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Brewer's: Bobadil
A military braggart of the first water. Captain Bobadil is a character in Ben Jonson's comedy of Every Man in his Humour. This name was probably suggested by Bobadilla, first governor of…Brewer's: Banbury
A Banbury-man—i.e. a Puritan (Ben Jonson); a bigot. From the reign of Elizabeth to that of Charles II. Banbury was noted for its number of Puritans and its religious “zeal.” As thin as…Brewer's: O'pal
From the Greek ops (the eye). Considered unlucky for the same reason that peacocks' feathers in a house are said to be unlucky. A peacock's feather, being full of eyes, act as spies in a…Brewer's: Half-seas Over
Almost up with one. Now applied to a person almost dead drunk. The phrase seems to be a corruption of the Dutch op-zee zober, “over-sea beer,” a strong, heady beverage introduced into…Brewer's: Harrington
A farthing. So called from Lord Harrington, to whom James I. granted a patent for making them of brass. Drunken Barnaby says— Thence to Harrington be it spoken, For name-sake I gave a…Brewer's: Humour
As good humour, ill or had humour, etc. According to an ancient theory, there are four principal humours in the body: phlegm, blood, choler, and black bile. As any one of these…Brewer's: Elixir of Life
A ruby, supposed by the alchemists to prolong life indefinitely. The tincture for transmuting metals was also called an elixir. (Arabic, el or al iksir, the iksir (? coction).) (See Amrita…Brewer's: Mercurial Finger
(The). The little finger. The thumb, in chiromancy, we give to Venus, The forefinger to Jove, the midst to Saturn, The ring to Sol, the least to Mercury. BenJonson: The Alchemist, i. 1.…Brewer's: Milliner
A corruption of Milaner; so called from Milan, in Italy, which at one time gave the law to Europe in all matters of taste, dress, and elegance. Milliner was originally applied to the male…Brewer's: Montanto
Signior Montanto. A master of fence rather than a soldier; a tongue-doughty knight. It is a word of fence, and hence Ben Jonson says, “Your punto, your reverso, your stoccata, your…Trending
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