Brewer's: Pocket Pistol

(A). A dram-flask for the pocket, in “self-defence,” because we may be unable to get a dram on the road.

Pocket Pistol

(Queen Bess's). A formidable piece of ordnance given to Queen Elizabeth by the Low Countries in recognition of her efforts to protect them in their reformed religion. It used to overlook the Channel from Dover Cliffs, but in 1894 was removed to make room for a battery of modern guns. It is said that it contains in Flemish the equivalent of the following words:

Load me well and keep me clean, And I'll carry a ball to Calais Green.

But this translation is only fanciful.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language