Doe

John. Fictitious plaintiff in ejectment suits John Doe versus Richard Rok. Domesday, or Doomsday, Book. Record of English landed estates under William the Conqueror (1086). Don Juan. A legendary Spanish libertine, killed for his crimes. Hero of Mozart's opera " Don Giovanni," and of divers poems, plays, and romances. Don Quixote (d5n ke-ho'te). Romance by the Spanish author Cervantes, named from its hero, Don Quixote de la Mancha, a half crazed but noble-spirited knight, who seeks chivalrous adventure but meets comical misadventure. Donnyhrook Fair. An annual Irish fair famous for righting and loose conduct abolished 1855. Douay Bible. English version from Latin Vulgate for Roman Catholics. The New Testament was published at Rheims, 1582, the Old, at Douai, France, 1609-10. Downing Street. A London street containing the — government offices treasury, foreign, colonial, etc.; hence, popularly, the Administration. Drury Lane. One cf the chief London theaters, from 1663. Dulcinea del To'OOSO Milkmaid, chosen as his lady-love by Don Quixote hence, Dulcinea, a sweetheart. Dunciad. Pope's satirical poem on dunces. Dying Gladiator or Gaul. Fine antique marble statue in Capitoline Museum, Rome, E. East, The. Countries E. and S. E. of Europe, as Asiatic Turkey, Egypt, Persia, India the Far East, China and Japan. Bcce Homo. "Behold the Man," Pilate's words, title of painting of the thorn-crowned Christ. Ecole des Beaux Arts (bo-zar'). School of the — Fine Arts, in Paris, great training school for painters, sculptors, architects, etc. FAMILIAR PHRASES. 765 Ecole Poly technique. Polytechnic or Engineering School in Paris, civil and military. El Dorado (The gilded). An imaginary land of medieval fancy, abounding in gold. Elevation Of the Cro . Famous painting of the Crucifixion by Rubens in Autwerp cathedral. Elgin Marbles. Fragments of Greek statuary, chiefly from the frieze and pediment of the Par the non, Athens, brought to England by Lord Elgin (1801-3), now in British Museum. Elzevir. A family of famous Dutch printers who published fine editions of Latin and French authors (1580-1712). Escorial. Great Spanish structure near Madrid — palace, monastery, church, and royal mausoleum. Eternal City, The. Rome. Ettrick Shepherd. James Hogg, Scottish poet. Eureka (I have found Triumph at a discovery attributed to Arch i me des, when he learned how to test the gold in King Hiero's crown. ExcalibUT. The sword of King Arthur. Expounder of the Constitution. Daniel Webster. extreme unction. R. C. Ch. Sacrament of anointing with consecrated oil at point of death, in token of remi ion of sins. Fabian policy. That of delay, as practised by Quintus Fabius, Roman general, who avoided battles and tired his enemy out in skirmishes. Faerie Queene. Allegorical poem of knighthood by Edmund Spenser (1590-96). Fair mount Park. In Philadelphia, with about 2,800 acres. Centennial Exposition of 1876 held there. Faneuil Hall. A Boston market-house, with public a embly hall, famous for patriotic meetings during the Revolution. Farmer George. King George III. of England, — from his favorite pursuit. Farnese (far-na'sa) Bull. Great marble antique group, of Dirce (diir'se) being bound to a bull's horns by sons of An-tl'o-pe, in Nat. Museum, Naples. Fata Morgan a. A mirage, esp. one noticed in the Strait of Me ina. Father. An originator, protector, or distinguished exemplar as, Father of Angling, Isaak Walton of English Poetry, Chaucer of History, Hero dot us of his Country, George Washington of Lies, Satan of Waters, the Mi i ippi, etc. Fathers Of the Church. Eccl. Early Christian writers, accepted as authoritative sources of history and doctrine. Faubourg. Orig. a suburb, now a city district as, in Paris, Faubourg St. Antoine, the workingman's region Faubourg St. Germain, the aristocratic residence region. Fenian Brotherhood. A ociation of Irish men (N. Y., 1857, but widespread) for freeing Ireland. Field of the Cloth Of Gold. A plain in France where Henry VIII. of England and Francis I. of France met, with splendid ceremonial. Fifth Avenue. Famous New York residential street, 6£ miles long, the lower half gradually opening to fine stores. Fifth-Monarchy Men. Fanatical English sect, 786 766 FAMOUS NAMES AND during the Commonwealth, who would forcibly bring in the fifth monarchy, as foretold by prophet Daniel. Fighting Bob. Nickname of Adm. Robley D. Evans. Fighting Joe. Nickname of Gen. Joseph Hooker. Five Nations {The). Indian Iroquois confederacy in New York State (16th, 17th, and 18th centuries), — Mohawks, Oneidas, On on dag as, Cayugas, and Senecas, afterwards including Tuscaroras. Five Points- A New York City locality once criminal and dangerous, now given to wholesale trade. Flagellants. Fanatics of 13th and 14th centuries who scourged themselves bloodily to appease divine wrath. Fleet Prison The). A former state prison and later debtors' prison in London, demolished 1846, nearly 800 years old. Fleet Street. A busy London thoroughfare continuing the Strand. Flora Temple. An American trotting mare (1845) long holding the world's record of 2.19|. Flowery Kingdom (The). China, so self-named, as being the most civilized nation. Flying Dutchman. A fabled Dutch mariner or his specter ship, doomed to sail stormy seas till judgment-day. Fornarina (The bakere or baker's daughter). A painting by Raphael, supposed to be portrait of his mistre . For tun at US. Hero of a medieval tale, who receives a purse never emptied and a cap of invisibility. Forum. An ancient market-place and center of popular gatherings in Rome. There were four, the largest and most famous being the Forum Romanurn. Fourierism. Cooperative socialism, as proposed by Charles Fourier (1772-1837), to live in phalanxes of about 2,000, having all things in common, mutual personal attraction forming the family groups. Francis Of A isi, St. A pious Italian monk, preacher, and founder of the Francis can Order (1210). Francis Xavier, St- A great Spanish Jesuit (1506-1552) of high culture, mi ionary to the East Indies, where he died. Froi art (frwa's ar), Jean. A French historian, who wrote the " Chronicles of France, England, Scotland, and Spain," from 1332 to 1400. He died 1410. Funk, Peter. One hired to bid at auctions a mock auction. Fusi-yam a, or Fugi-san. A conical mountain peak, extinct volcano, 12,365 ft. high, 75 miles from Tokio, Japan, often pictured in Japanese art. G. Gabriel. Name of an archangel represented as ministering to man, — interpreting Daniel's visions, announcing to Mary the birth of Jesus, dictating the Koran to Mohammed, etc. 9-adshill. A hill near Rochester, Eng., where Falstaff met the " men in buckram," and where Charles Dickens lived and died. FAMILIAR PHRASES. Galen. Great Greek physician and philosopher, abt. 130 A. d. Galignani's Me enger. A journal in English published many years in Paris. genre (zhiiNr') painting. Depiction of scenes from every-day life. George, St. A Roman military officer and Christian martyr (303 a. d.) of whose brave exploits there were many tales, esp. of his slaying a fierce dragon. In the 14th century he was chosen as patron saint of England. gerrymander. To divide a region into election or other districts so as to profit one party and damage the other — named after Gov. Gerry of Ma ., where the trick was first performed. Ghetto. Quarter of a town, esp. in Italy, where the Jews were segregated. Ghibelline. Medieval upholders of the German Empire in Italy. See Gdelph. Ginx's Baby. A notable story by Edward Jenkins (1870) depicting the evil effects of pauperism. Girondists. Moderate republicans in the French Revolutionary legislative a embly, 1791. Globe Theater. A summer open-air theater in London, where Shakespeare acted and for which (and Black fri abs) he wrote his plays. Gobelin tapestry. Made at the Gobelin est. in Paris, founded as a dye house (1575) and made a government manufactory by Louis XIV. (1662). Godiva, Lady. Counte of Chester, whose husband offered to remove heavy tax if she would ride naked through Coventry, which she did, the people staying indoors — except " Peeping Tom," who was stricken blind for Gog and Magog. Two colo al wooden statues in the Guildhall, London. Golden Gate- Entrance to San Francisco harbor, so named by John C. Fremont. Golden Horn- A branch of the Bosporus, dividing Constantinople into its Turkish and European quarters, and forming the harbor. Golden House. Palace of Nero in ancient Rome. Gordon Riots. Anti-popery mob-rising (1780) in London Lord George Gordon was charged with inciting it. See Dickens' " Barnaby Rudge." Gotham. Nickname for New York. Gracchi, The. Tiberius and Caius Gracchus, whose mother Cornel i a showed them when boys as her " jewels," and who rose to great political distinction. Grand Old Man. Popular name for Wm. E. Gladstone, the famous English statesman. Grand Prix (pre). Race for three-year-olds at Long champs, France prize 20,000 francs. Grand Prix de Rome. Annual prize in the Ecole des Beaux Abts, giving the winner four years of study in Rome. Great Commoner (The). William Pitt, before he was Earl of Chas am. Great Eastern. Known for many years as the largest steamship ever built, 680 ft. long, tonnage 19,000 launched 1858, broken up 1886. But the Lusitania and Mauretania (Cunard line) of 1906 are 790 ft. long, with tonnage 32,500. Great Pyramid, The. NearGhizeh, Egypt, of Cheops, about 3,000 b. c, orig. 482 ft. high, 787 FAMOUS NAMES AND estimated to contain 2,300,000 stone blocks averaging 40 cu. ft. each. It occupies about 13 acres. See Pyramid. greenbacks. U. S. Treasury notes, backs printed in green ink. Green Isle, The. Ireland. Green Vault. A museum in the Dresden royal palace, orig. decorated in green. Green wich. A town 5 miles S. E. St. Paul's, London, famed for its Royal Observatory (from which longitude — "E. or W. from Green wich " — is measured by English-speaking countries), its Hospital, and its Naval School. Greenwood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, N. Y., 400 acres in beautiful maintenance. Greg or i an calendar. The one now in general use. as reformed by Pope Gregory XIII. (1582). Gretna Green. A hamlet in Scotland, near the English border, formerly known for runaway marriages, wh'ch in 1856 were made legally invalid unle one party was a Scottish resident. Grab Street. A London street once inhabited by petty, needy writers. Guelphs. From 12th to 15th cent, the Church party in Italy, opposed to the rule of the German Emperor. See Ghibelline. Guildhall. The great city hall of London, built 1411, restored after fire of 1666. Gunpowder Plot, The. A plot to blow up King, Lords, and Commons in Parliament house, London, Nov. 5, 1605. Guy Fawkes was arrested as he was about to fire the train. H. habeas corpus (that you have the body). Any of several writs directing the production of an imprisoned person before a court, for inquiry into the cause of arrest and other purposes, thus enforcing the law of personal liberty. Hail Columbia! An unpoetic but patriotic American song, written by Joseph Hopkins on, 1798. Halcyon. Peaceful. The halcyon (kingfisher) was anciently fabled to brood its eggs in a floating nest at sea, and during that time to calm the waves. Hall Moon. The Dutch ship in which Henry Hudson cro ed the Atlantic and discovered the Hudson river (1609). handicap. An artificial disadvantage imposed upon a superior contestant to make the contest more even, — as weight on a faster horse, discounted score to a better billiard player, etc. Hanseatic League- A confederation of free German cities, called Hanse towns, reaching its highest power in 14th and 15th cents., and having affiliations in other lands, for protection of trade and mutual defense against aggre ion. Harlequin. The clown in pantomime, who is depicted as dre ed in parti-colored tights, with a sword of lath, and is active and full of amusing trickB. harvest moon. The moon near the full in autumn, about the equinox, when it rises only a few minutes later each night. Heathen Chinee. A shrewd Chinese, in Bret FAMILIAR PHRASES. 767 Harte's poem, " Plain Language from Truthful James." Hedda Gabler. A selfish, remorsele woman, whose name gives title to one of Henrik Ibsen's noted plays. Hegi'ra. Flight of Mohammed from Meeca, 622 a. d. any sudden departure. Helicon- A mountain supposed by tlie Greeks to be the abode of Apollo and the Muses. hell. As used in the Apostles' Creed 0' He [Christ] descended into hell it means the unseen world, place of departed spirits. hempen collar. The hangman's rope. Heme the Hunter. A wild huntsman famed in the traditions of Windsor Forest. High Bridge. A viaduct and aqueduct at 175th St., New York, bringing Crotou water acro Harlem river. Highland Mary. Name applied to two Scottish sweethearts of Robert Burns. high places. In the Old Testament, natural or artificial mounds on which idolatrous worship was offered. hob-nob- To drink cozily together, near the hob (for heating) with the nob (little round table) between; to be friendly or confidential. Hobson's Choice. This or none from an innkeeper who kept many horses for hire, but always made a customer take the one nearest the stable door. hocus P0CUS. Mock Latin words used by conjurers hence, trickery. hoi polloi. Greek words, meaning the many, the multitude, the common people. Hold the fort. Famous phrase signaled by Gen. Sherman to Gen. Corse from Kenesaw Mountain in 1864 " Hold the fort I am coming." Holy Alliance. League of 1816 between Ru ia, Pru ia, and Austria. Holy Land, The. For Christians, Palestine Mohammedans, Mecca Buddhists, India Ancient Greeks, Elis. Holy Week. The last seven days of Lent Pa ion Week, beginning with Palm Sunday. Honi so it qui mal y pense (o'ne swa ke mal e — paNs). Motto of the Order of the Garter, " Shame to him who thinks shame." At a court ball of Edward III. the Counte of Salisbury's blue ribbon garter slipped off, but the king bound it around his own knee, with the above exclamation, and founded the Order as the highest English honor. honors Of war. Permi ion to a force surrendering after a brave fight to keep their arms. horn-book. A child's primer, being a sheet of paper printed with the alphabet, the Lord's Prayer, and the digits, mounted on a thin board (about 6 X 9 in., with handle) and kept clean by a sheet of thin transparent horn. Host, The. Rom. Cath. Ch. The consecrated wafer of the Eucharist, — Host meaning victim. hot cro buns. Orig., the round bun in ancient Rome, made by the priests, stood for Diana the moon, and the cro , its four quarters in England the buns are made for Good Friday and the cro is the Christian symbol. Hotel des In vali des (o-tgl' daz SN-v£-ied'). Retreat for infirm and disabled soldiers in Paris. Architecturally fine, with interesting museum,. and crypt containing Napoleon's tomb. 788 768 FAMOUS NAMES AND HStel da Ville (o-tgl' de veil. Town or city hall, in France and Belgium. i i our is- Beautiful-eyed nymphs of the Mohammedan paradise — 72 to each true believer. hue and cry. Orig., shouting in pursuit of a thief any outcry of alarm. Hundred Days, The. March 20, 1815, when Napoleon reached Paris from Elba, to June 28, date of his abdication. hunter's moon. The moon following the harvest MOON. Ibsenism. The dramatic purpose in plays of the Swedish Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), who satirizes the hypocrisies of society. icon, ikon. Eastern Ch. An image, statue, or picture of Christ, Virgin, or saint. Iconoclasts. Image-breakers eccl. reformers in the 8th and 9th centuries who opposed the worship of icons or ikons, and in the 16th and 17th centuries who destroyed images and pictures in the churches. Immaculate Conception. Rom. Cath. Ch. The dogma (1854) that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. Immortals- See Academy, The French. Improvisators. Persons (orig. in Italy) who utter verses impromptu. Index, The. Rom. Cath. Ch. Index librorum prohibitorum, list of books, and index expurgator i us, list of pa ages in books, that Catholics are forbidden to read. India proof. Proof impre ion of an engraving on India paper — fine, absorbent Chinese or Japanese paper. Indian file. One by one, like N. Am. Indians. infallibility. Of the (Rom. Cath.) Church., correctne of its doctrine of the Pope (1870), correctne of his decisions in faith and morals. Inns Of Court. Four London law societies, having exclusive right to admit to the bar; also t heir buildings, orig. for their students, now for law offices (the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple, Gray's Inn, and Lincoln's Inn). Inquisition. R. C. Ch. A tribunal for discovering and punishing heretics, chiefly active (16th and 17th cents.) in Spain, Portugal, and parts of Italy. Official title, The Holy Office. Interpreter, The. Personification of the Holy Spirit, in Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progre ." iota. The smallest Greek letter — i; a very little the least po ible. Iron Duke. The inflexible Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). Iron Maiden. A torture-box in Nuremberg, studded with iron spikes within, that clasped the victim. Iron Mask, Man in the. Unknown prisoner in the Bastille, who wore a black velvet mask (d. 1703). Iseult or Isolde. Legendary wife of King Mark of Cornwall, who loved Tristram or Tristan, heroine of romance and of Wagner's opera " Tristan und Isolde." Ithuriel's spear. Lance of the angel Ithuriel, a touch of which exposed deceit. Jack- Nickname for John also, any of various doers of small jobs; as: J.-at-a-pinch, a FAMILIAR PHRASES. helper at need J. Ketch, the hangman J. Tar, a sailor J. at-all- Trades, Master of None, a general tinker etc. Jack. A small flag, in many countries the part of the national standard containing the canton as, American, the blue ground and white stars British, the St. George's and St. Andrew's cro es of the United Kingdom. Jack and Jill. A lover and his la . Jacobins. A society of radical democrats in France (1789). Jacobite. An adherent of James (Jacobus) II. of England after his abdication, or of his descendants, the Stuarts, after the revolution (1689). Jacquerie. Bloody insurrections of French peasants (1358) who were told they would be led by Jacques Bonhomme (Johnny Goodman — Fr. slang for no one). Janizaries. A body of Turkish infantry (14th to 19th cent.). Jardln des Plantes (zhar-d de plant). Paris i an botanical and zoological gardens. Jekyll, Dr., and Mr. Hyde. Tale by R. L. Stevens on, showing the good and the evil tendencies in each person. Jerusalem Delivered. An epic poem of the Crusades, by Torquato Ta o (1544-95). Je amy Bride (The). Mary Horneck, beloved by Oliver Goldsmith, married to W. Gwynn. Jew, The Wandering. Legendary servant of Pilate, who struck Jesus to hasten him on the way to Calvary, and to whom Jesus said, " I go quickly, but tarry thou till I come again. He was supposed to be rejuvenated every 100 years, at the age of 30, and to wander wearily about the world. Jingoism. The spirit of war-brag originating in a popular song, when Beacons field sent a fleet to Turkish waters to oppose Ru ia 1878). Jinn, or Djin. Arabic name for a kind of demon, good and evil. Joan, Pope. A fictitious female pope, between Leo IV. and Benedict III. (about 855). Job. Personification of patience and poverty. Job's Comforter. A pretended sympathizer, who yet declares trouble to be the fault of the sufferer. John Bull. Nickname for England, or the typical English man. Johnny Reb. Civil War nickname for the Southerners. Jonathan. Nickname for Americans. See Brother Jonathan. Jordan. Poetical term for death, that separates Christians from the " Promised Land." Jubilee. Hebrew. Every 50th year among the Jews, when land was restored to those who had lost it, debts were canceled, Hebrew slaves liberated, etc. the 50th anniversary of any event R. C. Ch., every 25th year, when remi ion of penalty for sin is granted. Junius. Anonymous writer of a series of severe political Letters against the British ministry (1768-72). Jury mast. Perh. a corruption of joury = a mast for a day a temporary mast. K. Ka me, ka thee. You help me and I help you. 789 FAMOUS NAMES AND Ka'aba, or Ca'atoa. The holiest of Mohammedan shrines, at Mecca, containing the sacred black stone said to have fallen from heaven Kail-yard School. Cabbage or Kitchen-garden School, a group of writers depicting lowly Scottish life, with much dialect as, Ian Maclarin and J. M. Barrie. kamsin, or khamsin. A hot simoom from the Sahara. Kansas, Bleeding. Named from the bloody war between its pro-slavery and free-state settlers. Karma. Buddhistic fate, or inevitable consequence of every act. Kendal green. Cloth for foresters, made hi Kendal, England, such as Robin Hood s men wore. Kensington. A suburb of London, containing the famous K. Gardens, the K. Palace, and Holland House, once a great social center. Khor as san, The Veiled Prophet of. An Arabic prophet-chief, who, being deformed, veiled his face to shade his followers from the dazzling splendor of his face title of poem by Thomas Moore. Kilkenny cats. Who fought till only their tails were left. King Cotton. Cotton, being chief staple of the South and chief manufacture of England, was deemed, before the Civil War, to dominate the situation. King Log. A quiet king, whom his people [the frogs] thought stupid and King Stork, a strenuous king, whom they found to be a tyrant. King-maker, The Ear of Warwick 1420-7 1 who was chief influence in deposing Henry VI. crowning Edward IV., and restoring Henry, again. King Of YvetOt (ev'to). The ruler of Yvetot, a small French seigniory, was called "King," but spent his worthle time in pleasure hence, a little man of large pretensions. King's evil. Scrofula, thought to be curable by royal touch. ki the gunner's daughter. To be tied to a cannon aboard ship, and flogged. Kit-Cat Club. A famous London club of wits and politic ans (1703-33). Knickerbocker, Died rich. Imaginary author of Irving's "History of New York " in the Dutch regime hence, families descended from the New York Dutch. Kobold- German. A friendly house-spirit same as Eng. Robin Goodfelloic, Scotch Brownie, etc. Kohinoor (Mountain of Light). A famous diamond from India, belonging to the British crown. Koran. The sacred book of Mohammed, revealed to him from heaven, the religious basis of all his followers. kraal (kral). A South African village. Kremlin. The citadel of Moscow, a fortified inclosure, containing palaces, cathedrals, churches, convents, an arsenal, the treasury, and incalculable riches. Kyrie eleison (Gr. Lord have mercy upon us) the first words of a brief petition used variously in the Eastern, Roman, and Anglican churches. '69 FAMILIAR PHRASES. Laconic. Brief and pithy, as the Laconian (Spartan; speech was said to be. Lais. A beautiful Greek courtesan. Lake School. A group of English poets — chiefly Words worth, Cole ridge, and Southey — who lived in the Lake district. Lalla Rookh. Beautiful Oriental heroine of Moore's poem of that name. Land of Beulah. In Banyan's " Pilgrim's Progre ," the land of peaceful rest, this side the river of death, where Christians await their summons to the Celestial City. Land Of Cakes. Scotland, with its oatmeal. lang syne. Scotch. Long since in davs gone by- LaodiceanS- Certain early Christians, censured as lukewarm in their religion. Last Of the Mohicans. The young Indian chief, Uncas, in Cooper's novel of the above title. Last Judgment. Frequent theme of painters, esp. the frescoes of Michael Angelo (1475- 1564) in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, at Rome. Last Supper. Frequent theme of painters, esp. the fresco of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan. Later an, The. Ancient palace of the Popes in Rome, now a museum. Latin Quarter. Region in Paris, S. of the Seine, near the Sobbonne, for centuries the dwelling place of students and artists. Laughing Philosopher. Demo crit us of Abdera. who satirized folly. Laureate. A poet appointed by the British sovereign, as superexcellent in his art, to compose odes, hymns, etc., on national occasions. Leaning Tower. There are several, the most famous is at Pisa, Italy, which leans about 14 ft. in 178 ft. of height. leap year. Every year divisible by four, occurring every fourth year, in which another day (29th) is added to February. Learned Blacksmith. Elihu Burritt, an American linguist (1811-79). Legion Of Honor. A French order of military and civil merit, founded by Napoleon (1802). Lent. Saxon name for spring, because the days lengthen; Bed. the great spring fast of 40 days preceding the joy of Easter. lex talion is. Law of retaliation tit for tat. LiDby Prison. An old tobacco warehouse in Richmond, Va., in the Civil War a military prison. Lilliput. The country of the pygmies, iu Swift's " Gulliver's Travels." Limbo. A medieval notion of a place near Hell where good heathens, unbaptized infants, and others of neutral moral condition were kept a waste-basket. Lingua Franca. A hybrid dialect used by Latin nations with Greeks, Orientals, etc. Lion and Unicorn. Heraldic supports {lion,