 |
Little John
A big stalwart fellow, named John Little (or John
Nailor), who encountered Robin Hood, and gave him a sound thrashing,
after which he was rechristened, and Robin stood godfather. Little John
is introduced by Sir Walter Scott in The Talisman.
“`This infant was called John Little,' quoth he; `Which name shall be
changed anon,
The words we'll transpose, so wherever he goes, His name shall be
called Little John.”
Ritson: Robin Hood, xxi.
Little John was executed on Arbor Hill, Dublin.
It will be remembered that Maria in Twelfth Night, represented by Shakespeare as a little woman, is by a similar
pleasantry called by Viola, “Oliva's giant;” and Sir Toby says to her, “Good night, Penthesile'a” —i.e. Amazon.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Little John from Infoplease:
- Little John - Little John: Definition and Pronunciation
- Little John: meaning and definitions - Little John: Definition and Pronunciation
- Little John - Little John A big stalwart fellow, named John Little (or John Nailor), who encountered Robin Hood, ...
- John Sebastian LITTLE - LITTLE, John Sebastian (1853—1916) LITTLE, John Sebastian, a Representative from Arkansas; ...
- John LITTLE - LITTLE, John (1837—1900) LITTLE, John, a Representative from Ohio; born near Grape Grove, ...
See a map of "" in the Visual Thesaurus
|
|
