To crush a bottle —i.e. drink one. Cf. Milton's crush the sweet poison. The idea is that of crushing the grapes. Shakespeare has also burst a bottle in the same sense (Induction of Taming…
Frugal, stinted, as food in Lent. Shakespeare has “lenten entertainment” (Hamlet, ii. 2); “a lenten answer” (Twelfth Night, i. 5); “a lenten pye” (Romeo and Juliet, ii. 4). “And with a…
Tangled hair. It is said that one of the favourite amusements of Queen Mab is to tie people's hair in knots. When Edgar impersonates a madman, “he elfs all his hair in knots.” (Lear, ii. 3…
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by Oscar Wilde Chapter 6Chapter 8Chapter 7 For some reason or other, the house was crowded that night, and the fat Jew manager who met them at the door was beaming from ear to ear…
To draw Dun out of the mire. To lend a helping hand to one in distress. The allusion is to an English game, explained by Mr. Gifford in his edition of Ben Jonson, vii. 283. A log of wood…
in prescriptions. The ornamental part of this letter is the symbol of Jupiter , under whose special protection all medicines were placed. The letter itself (Recipe, take) and its flourish…
The sun, so called by Ovid and Virgil. And fleckëd Darkness like a drunkard reels From forth Day's path and Titan's flery wheels. Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, ii. 3. The Titans. The…
A cheat; one who bites us. “The biter bit” explains the origin. We say “a man was bitten” when he “burns his fingers” meddling with something which promised well but turned out a failure…
At fault. Not on the right track; doubtful whether right or wrong. Hounds are at fault when the scent is broken because the fox has jumped upon a wall, crossed a river, cut through a flock…
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