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Brewer's: True-lovers' Knot
is the Danish trolovelses knort, “a betrothment bond,” not a compound of true and lover. Thus in the Icelandic Gospel the phrase, “a virgin espoused to a man,” is, er trulofad var cinum…Brewer's: Vanessa
is Miss Esther Vanhomrigh, and Cadenus is Dean Swift. While he was still married to Stella [Miss Hester Johnson, whose tutor he had been] Miss Vanhomrigh fell in love with him, and…Brewer's: Slubber-Degullion
A nasty, paltry fellow. A slub is a roll of wool drawn out and only slightly twisted; hence to slubber, to twist loosely, to do things by halves, to perform a work carelessly. Degullion is…Brewer's: Wench
(A) is the Anglo-Saxon word wencle, a child. It is now chiefly used derogatorily, and the word wenching is quite offensive. In the Midland…Brewer's: Tartan Plaid
A plaid is a long shawl or scarf- some twelve yards of narrow cloth wrapped round the waist, or over the chest and one shoulder, and reaching to the knees. It may be chequered or not, but…Brewer's: Seven Senses
Scared out of my seven senses. According to very ancient teaching, the soul of man, or his “inward holy body,” is compounded of the seven properties which are under the influence of the…Brewer's: Flummux
(To). To bamboozle, to deceive; to be in a quandary. “I am regularly flummuxed” —i.e. perplexed. The first syllable is probably a variant of flam, humbug, deception, and the word seems to…Brewer's: Orvietan
(3 syl.) or Venice treacle, once believed to be a sovereign remedy against poison. From Orvieto, a city of Italy, where it is said to have been first used. “With these drugs will I, this…Brewer's: Pamper
according to Junius, is from the Latin pampinus, French pampre (vine-tendril). Hence Milton- Where any row Of fruit-trees, over-woody, reached too far Their pampered boughs, and needed…Brewer's: Loose-strife
Botanically called Lysimachia, a Greek compound meaning the same thing. The author of Flora Domestica tells us that the Romans put these flowers under the yokes of oxen to keep them from…Trending
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