the brain ; to be
crazy. F. The head ia called
sarcastically a man's " two-
penny ; " as in the game of
leap-frog, where the boy stoop-
ing down is told to " tuck in
his twopenny."

Twopenny. — TWOPENNY -
HALFPENNY — of small va ue ;
insignificant. F.

The next day we took a prize called
the Golden Sun, belonging to a creek
on the main, a twopenny-halfpenny
little thing, thirty-five tons.— G. A.
SALA.

Those twopenny-halfpenny lights
which make so good an effect in the
garden.— MRS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Ugly

263

Up

U

Ugly. — AN UGLY DUCKLING —

something which is despised
for its want of beauty, but
which afterwards wins admir-
ation. C. In the fable from
which the phrase is taken the
ugly duckling proved to be a
swan.

" Well," said Campion, " you see I
wag one of the ducklings myself."

"Oh, ah, so you were," said Bab-
cock, perfectly unabashed," but we'll
hope you'll turn out more in the
ugly duckling line."— F. ANSTEY.

And then we all get into our car-
riages, with the <rugly duckling,"
transformed within the last quarter
of an hour into a swan, leading the
way.— RHODA BROUQHTON.
AN UGLY CUSTOMER — an un-
pleasant individual to deal
with ; a person to be afraid
of. F.

Some of these good-looking young
gentlemen are ugly customers enough

when their

is up, and Cousin

Charlie, like the reat, had quite as
much "devil" in his composition as
was good for him.— G. J. WHYTE-
MELVILLE.

As UGLY AS SIN — repulsive in
appearance. F.

Why, she is aa ugly as sin ! Though
she ia my friend. I must acknowledge
that.— MARIA EDGEWORTH.

Uncle. — MY UNCLE'S — the
pawnbroker's. S.
"If you won't lend me, I must

"Go" to my uncle's," Titmouse
groaned aloud.— S. WARREN.
UNCLE SAM< — the people or gov-
ernment of the United States.
F.

"We call," said the clockmaker,
"the American public Uncle Sam,
as you call the British John Bull. —
HALIBURTON.

She was called the Catalina, and,
like the vessels in that trade, except
the Ayacucho, her papers and colours
were from Uncle Sam.— R. H. DANA,

JUN.

Unction. — To LAY A FLATTER-
ING UNCTION TO THE SOUL — to

soothe oneself with a pleasant
fancy. P. A Shakespearean
phrase (Hamlet, act iii. scene 4).

And he had answered her, that she
sent him straight to the devil ; that
when she heard in after times that
vqurien, George Ruthven, had shot
himself, or gone to the dogs, she
might lay the flattering unction to
her soul that she had sent him there.
—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Union. — THE UNION JACK —
the flag of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ire-
land. P.

The weighted corpse, wrapped
round with a Union Jack, was borne
along by the sailors to the stern of
the ship.— WM. BLACK.

Up. — ALL UP — certain destruc-
tion ; a hopeless condition of
affairs. C.

John realized that it was all up.
and that to stop in the cart would
only mean certain death. — H. R.
HAGGARD.

Pippin was as white aa death, and
I thought it was all up myself.— C.

'Tia all up with the vlllaina.-S.
WARREN.

UP AND ABOUT — no longer in

bed ; dressed and moving
about. C.

It was then a little after five, and
there was already a stir, an occa-
sional footfall along the principal
streets. By the time he got to
the Whitechapel Road there were a
good many up and about.— BESANT.
UP IN ARMS — enraged ; ready to
quarrel. C.

The squire would have been up in
arms, no doubt, if he had known it.
—MRS. HENRY WOOD.
UP A TREE — in a dilemma ;
thoroughly perplexed. S.

"Worse than that," replied
Jacques, looking very grave ; ' I m
in a regular fix— up a tree, by Jove.
— -G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE.
UPS AND DOWNS — prosperity and
adversity ; successive rises
and falls. F.

The ups and downs of the rival
parties furnished subjects for two
excellent cartoons.— Fortnightly Re-
view, 1887.

UP TO A THING OR TWO — know-
ing ; skilful. F.

Aa King Solomon says.-and that
man was up to a thing or two, you

Upper

may depend, though our professor
"id say he wasn t so knowing as
Jncle Sam, — it's all vanity and

did say he wasn t so knowing as
Uncle Sam, — it's all vanity ai '
vexation of spirit.— HALIBUKTON.

UP TO SOMETHING — about to

carry out a scheme. C.

Old Jacobson was as curious as
anything over it, and asked the
squire, aside, what he was up to.
that he must employ Crow instead of
his own man.— MBS. HENRY WOOD.

UP TO THE EYES — completely ;
to its full extent. C.

Splatchett's farm is mortgaged up
to the eyes.— C. READE.

UP TO THE MARK — in excellent
condition or health ; not be-
low the average. C. Gener-
ally used negatively.

" Come, Balfour," said Mr. Bolitho
brightly, " have a glass of sherry and
a cigar. You don't look quite up
to the mark this morning."— WM.
BLACK.

Uppep. — THE UPPER HAND —
the control ; power* of gov-
erning. P.

Finally, the reports were that the
governess had come round every-
body, wrote Sir Pitt's letters, did his
business, managed his accounts— had

264 Veil

the upper hand of the whole house.
—THACKERAY.

THE UPPER TEN or UPPER TEN
THOUSAND — the highest circle
of society. P.

Next comes "The History of a
Crime" (pace, Victor Hugo), of the
high • falutin' order, intended, we
suppose, to give one a glimpse of the
iniquities or the upper ten.— Edin-
burgh Review, 188T.

THE UPPER STORY — the head or
brain. F.

You see, the point we should
gain would be this,— if we tried to
get him through as being a little
touched in the upper story,— what-
ever we could do for him, we could
do against his own will.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Upset. — AN UPSET PRICE — the
price at which an article at an
auction is started by the auc-
tioneer. P.

The upset price was one pound an
acre, payable at once.— H. KINGSLEY.

Upsides. — UPSIDES WITH (A
PERSON) — on an equal footing
with. F.

I am upsides with my neighbour
now, since my new trap nas arrived.

Vade. — A VADE MECUM — a
useful book of reference that
can be carried about ; a con-
stant companion. C. Latin :
" Go with me."
The fact is, I can't say I am versed

in the school
So ably conducted by Marryat and

Poole ;
(See the last-mentioned gentleman's

"Admiral's Daughter '?
The grand vade mecum for all who to

sea come).— BARHAM.
All these things will be specified in
time,

With strict regard to Aristotle's

rules.

The vade mecum of the true sub-
lime,

Which makes so many poets and

Dsome fools.— BYRON.
Vss. — VJE VICTIS ! — woe to the
vanquished ! P. Latin.

Vce victis being of old the only
regret expressed towards those
against whom the fortune of war
had turned. — Chambers's Journal,

Valet. — VALET DE CHAMBRE —
bedroom servant ; personal
attendant. P. French.

We are not the historic Muse, but
her ladyship's attendant, tale-bearer
— valet de chambre—for whom no man
is a hero.— THACKERAY.

Veil. — TO TAKE THE VEIL —

to become a nun. P.

He had, as he said, taken orders as
a nun takes the veil, to get rid of the
wicked world.— R. GARNETT, in Life
o/Carlyle.

BEYOND THE VEIL — in the other
world ; in the regions of the
dead. P.

The tale was finished in London on
the 3rd of November 1844, and early
in December read by him from the
proofs ready for publication at
Forster's rooms to a little party of
friends, including Maclise and Stan-
field, Dyce, Laman Blanchard,
Douglas Jerrold, and Thomas Car-
lyle. Reader and hearers are beyond
the veil -, there is not one left to us
now.— HENRY MORLEY.

Vengeance

265

Volte

TO DRAW A VEIL OVER to

conceal. P.

There may be whole pages, close-
written and full of stirring matter,
which I have chosen to conceal ;
there may be occurrences which it
is best, at this time, to draw a veil
over.— G. A. SALA.

Vengeance. — WITH A VEN-
GEANCE— extremely ; forcibly ;
unmistakably. C.

He could be logical with a venge-
ance—so logical as to cause infinite
trouble to his wife, who, with all her
good sense, was not logical.— A.
TROLLOPE.

The Hispaniola reached Bristol
just as Mr. Blandly was beginning
to think of fitting out her consort.
Five men only of those who had
sailed returned with her. Drink and
the devil had done for the rest, with a
vengeance,— K. L. STEVENSON.

Ventpe. — VENTRE A TERRE — at
the greatest speed. C. French.
Literally "with the belly on
the earth."

We ride at speed, we drive at
speed .... are married, divorced.
robbed, ruined, and enriched, all
venire d terrel—G. J. WHYTE-MEL-

VILLE.

Vepbum. — VERBUM SAP — a
word is enough. A contrac-
tion of the Latin phrase
verbum sat sapienti, " a word
is enough for a wise man."

I say no more. Verbum sap.—
WILKIE COLLINS.

Via. — VIA MEDIA — a middle
path ; a course between two
opposite extremes. P. Latin.
It must be unconditional sur-
render, or the last attempt at con-
ciliation. There was no via media.
—MBS. E. LYNN LINTON.

Vial. — To POUR OUT THE VIALS
OF ONE'S WRATH — to give vent
to one's anger ; to express
one's indignation. P.

She pours out the vials of her
mental wrath on the head of Mrs.
West for encouraging Staunton to
come to Norman House.— FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

Vice. — VICE VERSA — making an
interchange of positions ;
placing two things each in the
place of the other. P. Latin.
Literally, " the terms being
exchanged."

They never laugh when they ought
to weep, or vice versd( weep when they
ought.to laugh).— JAMES PA YN.

Victory. — A CADMEAN VIC-
TORY— a victory in which the
victors suffer as much as their
enemies. P.

Vin. — VIN ORDINAIRE — ordin-
ary red wine, such as is supplied
free of charge at meals in a
French hotel. P. French.

I suppose those toadies of his have
supplied him with a vin ordinaire at
a hundred and twenty shillings a
dozen.— WM. BLACK.

Virgin. — VIRGIN SOIL — what is
fresh and unused. P.

I am convinced that comic opera,
or rather operatic comedy, has an
immense future before it in this
country. One may almost call it
virgin soil.— Good Words, 1887.

Virtue. — To MAKE A VIRTUE OP
NECESSITY — to do willingly
what cannot be avoided to
submit with a good grace to
what is inevitable. P.

Making a virtue of necessity, there
are many in England who begin no
longer to regard Constantinople as a
British interest of the first magni-
tude.— Fortnightly Review, 1887.

Viva. — VIVA VOCE — using the
voice and not the pen as the
medium of communication.
P. Latin. The literal signifi-
cation is " with the living
voice."

Dr. Johnson seems to have been
really more powerful in discoursing
vivdvocein conversation than with his
pen in his hand.— S. T. COLERIDGE.

The sole examination is viva voce
and public, but, I was assured, of
not the least importance.— Journal
oj Education, 1887.

Voice. — AT THE TOP OF ONE'S
VOICE — loudly ; in a high
voice. P.

Volte. — VOLTE FACE — a com-
plete change of position ;
a reversal of conduct or
policy. P. French.

Nothing in the last two years had
happened to justify the conference in
executing a volte face.-Journal of
Education, 1887.

Volumes

266

Volumes. — To SPEAK VOLUMES
— to be important testimony;
to be very significant. P.

Bella, you know it is the same
woman. You recognized her in a

War

moment. That speaks volumes.— C.
READE.

The epithet so often heard, and
in such kindly tones, of "Poor
Goldsmith," speaks volumes.— \Y.
IRVINE.

w

Walt. — To WAIT UPON — (a) to
pay a formal visit to. P.

The countess had actually come to
wait upon Mrs. (Jrawley on the failure
of her second envoy. —THACKERAY.

• (6) to attend to the wants of

a person. P.

She had been so long used to be
humoured and waited upon, by
relations and servants, that she con-
sidered herself a sort of golden idol.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER'S SHOES.

See SHOE.

Walk. TO WALK THE PLANK —

a punishment frequently im-
posed by pirates on their cap-
tives. P. The unfortunate
victims were made to walk
along a plank partly overhang-
ing the water. After a few steps
the plank tilted, and they
were shot Into the sea.

It is also to be deplored that pirates
should be able to exact ransom by
threatening to make their captives
walk the piank.-MACAULAy.

I had to take it, or walk the plank
— C. READE.

To WALK ONE'S CHALKS — to go
off. S.

The prisoner has cut his stick, and
walked his chalks, and is off to
London.— C. KINGSLEY.

A WALK OVER THE COURSE,

or A WALK OVER — an easy
victory; a victory gained
without any real competition.
C.

TO WALK THE CHALK LINE

to be particular in one's con-
duct. S.

Make him walk the chalk line.
TO WALK THE HOSPITAL — to

prosecute medical studies with
the view of becoming a phy-
sician. C. Before medical
colleges were introduced into

England, students attached
themselves to one or other of
the London hospitals.

Lor', no; it's quite a stranger: a

young man that's just been walking

the 'orspital ; but they say he's very

clever.— Miss BRADDOX.

TO WALK INTO A PERSON — to

scold him ; to rate him soundly.

S.

TO WALK INTO FOOD — to eat

heartily of it. fi.

Wall. — To GO TO THE WALL —

to fail ; to be unsuccessful.
P.

Quacks prosper as often as they go
to the wall.— THACKERAY.

He grows rich as the village grows
poor; and so the Moslem goes to the
wall.— Si. James's Gazette, 1887

Charles's hopes had to go to the
wall.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

THE FINGER or HANDWRITING
ON THE WALL — the announce-
ment of a coming disaster. P.
See HANDWRITING.

This inexplicable incident, this
reversal of my previous experience,
seemed, like the Babylonian finger
on the wall, to be spelling out the
letters of my judgment. — R. L.
STEVENSON.

Wall-flower. — A WALL -
FLOWER — a lady who at a
dance finds no partners. C.

" I never dance."

"What ! are you never tired play-
ing the wall-flower ? Do not German
waltzes inspire you?"— Miss BRAD-
DON.

Wallaby. — To GO ON THE
WALLABY TRACK — to go up
country in search of work. S.
An Australian term.

War.— WAR TO THE KNIFE —

a bitter and deadly struggle. P.

Which war old Lady Lufton, good

and pious and charitable as she was,

considered that she was bound to

Warming

keep up, even to the knife, till Dr.
Proudie and all his satellites should
have been banished into outer dark-
ness.— A. TROLLOPE.

TO PUT ON THE WAR-PAINT -

to dress oneself up in a con-
spicuous fashion ; to wear
one's finest clothes. F.

"Have you seen the hero of the
evening?

"Who? Do you mean the Portu-
guese governor in his war-paint?"—
H. R. HAGGARD.

Warming". — A WARMING-PAN —
a person who holds a post
until a minor is ready to
occupy it. P.

We used to call him in my parlia-
mentary davs W. P. Adams, in con-
sequence of his being warming-pan
for a young fellow who was in his
minority.— DICKENS.
Warrant. — A WARRANT OFFI-
CER — a petty officer in the
navy, as distinguished from
a " commissioned officer." P.

What is surprising is to find my-
self a warrant ofhcer. — CAPTAIN
MARRYAT.

Wash. — To WASH ONE'S HANDS
OF — to refuse to have anything
more to do with. P.

To look at me, you would hardly
think "Poor Thady" was the father
of Attorney Quirk. He .is a high
gentleman, and never minds what
poor Thady says, and having better
than fifteen hundred a year, landed
estate, looks down upon honest
y han

Thady; but I wash my
ve li

, , .ids of his

doings, and as I have lived so will I
die, true and loyal to this family.-
MARIA EDGEWORTH.

" And I think he said itwas a cruel
business— nay, I'm sure he did ; and
that, as for him, he washed hisliands
onV' (of it). Mr. Aubrey seemed
confounded.— S. WARREN.
To WASH ONE'S DIRTY LINEN IN
PUBLIC — to speak in public of
unpleasant private affairs ;
to discuss unpleasant private
matters before strangers. P.

"I have been so pressed since my
marriage " he said, "that it has been
impossible for me to keep things
straight."

" But Lady Alexandria-"

" Yes, of course, I know. I do not
like to trouble you with my affairs-
there is nothing, I think, so bad as
washing one's dirty linen in public ;
but the truth is, that I am only now

267 Water

free from the rapacity of the De
Courcys."— A. TROLLOPE.
WASHED OUT — pale and bloodless
in appearance. C.

She noticed that the young man
who sat beside him looked rather
pale and washed out.— HUGH CON-
WAY.

Wasp. — A WASPS' NEST — a place
where there are plenty of
enemies ; a place where one is
unwelcome. P.

It was into a wasps' nest that the
imprudent Louise thrust herself.—
Illustrated London JNews, 188T. ,

Watch. — WATCH AND WATCH —
taking alternate watches. C.
We will fight the schooner watch
and watch till daylight.— CAPTAIN
MARRYAT.

Water. — To THROW COLD

WATER ON AN ENTERPRISE

to discourage its promotion :
to speak slightingly of it. P.

It was to be hoped Mr. Godfrey
would not go to Tarley and throw
cold water on what Mr. Snell said
there.— GEORGE ELIOT.

Colman threw cold water on the
undertaking from the very beginning.
— W. BLACK.

Among them was Aurelia Tucker,
the scoffer and thrower of cold water.
— BESANT.

IN DEEP WATER — in difficulties ;
puzzled how to act. C.

Once he had been very nearly in
deep water because Mrs. Proudie had
taken it in dudgeon that a certain
voung rector, who had been left a
widower, had a very pretty governess
for his children.-A. TROLLOPE.
OF THE FIRST WATER — Of the

highest type ; very excellent.
C. A term originally applied
to precious stones.

One comfort, folk are beginning to
take an interest in us. I see nobs of
the first water looking with a fatherly
eye into our affairs.— C. READE.
To HOLD WATER — to be tenable ;
to be supported by facts. P.

That won't hold water. It does not
commend itself to reason.— R. U

had gone about respecting
her Nothing very tangibfe, and
perhaps they would not have held
water.-MRs HENRY WOOD

He was secretly conscious that the
theory of the evergreen tree would
not hold water.-JAMES PAYN.

Wax

TO MAKE THE MOUTH WATER —

to be excessively alluring ;
to cause desire and longing. P.
I could tell you things that would
make your mouth water about the
profits that are earned in the musical
branch of our own trade. — Good
Words, 1887.

To BE IN HOT WATER — to be in
trouble or difficulties ; to
have people angry with one. C.
Tom was in everlasting hot water
as the most incorrigible scapegrace
[for ten miles round.— T. HUGHES.

To WATER STOCK — to give away a
proportion of the shares in
a company at a large discount
or gratis. C.

But there's no use crying over spilt
milk, or watered stock either.

To BACK WATER — to reverse
the forward motion of a boat
in rowing ; to row back-
wards. P.

The captain gave orders to back
water, and none too soon, for we just
avoided a collision.— R. H. DANA.

THE WATER- WORKS Or THE WATER

PUMPS — the shedding of tears.
F.

" Oh, Miss B , I never thought

to have seen this day;" and the
waterworks began to play.— THACK-
ERAY.

"Thank you, Dobbin," he said,
rubbing his eyes with his knuckles,
"I was just— just telling her I would.
And, O sir, she's so kind to me."
The water-pumps were at work again
(he again commenced to shed tears).
—THACKERAY.

Wax. — TO WAX FAT AND KICK

to become unruly and hard to
manage through too great
prosperity. P. A Biblical
phrase (Deut. xxxii. 15).

During the prosperous period when
our revenue was advancing by leaps
and bounds, it is to be apprehended
that waiters as well as sailors waxed
fat and kicked.— Blackwood's Maga-
zine, 1886.

IN A WAX — angry. S.

When she's in a wax there's no-
where a finer stringer of big ones
(lies).— BESANT.

"You needn't get into a wax over
it, old chap," said my father. --H.
KINGSLEY.

Way. — IN A WAY — (a) some-
what ; in a certain sense. C.

>8 Way

The people of the boarding-house
continued to amuse him, partly be-
cause they were in a way afraid of
him.— BESANT.

(6) agitated ; much con-
cerned. F.

The poor father is in a way about
his son's misbehaviour.
ONCE IN A WAT — rarely ; occa-
sionally. C.

Once in a way a man might take
too much.— BLACKMORE.
IN A FAIR WAY OF — likely to;
with every likelihood of. C.

Kothsay had come back to England
in a fair way, for the first time in his
life, of making money. — WILKIE
COLLINS.

IN A GOOD WAY — prosperous;
prosperously. C.

He quitted the militia and engaged
in trade, having brothers already
established in agocwwayin London.
—MARIA EDGEWORTH.

To MAKE ONE'S WAY — to be
prosperous ; to rise. P.

He (Disraeli) is determined to make
his way.— Edinburgh Review, 1886.

To MAKE WAY — to step aside
so as to leave a passage ; to
give place. P.

Make way there for the princess.
—SHAKESPEARE.

Every one shifting, and shuffling,
and staring, and assisting in that
curious and confusing ceremony
called making way. --BEACONSFIELD.

TO GO THE WAY OF ALL FLESH

to die. — P.

His former retainer, Phil Judd, had
gone the way of all flesh.— Murray's
magazine, 1887.

They nodded to each other by way
of breaking the ice of unacquaint-
ance, and the first stranger* handed
his neighbour the family mug— a
huge vessel of brown ware, having
its upper edge worn away like a
threshold by the rut of whole genera-
tions of thirsty lips that had gone the
way of all flesh.— THOMAS HARDY.
IN THE WAY — proving an ob-
stacle ; causing an obstruction ; -
not wanted ; not welcome. P.
Compare " in the road."

You may be (you are) a charming
person, but just now you are a little
in the way. They resent your
presence.— JAMES PAYS.

It may seem strange that I felt
in the way in their company.—
Mistletoe Bough, 1885.

Way 269

WAT — strange ;

Weather

OUT OF THE

eccentric. P.

In her drama, which was so effec-
tive on the stage, Djek did nothing
out of the way.— 0. READE.
UNDER WAY — in motion. P.

Arthur was perfectly charmed with
erything he saw.and so was Agatha
until they got under way,
n she discovered that a mail

every
Terry
when

steamer was a joke compared with
the yacht in the matter of motion.—
H. R. HAGGARD.
TO BE BY WAY OF BEING — to be

able to be classed as ; to come
into the category of. C.

Phipps was by way of being some-
thing of a musician.— Good Words,
1887.

BY THE WAY. A phrase used
with remarks'made incidentally,
and not belonging to the main
subject. P.

With this, and showing the tricks
of that dog, whom I stole from the
sergeant of a marching regiment
, -4 ,._ ^ ------- u_ - — steal too

(and, by the way, u.* v,™.* =<"..«.* ?","
ion), I make shift to pick

_. he can s

upon occasion), In
up a livelihood.— H. MACKENZIE.

To GIVE AWAY — (a) to yield ; to
submit. P.

I have never seen the bridegroom's
male friends give way to tears.—
THACKERAY.

(&) to break down ; to lose

control of oneself. C.

"I see how it is" said poor Noggs,
drawing from .his pocket what
seemea to be an old duster and
wiping Kate's eyes with it as gently
as if she were an infant; "you're
giving way now."— DICKENS.

TO GO A VERY LITTLE WAY WITH

— to have small influence upon.

f*\

Her well-meant apology for her
father went, indeed, but a very little
way with her companion.-jAMEs
PAYN.

WAYS AND MEANS — necessary
funds and the manner of pro-
curing them. P.

This passionless character is illus
trated by Lewis's position m the
Cabinet as Chancellor .of the Ex-
chequer during the height of the
Crimean War and to its close, ant1
he was therefore responsible for find
ing the ways and means for carrying
it on.— Westminster Review, I&R.

When money has to be raised, the
House of Commons resolves itself
into Committee of Ways and Means

Weak. — WEAK AS A CAT —
very feeble. F. Always of
physical weakness.

John looked round, and for the
first time a sense of hope began to
creep into his heart. Perhaps they
would survive after all.

" Let's go up and see. It is no good
stopping here : we must get food
somewhere. I feel as weak as a
cat."— H. R. HAGGARD.

As WEAK AS WATER — very feeble.
P. Used both of moral and
of physical weakness.

Sir, I am only just getting well of
a fever, and I am as weak as water.
— C. READE.

Away from you I am as weak as
water, excepting where she is con-
cerned.—FLORENCE MARRYAT.

Wear. — WEAR AND TEAR —
damage resulting from con-
stant use and from occasional
accidents. P.

The increasing wear and tear of
life, reducing leisure and making
brevity in letter-writing a primary
consideration, supplies a third
reason.— Ma&mllansMagazine,lS8l.

The castle walls have stood the
wear and tear of centuries.— Edin-
burgh Review, 1887.

To WEAR ON — to pass slowly
(of time). P.

After the Bellamys' departure, the
time wore on at; Madeira without
bringing about any appreciable
change in the situation.-H. R.
HAGGARD.

TO WEAR ONE'S HEART UPON ONE'S
SLEEVE FOR DAWS TO PECK AT

— to expose one's private feel-
ings to unfeeling criticism,
p. A Shakespearian phrase.
See HEART and SLEEVE

She is, in fact, a fair specimen of
lish

oles.
may be in her, her intimate frien

an En
andw

maiden— upright.fearless,
Wnatmore
nds

alone know, for she is not a woman
to wear her heart upon her sleeve
for daws to peck at. -FLORENCE
MARRYAT.

Weather.— THE WEATHER EYE
—the eye of a keen observer.
F. A sea phrase.

Job returned in a peat state of
nervousness, and kept his weather
eye fixed upon every, woman who

~

u
open -R.L. STEVENSON.

Wedge

270

What

Wedg-e. — THE THIN END or

EDGE OF THE WEDGE — the

first small beginning, which
may lead to what is serious
and important. P.

How or when he (Thackeray) made
his very first attempt in London, I
have not learned ; but he had not
probably spent his money without
forming " press " acquaintances, and
had thus formed an aperture for the
thin edge of the wedge.— A. TROL-
LOPS.

It was the thin edge of the wedge,
in good truth, and the driving home
had tocpme.— MRS.E. LYNN LINTON.

In thia way the thin edge of the
wedge had been inserted for French
influence at the back of Marocco.—
GRANT ALLEN, In Contemporary
Review, 1888.

Weeping. — To RETURN BY
WEEPING CROSS — to regret
deeply some undertaking ; to
be in a state of lamentation. F.
The lawyers' harvest-term is o'er,
Which to their purses brought good

store ;

But many clients, to their loss.
Do return home by Weeping Cross
Poor Robin, 1765.

Weigh. — UNDER WEIGH — in
motion. P.

We were soon under weigh again.
— C. LEVER.

Well. — WELL, I NEVER ! — an ex-
clamation of surprise. F.

This almost caused Jemima to faint
with terror. "Well, I never!" said
she. "What an audacious—"
Emotion prevented her from com-
pleting either sentence. — THACK-
ERAY.

"Well, I never!" said the old man.
'My stay-at-home Jesa wanting to
go away, and without Bessie, too !
What is the matter with you?"—
H. R. HAGGARD.

WELL - TO - DO— In comfortable
circumstances. P.

Moreover, she had a distillery of
rum and arrack in Kingston itself,
and everybody agreed that she must
be very well-to-do in the world.—
G, A. SAL A.

WELL AND GOOD, A common
consequent in a conditional
sentence, signifying that the
result is satisfactory. C.

If it come up a prize, well and
good ; and if it come up a blank,
why, well and good too.-MARiA
EDOEWORTH.

TRUTH LIES AT THE BOTTOM OP
A WELL. A saying which re-
fers to the difficulty of finding
out the truth. C.

In his simple opinion the depth of
the well, at the bottom of which
truth is hid, was nothing to the un-
fathomableness of his designs.— J.
MACLAREN COBBAN.

Wet. — To WET ONE'S WHISTLE —
to take a drink of liquor. F.

"Musselboro, reach me down the
decanter and some glasses. Perhaps
Mr. Crosbie will wei his whistle."

"He don't want any wine— nor you
either, said Musselboro.— A. TROL-
LOPE.

" But if you'll believe me, sir. they
don't so much as wet their whistles.
—A. TROLLOPE.

Whaek. — To TAKE ONE'S
WHACK — to drink liquor. S.

Dinner parties, where the guests
drank grossly, and even the school-
boy took his whack, like licorice-
water.— R. L. STEVENSON.

What. — I TELL YOU WHAT.

This phrase calls the attention
of the listener to some impor-
tant statement. C.

I know something about that place
(the House of Commons). I think :
and I tell you what besides, that if
there had not been this interruption,
Mr Disraeli might have made a
failure.— SB EIL.

WHAT NOT — various things diffi-
cult to mention severally. C.

In these rooms in Wine Office
Court, and at the suggestion or en-
treaty of Newbery, Goldsmith pro-
duced a good deal of miscellaneous
\yriting— pamphlets, tracts, compila-
tions, and what not, of a more or less
marketable kind.— WM. BLACK.

To KNOW WHAT'S WHAT — to be
intelligent and well-informed.
C.

If, perhaps, such men as Louis
Philippe and Monsieur A. Thiers,
minister and deputy, and Monsieur
Francois Guizot, deputy and ex-
cellency, had, from interest or con-
viction, opinions at all differing from
the majority, why, they knew what
was what, and kept their opinions
to themselves.— THACKERAY.

WHAT - DO - YOU - CALL - 'EM. A
phrase used like Thingamy,
because one forgets the exact

Wheel

name, or does not wish to

utter it. F.

'I might feel it was a great blow,"
d Miss Snevellicci, "to break up

old associations and \vhat-do-you-
call-'ems of that kind, but I would
submit, my dear, I would indeed.—
DICKENS.

"Well," I fiaid, "three guineas,
which I shall have over, will buy
me a pair of what-d'ye-call-'ems.—
THACKEBAY.

WHAT'S - sis - NAME. Used like
the previous phrase. F.

My dearest Edith, there is such an
Obvious destiny in it, that really one
might almost be induced to cross
one's arms upon one's frock and say,
like those wicked Turks, there is no
What's-his-name but Thingummy,
and What-you-may-call-it is his
prophet.— DICKENS.

Wheel. — To GO ON WHEELS —
to advance smoothly and
rapidly ; to make rapid pro-
gress. C.

The thing went on wheels. Eichard
Bassett was engaged to Jane Wright
almost before he was aware.— C.
HEADS.

TO PUT A SPOKE IN A MAN'S

WHEEL — to interrupt his
career of success ; to embar-
rass him. C.

You have put a most formidable
Bpoke in my wheel by preventing
the extension of the borough.— Good
Words, 1887.

While. — To WHILE AWAY —
to pass in amusement ; to
spend for purposes of amuse-
ment. P.

And so he went on riding with her,
and copying music and verses in her
album, and playing chess with her
very submissively; for it is with
these simple amusements that some
officers in India are accustomed to
while away their leisure moments.—
THACKERAY.

Whip. — THE WHIP-HAND — the
control ; the power of ruling.
C.

Why, Anne, do be reasonable. If
I gave you those letters, I should
never be able to sleep in peace. For
the sake of my own safety, I dare
not abandon the whip-hand I have
of you.— H. R. HAGGARD.

The secret of all success is to know
how to deny yourself. If you once
learn to get the whip-hand of your-

271 White

eelf, that is the best educator. Prove
to me that you can control yourself,
and I'll say you're an educated man ;
and without this all other education
is good for next to nothing.— Mas.
OLIPHANT.

WhIStle. — TO PAT DEAR FOB

ONE'S WHISTLE — to pay too
much for some coveted pos-
session or pleasure. P.

We went off in very great state,
but still having to pay with needless
heaviness for our whistle.— G. A.
SALA.

To WET ONE'S WHISTLE. See
WET.

TO WHISTLE FOR ANYTHING.
This phrase is used when there
seems to be no reasonable
chance of obtaining the thing
desired. C.

If we only got what we deserved-
Heaven save us !— many of us might
whistle for a dinner (go dinnerless).
—THACKERAY.

White.— AT A WHITE HEAT—
in an intense passion ; very
angry or excited. P.

They let their thinking be done
for them, in all critical moments, by
Parisian journalists at a white heat.
—Contemporary Review, 1887.

A WHITE LIE or FIB — a statement
which is verbally true, but
really and essentially false.

Between them both, Helen was in
a corner. She might have been cap-
able of telling a white fib and saying
she had not the letter, rather than
let her father see it.-MRs. HENRY
WOOD.

WHITE AS A SHEET — intensely
pale. P.

Next second a terrible crash re-
sounded from the other end of the
room. George turned white as a
sheet, and sank Into a chair.— H. R.

When they took him out of the
black hole after six hours' confine-
ment, he was observed to be white
as a sheet and to tremble violently
all over.— C. READE.
WHITE SOUP — the substance
which is obtained by putting
silver plate, etc., into the
melting pot. S. A term used
by London thieves.

Gold watches, silks and shawls and
trinkets, yards of brocade, ells of
lace, *nd last, not least, a caldron

Whole

272

Willow

always on the boil for the manufac-
ture of that all-absorbing fluid which
is called "white soup, and is sold
by the ounce, surrounded the once
virtuous Gingham in her respectable
home.— G. J. \VHYTE-MELVILLE.

WHITE CAPS — waves having
their tops white through the
wind breaking them into
foam. C. Also known as
" white horses."

It was no gale, but only a fair wind ;
the water foamed along the ship's
sides, and as her bows descended,
shot forward in hissing jets of spray ;
away on every side flocked the white
caps.— W. D. HOWELLS.

A WHITED SEPULCHRE — some-
thing outwardly fair but in-
wardly corrupt. P. A Scrip-
tural phrase (Matt, xxiii. 27).

So that (bad as I may be, Lady
Swansdown) I consider myself a
better woman than you (and such
as you) are. Oh yes! I know you
don't stand alone. I know there are
plenty like you in the best society—
iwhited sepulchres, fair without, and
rottenness and dead men's bones
within.— FLORENCE MABRYAT.

THE WHITE FEATHER. See
FEATHER.

Whole. — UPON THE WHOLE —
taking everything into con-
sideration. P.

Upon the whole, Emma left her
with softened and charitable feel-
ings.—JANE AUSTEN.

Wide. — THERE is A WIDE GULF
FIXED — there is a great and
permanent cause of separation.
P. The phrase is taken from
the New Testament. See the
parable of Dives and Lazarus
(Luke xvi.).

Lady "Pat," as she is called by her
familiar friends, would seem to be a
ntter companion, both in station and
age, for Lady Swansdown than Mrs.
Beverley ; but between the countess
and Lady Pat there is a great gulf
fixed.— FLORENCE MARRYAT.

WIDE AWAKE — smart : clever.
C.

Sir Bate Coombe likes to be ad-
mired, even by an old maid ; but he
is too wide awake to let her see it.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

TO GIVE A WIDE BERTH to avoid

C.

Always give the redcoats a wide
berth, my dear.— G. A. SALA.

"Wigging. — TO GET A WIGGING

— to be scolded. F.

However, it did not take him long
to pardon John Monckton. while, as
for the tremendous wigging which
eceive fr

he would doubtless receive from his
father, he had no difficulty at all
about pardoning that in advance.—
Good Words, 1887.

Wild. - A WILD-GOOSE CHASE

— a foolish and fruitless search.
P.

"Wouldn't to-morrow do for this
wild-goose chase?" inquired Wheeler.

— C. KEADE.

Will. — WILL HE, NILL HE —
whether he wishes or not. C.
An imprudent marriage is a differ-
ent thing, for then the consequences
are inevitable when once the step
has been taken, and have to be
borne, will he, niU he.-MRS. OLI-

PHANT.

WILL - o* - THE - WISP — the
ignis fatuus, or phosphorescent
light which hovers over
marshes ; anything which de-
ludes or deceives. C.

"I am very, very miserable; give
me hope, the light of hope."

"It would be a will-of-the-wisp,
Willie."— JAMES PAYN.

Willow. — TO WEAR THE WIL-

LOW — (a) to occupy the lowest
place or seat. C.

- (6) to be in mourning ; to
be in grief. C.

This went on until the summer of
the year 1C57, when her father gently
put it to her that she had worn the
willow (grieved for her lover) long
enough, and would have to ally her-
self with some gentleman of worth
and parts in that part of the country.

— G. A. SALA.

But as high an estimate of Hazlitt
is quite compatible with the strongest
political dissent from his opinions,
and with a total freedom from the
charge of wearing the willow for
(deploring the death of) painting.—
Macmillaris Magazine, 1887.

- (c) to be forsaken. C.
"You have heard the news (of

Miss Grantley's' approaching mar-
riage), Ludovic?" she asked.

"Oh yes; it's at all the clubs. I
have been overwhelmed with pres-
ents of willow branches."— A. TROL-
LOPE.

Win

273

Wind

Win. — To WIN THE DAY — to be
successful. P.

Yetif, on the one side, there stood
cold science, and on the other a
suffering girl, it is ridiculous to
acknovfedge that the girl always
won the day.— BESANT.

To WIN AT A CANTER — to gain an
easy victory. C.

Petty finery without, a pinched
and stinted stomach within : a case
of Back versus Belly (as the lawyers
would say), the plaintiff winning in
a canter.— S. WARREN.

Wind. — IN THE WIND — about
to happen ; talked of as prob-
able. C,

All of a sudden the coach stopped.
"Hallo," said my uncle, " whats in
the wind now?"— DICKENS.

He never has a kind word to say of
me even when we're al9ne : I believe
there's some one else in the wind.—
FLORENCE MARRYAT.

"Such things never happen to
such a poor devil as me," exclaimed
Huckaback with a sigh.

" What is in the wind, I wonder?'
muttered Titmouse.— S. WARREN.
To GET WIND — to be talked
about; to circulate as news
P.

His return had got wind, and evep
farmer under fifty had resolved to
ride with him into Huntercombe.—
C. READE.

"And now, since we are to go,
said Lady Clonbrony, "pray let u
go immediately, before the thinf
gets wind, else I shall have Mrs
Dareville, and Lady Langdale, am
Lady St. James, and all the.worlr
coming to condole with me, just t
satisfy their own curiosity."— MARI.
EDGEWORTH.

To GET WIND OP — to obtai:
news regarding ; to learn about

C.

I could get wind of the amoun
given, now, if I wanted.— Macrrn
Tan's Magazine, 1887.

Luckily Mr. Hodge speedily g<
wind of our misfortune. — G. A
SALA.

To GO TO THE WINDS — to be dis
sipated; to be utterly lost.

Few men can bear to see a e\
and pretty woman in tears, and th
little incident was too much f
John, whose caution and doubts a
went to the winds together, an
have not since been heard of .— H.
HAGGARD. ,

At this all young Fielding's sel

restraint went
READE.

to the winds. -C.

f THE WIND'S EYE — right in
the face of the wind ; pointing
directly to the quarter from
which the wind comes. P.

At last, however, she fell right into
the wind's eye, was taken dead aback,
and stood there awhile helpless, with
her sails shivering.— R. L. STEVEN-
SON.

'o RAISE THE WIND — to obtain
necessary funds. F.

To raise the wind some lawyer
tries.— J. AND H. SMITH.
JETWIXT WIND AND WATER.
The part of a ship betwixt
wind and water is that por-
tion which is below the water-
line, except when the ship
heela over under the pressure
of the wind. There is of course
great danger when a shot
strikes here. The phrase is
used figuratively.

That shot was a settler; it struck
poor Sail right atwixt wind and
water (in the most susceptible
place).— HALIBURTON.

TO TAKE THE WIND OUT OF

ANOTHER'S SAILS — to antici-
pate another ; to gain a clever?
advantage over a competition
f*\

*Ex-Bailie Laverock announced the
important fact that one gentleman
had offered him two-thirds of the
£12,500 loan at 3i per cent., and an-
other gentleman had offered him
£500 at the same rate. This quite
took the wind out of the sails of the
party in power. They looked aghast
at each other, and it was evident
from their countenances that the

.
IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS

NOBODY GOOD — few calamities

mThi8"Cve?yA8Densible view of the
matterreassuredBrian whothouKht
to himself, "It's an ill wind that

Wind

274

Wit

Sows nobody good ; perhaps when
ie IB Mrs. Dubbin she won't want to
sing in the choir any more."— Good
Words, 1887.

To TAKE WIND — to become
known. P.

I could easily have brought her
ladyship to her senses, however;
but my scheme had taken wind,
and it was now in vain to attempt it.
—THACKERAY.

TO THE FOUR WINDS (OF HEAVEN)
— completely irrecoverable. P.
"Heaven knows," answered John,
carelessly; "given to Tom, Dick,
and Harry— scattered to the four
winds. I have not kept one of
them."— Miss BRADDON.

Wind. — To WIND UP — to settle ;
to bring to a conclusion. P.
Generally used of the formal
settlement of the affairs of a
business firm that is broken up.

If you like to retire and leave me
to wind up the concern, a cheque for
£10,000 is at your service.— Mistletoe
Bough, 1885.

With this beautiful metaphor I
shall wind up (bring my remarks to
a close).

Wing. — To CLIP ANOTHER'S
WINGS — to hamper his move-
ments ; to lessen his power of
action. C.

TO TAKE UNDER ONE'S WING

to protect ; to patronize. C.

We heard you were under Lady
Patrick's wing, and felt that you
were safe.—FtoRENcE MARRYAT.

As for you, Miss Ella, with your
papa's permission, I shall henceforth
take you under my wing.*-JAMEs
PAYN.

To LEND WINGS TO — to increase
the speed of ; to hasten. P.

I could hear hails coming and
going between the old buccaneer
and his comrades, and this sound
of danger lent me wings.— JR. L.
STEVENSON.

THE WINGS OF AZRAEL. See
AZRAEL.

To TAKE WING — to fly off sud-
denly; to depart without
warning. C.

So Beauchamp took wing; and
whether Lady Bracknell was an-
noyed or relieved by his flight I
cannot venture to say.— W. E. NOR-
RI.S.

Wink. — To WINE AT — (a) to
signal to with the eye in token
of a mutual understandiag. P.
"But now your mother's not by,
you know," said Mrs. Dolly, winking
at the landlady ; "now your mother's
not by—"

"Yefl; nobody will tell of you,"
added the landlady.— MAKIA EDGE-
WORTH.

(&) to pretend not to see ;

to take no notice of. P.

Later on the emperors vere fain to
wink at what they would not sanc-
tion and could not extirpate.— Fort*
nightly Review, 1887.

To WINK ON — the same as TO
WINK AT — (a). P.

"Very well, air." cried the squire,
wh9 immediately smoked him
(quizzed him), and winked on the
rest of the company to prepare us
for the Bport ; " If you are for a cool
argument upon the subject, I am
ready to accept the challenge."—
GOLDSMITH.

Winking. — LIKE WINKING —
quickly ; eagerly. S.

Nod away at him, if you please,
like winking.— DICKENS.

Wish. — TO WISH TO GOODNESS
— to be very desirous. F.

" And to be lying all the time hor-
ribly sick in your berth, and wishing
to goodness you were back again in
the schoolroom learning about the
feudal system," Lady Mordaunt sug-
gested.—Murray's Magazine, 1887.

To WISH ONE JOY OF ANYTHING.
A phrase generally used sar-
castically to intimate that the
person who has the object
will find it a troublesome
possession. C.

The apothecary's apprenticewished
Mrs. Corney joy of her job, and took
himself off on tiptoe.— DICKENS.

Wit. — AT ONE'S WIT'S END —

in a state of utter perplexity ;

wholly puzzled how to act. P.

Mr. Felspar was almost at his wit's

end how to act.— JAMES PAYN.

To HAVE ONE'S WITS ABOUT ONE
— to be observant ; to be
quick at seeing and acting. C.
Crlpps, if his wits had been about
him, must have yielded apace and
bowed.— BLAOKMORE.

Whatever might be urged about
William Henry, it could not be said
that he had not his wits about him.
—JAMES PAYN.

Witch

275

Wool

Witch. — TO BE NO WITCH —

to be quite sharp. 0.

The editor is clearly no witch at a
riddle.— CARLYLE.

THE WITCH is IN IT — there is
some mysterious, supernatural
influence at work. F.

She had never heard of the fate
that was once supposed to appoint
the sorrows of men irrespective of
their blamelessness or blame, before
the time when it came to be believed
that Borrows were penalties ; but in
her simple way she recognized some-
thing like that mythic power when
she rose from her struggle with the
problem, and said aloud to herself,
n Well, the witch is in it."-W. D.

HOWELLS.

Withers. — OUR WITHERS ARE
UNWRUNG — we are not hurt
or irritated. P. The meta-
phor is taken from a galled
horse, the withers being the
ridge between the shoulder-
bones.

Let the galled jade wince ; our
withers are unwrung.

SHAKESPEARE.

"I know you are," said Robarts,
who knew the man well, and cared
nothing for his friend's peculiarities
when he felt his own withers were
unwrung.— A. TROLLOPE.

Wolf.— TO CRT " WOLF "—to
call out for help when none is
needed, until one's friends
get disgusted, and do not come
at a real crisis. P.

" O Beavia !" exclaimed the duke ;
"this is Beavis's cry of wolf, is it?"

" Papa," said Lady Grace, in urgent
tones, "when the wolf did come the
cry was disregarded."— S. BARING-
GOULD.

TO KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE
DOOR — to obtain sufficient to
sustain life ; to avoid dying of
hunger. C.

Giving the people that employment
to which they had always been ac
customed, and without which they
would, in many cases, have found
no little difficulty in keeping the
wolf from their humble doors.—
Murray's Magazine, 1887.
A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING —
a dangerous person who pre-
tends to be quite harmless. P.

"There are three thousand men
in the British army," announced the

old vrouw oracularly, and casting a
severe glance at the wolf in sheep's
clothing, the man of blood who pre-
tended to farm.— H. R. HAGGARD.

Wondep. — FOR A WONDER —
strangely enough ; contrary to
expectations. P.
For a wonder he was not sea-sick.

— C. READE.

Wood. — Our OF THE WOOD —
free from danger ; escaped
from a difficulty. C.

Mr. Josceline had merely observed
indifferently, " I think we may be
quite comfortable as to our young
friend's getting out of the wood
(recovering from his dangerous ill-
ness).— JAMES PAYN.

Not being a man of invention, he
could not see his way out of the
wood at all.— C. READE.

Wooden. — THE WOODEN SPOON

— the prize supposed to be
conferred on the lowest grad-
uate in a college list. F.

Here is something about a wooden
spoon that he says he quite ex-

—ANNIE KEARY.
WOODEN NUTMEGS — citizens of
Connecticut State in America.
F. The name arose from a
swindling transaction success-
fully carried out by a merchant
of Hartford, the capital of
Connecticut. The people of
this state are noted for their
sharpness in commercial trans-
actions.

He called me a Yankee peddler, a
cheating vagabond, a wooden nut-
meg.— HA LI BU RTON.

WOOl. — TO DRAW Or PULL THE

WOOL OVER ONE'S EYES — to
cheat or hoodwink him. F.

" Ahab," said I, " I have but a few
minutes to stay with you. and if you
think to draw the wool over my
eyes, it might perhaps take a longer
time than you are thinking on, or
than I can spare. "-HApBURTON

I don't propose he shall pull the
wool over my eyes, or anybody else.
-W. D. HOWELLS.
TO GO A-WOOL-GATHERING — to go

astray ; to be bewildered. C.
"What misconception?" asked
the Pater, whose wits, once gone a-

Word

276

Worst

wool-gathering, rarely came back in
a hurry.— MRS. HENRY WOOD.

The unhappy little man, whose
head was never of the strongest, anc
his wits always going a-wool-gather
ing, went stark, staring mad.— G. A
SALA.

TO BE WOOL-GATHERING — to be

in an absent-minded state. C
Mr. Eobarts had come round to
the generally accepted idea that Mr.
Crawley had obtained possession of
the cheque illegally, acquitting his
friend in his own mind of theft,
simply by supposing that he was
wool-gathering when the cheque
came in his way.— A. TROLLOPE.

Word. — To HAVE WORDS or A
WORD — to have an angry
discussion; to quarrel. C.

He is a poor, sneaking creature,
and my brother George he caught
Crawley selling up some poor fellow
or other, and they had words.— C.
READE.

DICKENS.

A MAN OF HIS WORD — a man to
be depended on ; a trustworthy
man. P.

As for himself, Mr. Osborne, he
was a man of his word.— THACKERAY.

TO TAKE THE WORD - to COm-

mence speaking. P. A French
phrase.-

The colonel, left alone with his
wife for the first time since he had
come to town, made haste to take
the word.-W. D. HOWELLS.
UPON MY WORD — certainly ; sure-
ly ; I assure yoii. C.

Upon my word, you answer as
discreetly as she could do herself.—
JANE AUSTEN.

BY WORD OF MOUTH — orally ;
with the tongue. P.

That noble instrument (the organ)
was saying to her something which
id

by

the player did not venture to
word of mouth-Good Words,

The chance of entrapping Mag-
dalen by word of mouth.— WILKIE

Work. — To WORK THE ROPES —
to control ; to manage a
scheme without being observed.
C.

How our mutual friend worked

-HiH

To WORK UP — to investigate
thoroughly and with a special
purpose. P.

Having some private means of his
own, he had gone out to India for
the purpose of working up certain
still obscure problems.— Murray's
Magazine, 1887.

TO MAKE SHORT WORK OF — to

finish quickly; to gain an
easy victory over. S.

We all thought he would make
short work of the soldier-officer.—
G. A. SALA.

World. — ALL THE WORLD AND
HIS WIFE — every one without
exception. C.
Miss. Pray, madam, who were the

company?

Lady S Why, there
world and his wife.— Sw

was all the
WIFT.

A MAN OF THE WORLD — a man
well acquainted with public
and social life. P.

"I am not at all a man of the
world," he said ; " and of the law I
know nothing."— BLACKMORE.

THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE

DEVIL- — love of pleasure, sen-
sual indulgence, and vicious
propensities. P.

He renounces the world, the flesh,
and the devil, preaches and prays
day and night.— HALIBURTON.

Worm. — To WORM our INFOR-
MATION— to obtain informa-
tion by subtle devices. P.

By the aid of liquor he wormed
out their story.— C. KEADE.

By these means he wormed out of
Mr. G. the whole story of his ad-
venture.—G. P. R. JAMES.

Worse. — THE WORSE HALF —
a playful name for a husband.
F. " Better hah* " is a common
name for a wife.

It would be a nice amusement for
some of these long evenings, and the
preparations would serve to occupy
our time, whilst our worse halves
are out shooting.— FLORENCE MAR-

RYAT.

Worst. — IF THE WORST COMES
TO THE WORST — in the event
of things turning out very
badly. C.

" If the worst comes to the worst,"
Becky thought, "my retreat is
secure."— THACKERAY.

Worth

277

Year

Worth. — WORTH ONE'S WHILE
— advantageous ; profitable.
P.

Upon the face of the thing, it looks
as if it might be worth your while.—
Good Words. 1887.

WORTH ONE'S SALT — efficient ;
a good workman. F.

It was plain from every line of his
body that our new hand was worth
his salt.— R. L. STEVENSON.

Would. — WOULD-BE — in in-
tention ; anxious to be con-
sidered this or that. P.

The would-be wags among the
boys racked their brains to find the
means of tormenting her through
her name.— S. BARING-GOULD.
Wrapped. — WRAPPED UP IN
— wholly devoted to. C.

Lork, Mrs. Richards, no ; her pa's
a deal too wrapped up in somebody
else.— DICKENS.

Wreck. — WRECK AND RUIN —
complete ruin. P. See RACK
AND RUIN.

The whole estate is going to wreck
and ruin .because my uncle wont
have the rabbits killed down.-AVat.
BLACK.

Wrinkle. — A WRINKLE ON
ONE'S HORN — a valuable hint.

Q

"Now," says the major. "I'll give
you, Slick, a new wrinkle on your
horn."— HALIBURTON.

WPlte. TO WRITE ANYTHING

up — to praise in a systematic
manner through the press. C.

" Pray, Mr. Grey, is it true that all
the houses in Russell Square are
tenantless?"

"Quite true. A perfect shame,
is it not! Let us write it up."—
BEACONSFIELD.

Wrong. — THE WRONG SIDE
OF SIXTY OR SEVENTY — more
than sixty or seventy years
of age. F.

The old woman answered, " That
though her master was a deal on the
wrong side of seventy, yet he was as
alert, and thought no more of going
about than if he was as young as the
gentleman who was now speaking to
her."— MARIA EDQEWORTH.

TO HAVE GOT UP ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF THE BED — to have got

out of bed the wrong way. F.
This is said of a person who
is in a cross humour during
the day.

There is a pleasing nursery fiction
that accounts for many disagreeable
things by a theory on the right and
the wrong way of getting out of bed
Valentine remembered this, and felt
quite certain that Sam, Melenaa,
and Lizzie had all three got out of
bed the wrong way that morning.
There was going to be a row, and
one of uncertain dimensions.—
BESANT.

X. — DOUBLE X — a superior qual-
ity of beer. C.

And I said, "A pint of double X,
and please to draw it mud!
BARHAM.

Yarn. — To SPIN A YARN. See
SPIN.

Year. — YEARS OF DISCRETION
— an age when one is able to
judge between what is right
and what is wrong. P.

A mere boy: a very lad Not
come to years of discretion yet ; and
never will, if he goes on raging in
this manner.— G. A. SALA.

I'm afraid the cat got out of the
bag when Mrs Pasnier came to
the years of discretion.-W. D.

HOWELLS.

YEAR OF GRACE — year dating
from the birth of Jesus Christ.
P. Equivalent to Anno Dom-
ini, or year of our Lord.

My story begins in the year of
grace seventeen hundred and sixty-
four.

Yellow

278

Yorkshire

•the

Yellow. — YELLOW JACK
yellow fever. F.

I have been in places hot as pitch,
and mates dropping round with
Yellow Jack.— K. L. STEVENSON.

Yeoman. — YEOMAN'S DUTY or
SERVICE — excellent work. P.

The shattering of the false image
had done him yeoman's service.— A.
TKOLLOPE.

In the gratitude of his heart,
George would willingly have given
a thousand pounds towards the
erection of a statue to Hilda Cares-
foot, whose outraged pride and
womanly jealousy nad done him
such yeoman service.— H. R. HAG-
GARD.

Indeed, it is quite certain that he
(Benvenuto Cellini) performed more
than yeoman's duty as a gunner al"
through the period of the
Rome.— J. A. SYMONDS.

Yorkshire. — To COME YORK-
SHIRE OVER A MAN — to cheat
or swindle him. F. Yorkshire
jockeys were known for their
tricky dealings in the sale of
horses. See Macaulay's War-
ren Hastings : " And the
crime for which Ntmcomar was
about to die was regarded by
them in much the same light
in which the selling of an un-
sound horse for a sound price
is regarded by a Yorkshire
jockey."

"Surely," said John, "what I say
I stick by."

" And that's a fine thing to do, and
manly, too," said Nicholas, "though
it's not exactly what we understand
by coming Yorkshire over us in
London."— DICKENS.

AUTHORS, ANONYMOUS WORKS,
AND JOURNALS QUOTED.

An asterisk signifies that the work is frequently quoted.

ADDISON, JOSEPH (1672-1719), essayist and poet; one of the

greatest literary names of the Queen Anne period.
ADELER, MAX (1841), American humorist. His real name is

Charles Heber Clark.
AINGER, ALFRED (1837-1904), essayist and critic. Edited

Charles Lamb's works.
ALLEN, CHARLES GRANT (1848-99), scientific and popular

writer and novelist. Author of For Maimie's Sake, etc.
ANSTEY, F. (Thomas Anstey Guthrie), novelist. Author of Vice

Versa,* The Giant's Robe,* A Fallen Idol,* etc.
ARBUTHNOT, JOHN, M.D. (1675-1735), one of the prominent

writers of the Queen Anne period. Author of Law is a Bottom-
less Pit ; or, The History of John Bull (1713).
ARNOLD, MATTHEW (1822-88), poet, essayist, and critic. Author

of Literature and Dogma,* etc.
ATHENAEUM, THE, a weekly review of literature and art;

started 1829.
ATTERBURY, FRANCIS, Bishop of Rochester (1662-1732), an

able and prolific writer of the Queen Anne period.
AUSTEN, JANE (1775-1817), one of the most delightful of English

novelists. Author of Sense and Sensibility,* etc.

BACON, FRANCIS, Viscount St. Albans (1561-1626). Author of

The Advancement of Learning, Essays, etc.
BARHAM, RICHARD HARRIS (1788-1845), novelist, versifier,

and miscellaneous writer. Best known for his amusing In-

goldsby Legends.*
BARING-GOULD, SABINE (1834), essayist and novelist. Author

of The Path of the Just (1854), etc.

BAYLY, THOMAS HAYNES (1797-1839), best known as a song-
writer. Author of Isle of Beauty, etc.
BEACONSFIELD, EARL OF. See DISRAELI.
BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER (Francis Beaumont and John

Fletcher), dramatists who wrote in conjunction.
BEDE, CUTHBERT, nom de plume of the author of Verdant

Green * (q.v.).

280 AUTHORS, ANONYMOUS WORKS,

BEECHER, HENRY WARD (1812-87), the greatest of American
pulpit orators. Author of various theological and popular
works — Life TJioughts, Life of Jesus the Christ, Sermons,* etc.

BELLAMY, EDWARD (1850-98), American writer. Author of
Looking Backward.*

BENTHAM, JEREMY (1748-1832), political writer. Author of
A Fragment on Government, etc.

BENTLEY, RICHARD (1662-1742), eminent scholar and con-
troversialist. Wrote A Dissertation \on the Epistles of
Phalaris, etc.

BERKELEY, GEORGE (1684-1753), philosopher. Wrote The
Principles of Human Knowledge, etc.

BESANT, SIR WALTER (1836-1901), novelist. Wrote his earlier
works in conjunction with James Rice — Ready-Money Mor-
tiboy, The Golden Butterfly,* They Were Married, etc.

BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-98), novelist. Author of A Princess
of Thule, The Beautiful Wretch,* A Daughter of Heth, etc.

BLACKMORE, RICHARD D. (1825-1900), novelist. Author of
Lorna Doone,* Cripps the Carrier,* Mary Anerley, etc.

BLACK WOOD'S MAGAZINE, familiarly known as " Maga," a
monthly periodical, started hi 1817 in Edinburgh.

BLAIR, ROBERT (1699-1746), author of The Grave.

BRONTE, CHARLOTTE (1816-55), author of Jane Eyre, Vil-
lette, Shirley, The Professor, etc.

BROUGHAM AND VAUX, LORD, Henry Brougham (1779-1868),
a voluminous writer on various topics; Lord Chancellor of
England.

BROUGHTON, RHODA (1840), novelist. Author of Cometh up
as a Flower ;* Not Wisely, but Too Well, etc.

BROWN, TOM (died 1704), poet.

BRYANT, WILLIAM CULLEN (1794-1878), American poet.

BUNYAN, JOHN (1628-88), author of The Pilgrim's Progress,*
The Holy War, and other religious works.

BURKE, EDMUND (1730-97), author of Thoughts on the Pres-
ent Discontents, etc.

BURNS, ROBERT (1759-96), the great lyric poet of Scotland.
Author of Tam o' SJiantcr, etc.

BURROUGHS, JOHN (1837), New England writer. Author of
Birds and Poets, I^ocusts and Wild Honey, Winter Sunshine, * etc.

BURTON, JOHN HILL (1809-81), historian. Author of A
History of Scotland, The Scot Abroad, etc.

BURTON, ROBERT (1576-1639), wrote the Anatomy of Melan-
choly.

BUTLER, SAMUEL (1600-80), author of Hudibras, a mock-
heroic poem.

BYROM, JOHN (1691-1763), poet and essayist.

BYRON, GEORGE GORDON NOEL, LORD (1788-1824), poet
and dramatist. Author of Hours of Idleness, etc.

AND JOURNALS QUOTED. 281

CAINE, HALL (1853), novelist. Author of The Shadow of a Crime,

A Son of Hagar, The Deemster,* etc.
CARLYLE, THOMAS (1795-1881), historian and essayist. Author

of History of Frederic the Great, The French Revolution, etc.
CARLYLE, JANE WELSH, wife of Thomas Carlyle (died 1866).

Wrote a volume of Letters, which were published after her

death.

CHAMBERLAIN, JOSEPH (1836), statesman.
CH AMBERS'S JOURNAL, a weekly miscellany which has appeared

since 1832. Published by W. and R, Chambers, Edinburgh.
CHAPMAN, GEORGE (1557-1634), poet and dramatist.
CHESTERFIELD, EARL OF, Philip Dormer Stanhope (1694-

1773), well known for his Letters to his Son, Philip Stanhope.
CLARENDON, EARL OF, Edward Hyde (1608-74), historian.
COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR (1772-1834), poet and essayist.

Author of Christabel, Table Talk, Aids to Reflection, etc.
COLLIER, JEREMY (1650-1742), theologian and pamphleteer.
COLLINS, WILLIAM WILKIE (1824-90), novelist. Wrote The

Woman in White, Armadale, The Moonstone, etc.
COLMAN, GEORGE, SEN. (1733-94), well-known dramatist.

Author of The Jealous Wife, The Clandestine Marriage, etc.
COMBE or COOMBE, WILLIAM (1741-1823), humourist. Wrote

the well-known Tour of Dr. Syntax in Search of the Picturesque.
CONGREVE, WILLIAM (1670-1729), poet and dramatist. Wrote

The Old Bachelor, The Way of the World.
CONTEMPORARY REVIEW, THE, a monthly periodical of

general literature, started in 1866.
CONWAY, HUGH (1847-85), author of Called Back, Dark Days,

A Family Affair, * The Story of a Sculptor. See FARGUS, F. J.
CORNHILL MAGAZINE, THE, a popular monthly, started in

1860 under the editorship of William Makepeace Thackeray.
COWPER, WILLIAM (1731-1800), poet and letter-writer. Wrote

the poems Table Talk, The Task, etc.
CRAIK, MRS. See MULOCK, DINAH.
CRAWFORD, F. MARION (1854-1909), novelist ; son of Crawford,

the American sculptor. Author of Saracinesca, * etc.

DANA, RICHARD HENRY (1815-82) ; born in America. Author
of Two Years Before the Mast,* etc.

D'ARBLAY, FRANCESCA (FANNY) BURNEY, MADAME (1752-
1840), novelist. Author of Evelina, etc.

DEFOE, DANIEL (1663-1731), author of Robinson Crusoe, Journal
of the Plague, etc.

DE QUINCE Y. See QDINCEY.

DICKENS, CHARLES (1812-70), novelist. Author of Sketches by
Boz,* The Pickwick Papers,* Oliver Twist,* etc.

DISRAELI, BENJAMIN (1805-81), Earl of Beaconsfield, states-
man and novelist. Author of Vivian Grey,* etc.

282 AUTHORS, ANONYMOUS WORKS,

DISRAELI, ISAAC (1766-1848), father of the foregoing. Author

of The Curiosities of Literature,* and other works.
DRAYTON, MICHAEL (1563-1631), poet. Author of Polyolbion,

The Barons' Wars, The Shepherd's Garland, etc.
DRUMMOND, PROFESSOR HENRY (1851-97). Author of

Natural Law in the Spiritual World.*
DRYDEN, JOHN (1631-1701), poet and dramatist. Author of

Absalom and Achitophel, The Hind and the Panther, etc.
DUFFERIN, MARQUIS OF, Frederick Temple Blackwood (1826-

1902). Author of Letters from High Latitudes, etc.

EDGEWORTH, MARIA (1767-1849), novelist. Author of Castle

Rackrent,* Popular Tales,* The Dun, etc.
EDINBURGH REVIEW, THE, a famous quarterly, started In

1802.
ELIOT, GEORGE (1820-80), novelist. Her real name was Marian

Evans. Author of Scenes of Clerical Life,* Adam Bedet* etc.
EMERSON, RALPH WALDO (1803-80), American essayist and

poet. Author of Essays, The Conduct of Life, etc.

FARGUS, F. J. See CONWAT, HUGH, which was his nom de plume.

FARJEON, B. L. (1833-1903), novelist. Author of At the Sign
of the Silver Flagon, Jessie Trim, Miser Farebrother,* etc.

FARRAR, FREDERIC WILLIAM (1831-1903), Dean of Canter-
bury ; voluminous writer on language and theology. Author
of The Life of Christ, The Life and Works of St. Paul, etc.

FENN, G. MANVILLE (1831-1909), novelist. Author of Pretty
Polly, Black Blood,* Thereby Hangs a Tale, etc.

FERRIER, SUSAN EDMONSTON (1782-1854), novelist. Wrote
Marriage, The Inheritance, Destiny ; or, the Chief's Daughter.

FIELDING, HENRY (1707-54), novelist. Author of Tom Jones,*
Amelia, etc.

FITZGERALD, PERCY (1834). Author of Life and Times of
George IV., The Real Lord Byron, etc.

FREEMAN, EDWARD AUGUSTUS (1823-92), historian. Author
of The History of the Norman Conquest, etc.

FROUDE, JAMES ANTHONY (1818-94), historian and essayist.
Author of The History of England, etc.

GASKELL, MRS. (1811-65), novelist. Author of Mary Barton, The
Moorland Cottage, Wives and Daughters,* North and South.*

GLADSTONE, WILLIAM EWART (1809-98), statesman, orator,
and essayist. Author of Juventus Mundi, etc.

GLEIG, GEORGE ROBERT (1796-1888), miscellaneous writer.
Author of The Subaltern, The Life of Lord Clive. etc.

GOLDSMITH, OLIVER (1728-74), novelist, poet, and miscel-
laneous writer. Author of The Vicar of Wakefleld,* etc.

GRANT, ANNE, poetess and miscellaneous writer. Wrote Memoirs
of an American Lady.

AND JOURNALS QUOTED. 283

GRANT, A. C. Author of Descriptions of the Red Spider, etc.

GRANT, R., American novelist.

GRAVES, RICHARD (1715-1804), miscellaneous writer. Best

known for his Spiritual Quixote.
GREEN, JOHN RICHARD (1837-83), historian. Author of

A History of the English People, The Making of England.
GREG, WILLIAM RATHBONE (1809-81), miscellaneous writer.

Author of The Creed of Christendom ; The Great Duel, etc.
GUTHRIE, DR. THOMAS (1803-73), religious and miscellaneous

writer. First editor of The Sunday Magazine.

HACKET, JOHN (1592-1670), Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.

Wrote Christian Consolation, A Life of Archbishop Williams,

etc.
HAGGARD, SIR H. RIDER (1856), novelist. Author of She,*

King Solomon's Mines, Jess,* Dawn,* Alan Quatermain,* etc.
BAKEWILL, GEORGE (1579-1649), theologian.
HALIBURTON, THOMAS CHANDLER (1796-1865). Author of

Sam Slick the Clo?kmaker,* a satire on Nova Scotian ways.
HALLAM, HENRY (1777-1859), historian. Author of View of tiie

State of Europe in the Middle Ages, etc.
HARDY, THOMAS (1840), novelist. Author of The Woodlanders,*

Far from the Madding Crowd, Two on a Tower, etc.
HARPER'S MONTHLY, a New York monthly periodical ; founded

1850.
HARTE, FRANCIS BRET (1839-1902), American poet and

humorist. Author of The Luck of Roaring Camp, etc.
HAWTHORNE, NATHANIEL (1804-64), American novelist.

Author of The Scarlet Letter,* House of the Seven Gables, etc.
HAYWARD, SIR JOHN (died 1527), historian. Author of Lives

of Three Norman Kings of England, etc.
HAZLITT, WILLIAM (1778-1830), essayist and critic.
HERBERT, GEORGE (1593-1633), poet and theological writer.

Wrote The Templet The Country Parson, etc.

HOLMES, OLIVER WENDELL (1809-94). Author of The Auto-
crat of the Breakfast Table,* ete.
HOOD, THOMAS (1799-1845), poet and humorist. Author of

The Dream of Eugene Aram, The Song of the Shirt, etc.
HOOK, THEODORE EDWARD (1788-1841), novelist, humorist,

and miscellaneous writer.
HOOKER, RICHARD (1553-1600), theologian. Author of The

Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

HORSLEY, SAMUEL (1733-1806), Bishop of St. David's, Roches-
ter, and St. Asaph, theologian.
HOWELL, JAMES (1594-1665), miscellaneous writer. Wrote

Poems on Divers Emergent Occasions, etc.
HOWELLS, W. D. (1837), American novelist. Author of A

Modern Instance, A Woman's Reason, April Hopes, etc.

284 AUTHORS, ANONYMOUS WORKS,

HUGHES, THOMAS (1822-96), a county court judge. Author
of Tom Brawn's Schooldays,* Tom Brown at Oxford, etc.

HUME, FERGUS W. (1862), novelist. Author of The Mystery
of a Hansom Cab.*

INCHBALD, ELIZABETH (1783-1821), novelist and dramatist.

Author of A Simple Story, Nature and Art,* etc.
IRVING, WASHINGTON (1783-1859), American author. Wrote

The Sketch-Book, Tales of a Traveller, etc.

JACKSON, CATHERINE CHARLOTTE, LADY. Author of The

Court of the Tuileries, etc.
JAMES, G. P. R. (1801-60), voluminous author. Best known for

his novels — Richelieu, The False Heir, Arabella Stuart, etc.
JMAES, HENRY (1843), American novelist. Author of The

Americans, The Europeans, Daisy Miller, Roderick Hudson, etc.
JESSOPP, AUGUSTUS (1824), essayist and reviewer in The Nine-
teenth Century.
JOHNSON, SAMUEL (1709-84), lexicographer, novelist, poet,

and essayist. Wrote London, A Visit to the Hebrides, etc.
JONSON, BEN (1574-1637), dramatist. Author of Every Man in

His Humour, The Alchemist, etc.
JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, THE, a London monthly magazine,

devoted to educational topics.

KEARY, ANNIE, novelist. Author of Janet's Home, Oldbury,* etc.
KINGSLEY, CHARLES (1819-75), voluminous writer. Author of

Alton Locke, The Water Babies, The Hermits, Hypatia,* etc.
KINGSLEY, HENRY (1830-76), novelist. Author of Geoffrey

Hamlyn, Ravenshoe, etc.

LAMB, CHARLES (1774-1834), poet and essayist. Author of

Essays of Ella, * Tales from Shakespeare, etc.
LECKY, WILLIAM EDWARD HARTPOLE (1838-1903), historian.

Author of The History of Rationalism in Europe, etc.
LEE, NATHANIEL (1655-92), dramatist. Wrote Nero, The Rival

Queens, etc.
L'ESTRANGE, SIR ROGER (1616-1704), voluminous writer.

Author of A Brief History of the Times, etc.
LEVER, CHARLES JAMES (1809-72), Irish novelist. Author

of The Adventures of Harry Lorrequer, Tom Burke of Ours, * etc.
LEWIS, SIR GEORGE CORNEWALL (1806-63), political and

miscellaneous writer. Author of An Essay on the Influence of

Authority in Matters of Opinion, etc.
LEWIS, MATTHEW GREGORY (1775-1818), novelist, poet, and

dramatist.
LOCKE, JOHN (1632-1704), philosopher. Author of An Essay

Concerning Human Understanding, etc.

AND JOURNALS QUOTED. 285

LOCKHART, JOHN GIBSON (1794-1854), novelist, biographer,
and critic. Best known as the author of the Life of Sir Walter
Scott. For some time editor of The Quarterly Review.

LONGFELLOW^ HENRY WADSWORTH (1807-84), poet and
prose writer. Author of Evangeline, Hiawatha, etc.

LONGMAN'S MAGAZINE, a popular monthly journal, started in
1883.

LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL (1819-91), American poet and essay-
ist. Author of The Biglow Papers, My Study Windows, * etc.

LYNN LINTON, MRS. E., novelist and essayist. Author of The
Rebel of the Family, * Paston Carew, * etc.

LYTTON, LORD, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton
(1805-73), novelist and poet. Author of The Caxtons, etc.

MACAULAY, LORD, Thomas Babington (1800-59), historian,

essayist, and poet. Author of History of England, etc.
M'CARTHY, JUSTIN (1830), novelist and journalist. Author of A

History of Our Own Times,* My Enemy's Daughter, etc.
MACKENZIE, HENRY (1745-1831), novelist and litterateur. Best

known as author of The Man of Feeling.*
MACMILLAN'S MAGAZINE, a London monthly periodical, first

edited by David Masson.
MARRY AT, CAPTAIN (1792-1848), novelist. Wrote principally

sea-stories. Author of Peter Simple, Jacob Faithful, etc.
MARRYAT, FLORENCE, novelist, daughter of the above.

Author of Open Sesame ! * etc.
MARZIALS, SIR FRANK T. (1840-1912), civil servant and critic.

Wrote lives of Dickens, Victor Hugo, Browning, etc.
MASSINGER, PHILIP (1584-1640), English dramatist.
MAXWELL GRAY, the nom de plume of the lady who wrote The

Silence of Dean Maitland.*
MILL, JOHN STUART (1806-73), philosopher and political

writer. Author of A System of Logic, Essay on Liberty, etc.
MILTON, JOHN (1608-74), poet and prose writer. Author of

Comus, Lycidas, Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained.
MOORE, THOMAS (1779-1852), Irish lyric poet ; biographer of

Lord Byron.
MORISON, J. COTTER (1832-88), historian and essayist. His

masterpiece is The Life and Times of St. Bernard.
MORLEY, HENRY (1822-94), Professor of English Literature in

University College, London. Author of Sunrise in Italy, and other

Poems (1848), How to Make Home Unhealthy (1850), etc.
MORRIS, CHARLES (1740-1832), author of The Contrast, The

Toper's Apology, and other well-known lyrics.
MULOCK DINAH MARIA (1826-87), became Mrs. Craik. Author

of John Halifax, Gentleman,* A Noble Life, etc.
MURRAY, D. CHRISTIE (1847-1907), novelist. Author of

Joseph's Coat, A Life's Atonement, Val Strange, etc.

286 AUTHORS, ANONYMOUS WORKS,

NAIRNE, BARONESS, Caroline Oliphant (1766-1845), poetess.

Author of The Land of the Leal.
NARES, EDWARD (1762-1847), miscellaneous writer. Author

of Sermons on the Evidences of Christianity, etc.
NATIONAL REVIEW, THE, a Conservative monthly magazine,

started in 1886.
NINETEENTH CENTURY, THE, a monthly literary review,

started in 1877.
NORRIS, W. E. (1847), novelist. Author of Mademoiselle de

Mersac,* Matrimony, No New Thing,* Major and Minor,* etc.
NORTH, ROGER (1650-1733), miscellaneous writer. Author of

Lives of the North Family, A Discourse on the Study of Laws, etc.
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW, THE, an American monthly

magazine; founded in 1815.

OLIPHANT, MRS. MARGARET (1828-97), novelist, historian, and
essayist. Author of the novels Mrs. Margaret Maitland (1849),
Merkland, etc.

OUIDA, nom de plume of Louise de la Ramee (1840-1908), novelist.
-Author of Wanda, Under Two Flags, Princess Napraxine, etc.

PAYN, JAMES (1830-98), novelist. Author of Lost Sir Massingberd,

Fallen Fortunes, What He Cost Her, By Proxy, etc.
PETER PINDAR, the nom de plume of John Wolcot (1738-1819),

satirist. Wrote The Apple Dumplings and a King, etc.
POPE, ALEXANDER (1688-1744), poet. Wrote Pastorals, An

Essay on Criticism, The Rape of the Lock, The Messiah, etc.
PRESCOTT, WILLIAM HICKLING (1796-1859), American

historian. Wrote The History of the Conquest of Mexico, etc.
PRIOR, MATTHEW (1664-1721), poet. Wrote The City and

Country Mouse, Carmen Seculare, and Poems.

QUARTERLY REVIEW, THE, a Tory journal, started in London
in 1809 as an opponent of The Edinburgh Review.

RALEIGH, SIR WALTER (1552-1618), voyager and historian.

Wrote A History of the World, etc.
RANDOLPH, THOMAS (1605-34), poet and dramatist. Wrote

Aristippus ; or, The Jovial Lovers, The Jealous Lovers, etc.
READE, CHARLES (1814-83), novelist. Author of Peg Woffing-

ton, Christie Johnstone, It is Never too Late to Mend,* etc.
RICE, JAMES (died in 1884), wrote, in conjunction with Walter

Besant, Ready Money Mortiboy, The Golden Butterfly,* etc.
RICHARDSON, SAMUEL (1689-1761), novelist. Wrote Pamela,

Clarissa Harlowe, Sir Charles Grandison.
ROBERTSON, DR. WILLIAM (1721-93), historian; Principal

of Edinburgh University. Author of The History of Scotland,

etc.
ROCHESTER, EARL OF (1647-80), John Wilmot. Wrote a

tragedy called Valentinian, and Poems.

AN

ROSS, ALEXANDE
of Helenore ; or

RUSSELL, SIR W
distinguished as
paper during
Crimea, Diary i

RUSSELL, W. CL
Holdsworth, a

SALA, GEORGE A

long on the sta

Sons of Mam
SCOTT, SIR WAL

of The Lay of
SHAKESPEARE,

Love's Labour's

Night's Dream,
SHIRLEY, JAMES

(1652), and n
SMITH, JAMES a

Addresses, a se
SMOLLETT, TOB

Author of The
SOUTH, ROBER

gian. Wrote
SOUTHEY, ROB

historian. W;
SPENCER, HERB

of The Proper
SPENSER, EDM

herd's Cal\
STERNE, LAUR

and Opinions
STEVENSON, RO

Author of
STILLINGFLEET

theologian.
SWIFT, JONATH

satirist. W
SYMONDS, J. A.

Renaissance in

TAYLOR, JERE1

and of Drome

Holy Living cd
THACKERAY,

and essayist.

Esmond, The

TILLOTSON, JOHN

published The Rule of Faith, and Sermons.

288 AUTHORS AND JOURNALS QUOTED.

TREVELYAN, SIR GEORGE OTTO (1838), statesman and author.

Wrote Letters of a Competition Wallah, Cawnpore, etc.
TROLLOPE, ANTHONY (1810-83), novelist and miscellaneous

writer. Author of The Warden,* Barchester Towers,* etc.
TWAIN, MARK, the nom de plume of Samuel Langhorne Clemens

(1835-1910), American humorist. Author of The Innocents

Abroad, The Innocents at Home, The New Pilgrim's Progress, etc.
TYNDALL, JOHN (1820-93), scientific investigator and writer.

Author of The Glaciers of the Alps, etc.
TYTLER, SARAH, the nom de plume of Miss Keddie, novelist.

Author of Days of Yore, The Diamond Rose, etc.

URQUHART, SIR THOMAS (1613-61), author of The Jewel,
Logopandecteision.

VERDANT GREEN, by Rev. Edward Bradley (1827-89), whose
nom de plume was " Cuthbert Bede." Also author of Glen'
creggan, The Curate of Cranston, Mattins and Mutton's, etc.

WALLACE, SIR DONALD MACKENZIE (1841), journalist and
miscellaneous writer. Author of Russia, and other works.

WALPOLE, HORACE (1717-97), a voluminous writer. Best
known for his novel The Castle of Otranto, and for his Letters.

WARREN, SAMUEL (1807-77), novelist and miscellaneous
writer. Author of Ten Thousand a Year,* etc.

WATTS, ISAAC (1674-1748), devotional writer and religious poet.
Wrote Hymns, Philosophical Essays, Evangelical Discourses.

WHIPPLE, EDWIN PERCY, American essayist and critic. Has
published The Genius and Writings of Macaulay, etc.

WHYTE -MELVILLE, G. J. (1821-78), a voluminous writer of
novels, treating mostly of sporting and country-house society
— Digby Grand, General Bounce,* Holmby House, etc.

WILSON, JOHN (1785-1854), wrote under the nom de plume " Chris-
topher North." Author of Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life,
Essays Critical and Imaginative, etc.

WINDHAM, WILLIAM (1750-1810), statesman and orator.

WOOD, MRS. HENRY (1814-87), wrote under the nom de plume
of " Johnny Ludlow." Author of East Lynne, The Channings,
etc.

WORDSWORTH, WILLIAM (1770-1850), poet. Author of The
Excursion, Yarrow Revisited, and other Poems, etc.

YATES, EDMUND HODGSON (1831-94), novelist and journalist.

Established The World in 1874. Author of Black Sheep,* etc.
YONGE, CHARLOTTE MARY (1823-1901), writer of stories for

girls. Author of The Heir of Redclyffe, Heartsease, etc.
YOUNG, EDWARD (1684-1765), poet, dramatist, and prose

writer. Best known for his Night Thoughts.

R. H. 3.

THE END.

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