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Brewer's: Blast
In full blast. In the extreme. In America will be heard such a sentence as this: “When she came to the meeting in her yellow hat and feathers, wasn't she in full blast?” A metaphor from…Brewer's: Blazon
[Blazonry]. To blazon is to announce with a trumpet, hence the Ghost in Hamlet says, “But this eternal blazon must not be to ears of flesh and blood,” i.e. this babbling about eternal…Brewer's: Arras
tapestry. So called from Arras, in Artois, famed for its manufacture. When rooms were hung with tapestry it was a common thing for persons to hide behind it, especially the arras curtain…Brewer's: Dearest
Most hateful, as dearest foe. The word dear, meaning “beloved,” is the Saxon deor (dear, rare); but dear, “hateful,” is the Anglo-Saxon derian (to hurt), Scotch dere (to annoy). Would I…Brewer's: Margin
In all our ancient English books, the commentary is printed in the margin. Hence Shakespeare: “His face's own margent did quote such amazes.” Love's Labour's Lost, ii. 1. “I knew you…Brewer's: Person
(Latin, persona, a mask; personatus, one who wears a mask, an actor). A “person” is one who impersonates a character. Shakespeare says, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women…Brewer's: Petard'
Hoist on his own petard. Caught in his own trap, involved in the danger he meant for others. The petard was a conical instrument of war employed at one time for blowing open gates with…Brewer's: Pilate Voice
A loud ranting voice. In the old mysteries all tyrants were made to speak in a rough ranting manner. Thus Bottom the Weaver, after a rant “to show his quality,” exclaims, “That's 'Ercles'…Brewer's: Quietus
The writ of discharge formerly granted to those barons and knights who personally attended the king on a foreign expedition. At their discharge they were exempt from the claim of scutage…Brewer's: Pursy, Pursiness
Broken-winded, or in a bloated state in which the wind is short and difficult. (French, poussi-f, same meaning.) A fat and pursy man. Shakespeare has “pursy Insolence,” the insolence of…Trending
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