Chapter M: =Ma’am.= An Americanism for mother. See “Madam.” (2)

=Newington Causeway.= This was the first road or causeway across the
swampy fields of South London beyond the “Borough.”

=New Jersey.= In honour of Sir George Cartaret, the gallant defender of
Jersey Island against the Parliamentary forces in 1664.

=Newman Street.= After the builder on the site.

=New Orleans.= The name given to the French settlement in the New World
after the city in the Mother Country.

=New Pye Street.= See “New Way.”

=New Scotland Yard.= The new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police,
occupying a site which has not the slightest connection with its
name, and devoid of all historic interest further than that its
foundations were laid for a Metropolitan Opera House, the building
of which went no further. With the transference of the Police
Department from “Scotland Yard” the old name was retained.

=New Southgate.= The modern residential district in the vicinity of the
entrance to the enclosed hunting ground extending northward to
Enfield, anciently known as Enfield Chase.

=New Spain.= The name given by Cortes to “Mexico.”

=News-stand.= An Americanism for a railway bookstall.

=New Way.= A modern extension of Old and New Pye Streets, named after
Sir Robert Pye, who had his residence on its site.

=New Woman.= A term which came into vogue during the early days of the
modern bicycling craze. The New Woman disported herself abroad in
knickerbockers, and generally made herself ridiculous in the eyes of
all sensible men. Latterly she has returned to the obscurity whence
she sprang.

=New York.= Originally New Amsterdam. When taken from the Dutch in 1664
it received the name it now bears in compliment to the Duke of York,
afterwards James II.

=New Zealand.= Named by the Dutch after their native Zeeland, or
“Sea-land,” of the Low Countries.

=Niagara.= From the Indian _On-aw-garah_, “the thunder of waters.”

=Nicaragua.= So called by Gil Gonzales de Avila in 1521, after a Haytian
chief called Nicaro, who gave him a friendly reception on the shores
of the lake, which also bears this name.

=Nicholas Lane.= After the wealthy banker, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, who
also gave his name to Throgmorton Street.

=Nickel.= An American five-cent piece, so called because it is coined
out of nickel silver.

=Nick of the Woods.= The first word in this American designation is a
corruption of “neck,” denoting a settlement or habitation in the
wooded regions of the south-western states.

=Nicotiana.= The tobacco-producing regions of the United States. See
“Nicotine.”

=Nicotine.= After Jean Nicot, who introduced tobacco, which he had
purchased at Lisbon, into France in 1560.

=Nigger.= A corruption of Negro, which term is derived from the Latin
_niger_, “black.”

=Nightcap.= Since everyone in the days of our grandfathers wore a
nightcap, and fancied he could not go to sleep without one, so the
modern substitute is a glass of spirits just before retiring, with a
view to making him feel drowsy; hence such a drink is called a
“nightcap.”

=Nightingale.= Literally a bird that sings in the night.

=Nihilist.= Originally a member of a Russian society whose members
recognised no law save their own happiness. They sought to
annihilate all ideas of God and government, as also of the rights of
property. These ultra-Socialists sprang into existence in 1848.

=Nimrod.= Charles James Apperley, the sporting contributor to _The
Quarterly Review_, and author of “The Chase, The Turf, and The
Road,” adopted this pseudonym after Nimrod, the son of Cush, who is
mentioned in Genesis x. 9 as the “mighty hunter before the Lord.”

=Nincompoop.= A dull-witted person, so called from the Latin phrase _non
compos mentis_, “of unsound mind.”

=Nine Days’ Wonder.= Puppies and kittens remaining blind for nine days
after birth, they are during this period a subject of much wonder to
the young members of the household. A sensational event or a piece
of public scandal arouses uncommon interest for a few days, and then
it gradually subsides.

=Nine Elms.= From nine fine elm-trees on this portion of the south bank
of the Thames.

=Nine Tailors make a Man.= The second word in this expression is a
corruption of _Tellers_. A “Teller” was in olden times a stroke of
the “passing bell” of the parish church. Three tellers gave warning
of the death of a child, six of a woman, and nine of a man. As the
parishioners counted the strokes they would say: “Nine tellers make
a man.”

=Ninny.= Short for “Nincompoop.” In America this term is generally
thought to be derived from “Pickaninny.”

=Niphon.= The native name of “Japan.”

=Nipped in the Bud.= While a flower is in the bud it may be destroyed by
a mere nip of the fingers. Afterwards its leaves would have to be
plucked separately. To curb mischief or a bad habit at the very
commencement is therefore the easier plan.

=Nipper.= Originally in thieves’ slang a boy trained to pick purses and
pockets, and nip off unobserved; hence the expression “A Young
Nipper.”

=Nitrate King.= The sobriquet of the late Colonel J. T. North, who
amassed a fortune by the nitrate industry in South America.

=Nob.= Short for “noble” or “nobleman.” From University slang the term
has come to imply among the vulgar anyone of aristocratic
pretensions.

=Noctes Ambrosianæ.= A characteristic feature of _Blackwood’s Magazine_
in its early days. This, “The Ambrosial Nights,” was contributed as
a regular series by Professor Wilson, being for the most part the
actual conversations of the author, John Gibson Lockhart, and Mr
Blackwood at a small Edinburgh tavern kept by one Ambrose. Although
Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, also figured in those dialogues, he was
not present at the meetings.

=Nocturne.= A quiet, dreamy species of musical composition, suggestive,
as its name denotes, of peaceful night.

=Noddy.= A kind of jaunting car peculiar to Dublin, so called because
its jolting motion makes its riders nod their heads.

=No Flies on me.= An Americanism expressive of individual energy. The
meaning is: “I am so active that no flies can ever settle on me.”

=No Hat Brigade.= Modern faddists who walk abroad bare-headed and
shelter themselves against the elements under an umbrella.

=Nonconformists.= Those ministers of the Church of England who refused
to subscribe or conform to the “Act of Conformity,” and thereby lost
their livings. The term is now generally applied to all Dissenting
congregations.

=No Quarter.= When the battle cry of “No Quarter,” consequent on an
order, goes forth, no lives are spared by the victors. To give
quarter means to spare the vanquished. This had its origin in
ancient European warfare, when, by way of earning prize-money, a
soldier refrained from dealing the death blow to a fallen foe on
condition of receiving a quarter of the latter’s pay.

=Norfolk.= The northern of the two districts or counties on the east
coast settled by the Angles, the north folk and south folk
respectively.

=Norfolk Howards.= An excess of refinement has caused this term to be
substituted for bugs. This originated in the action of Joshua Bugg
of the Swan Tavern, Norwich, who by deed poll, as advertised in _The
Times_ 26th June 1862, changed his name to Norfolk Howard. In
America all beetles are commonly styled bugs.

=Norfolk Street.= From the town house and grounds of the Howards, Dukes
of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel and Surrey.

=Norland Square.= Built on the site of Norland House, the residence of
one of the Drummonds, bankers of Charing Cross, _temp._ William IV.

=Normandy.= The country peopled by the Northmen or Danes.

=Northampton.= Anciently described as “Northavontown,” having been built
on the north of the River Avon, now called the Nen.

=North Audley Street.= See “Audley Street.”

=North Britain.= Scotland. In conjunction with England and Wales it
becomes Great Britain.

=North Pole.= A tavern sign in Wardour Street up at the time when
Captain Parry’s Arctic Expedition was the common topic of interest.

=North Star State.= Minnesota, so called on account of its northern
situation in the Union and the motto on its arms: “L’Etoile du
Nord.”

=Northumberland.= The north-east portion of that vast tract of land
described as “Northumbria,” because situated north of the River
Humber under the Heptarchy.

=Northumberland Alley.= This name in Fenchurch Street is reminiscent of
the original town house of the Dukes of Northumberland before they
took up their residence at Charing Cross in 1607.

=Northumberland Avenue.= From Northumberland House, the town mansion of
the Dukes of Northumberland, demolished in 1874 to make way for this
fine broad thoroughfare.

=Norton Folgate.= A corruption of “Northern Falgate”; expressive of the
fine barred gate leading from Bishopsgate without the city limits
into the open fields.

=Norway.= Called in the native tongue _Nordrike_, “the north kingdom.”
This country was long thought to be wholly surrounded by water, on
which account it received the name of _Nordee_, “north island.” This
the Saxons modified in _Norea_, and later Norway.

=Norwich.= So called from the castle erected by the East Anglian kings
as a “North wic,” or northern fortified village, relative to
Caistor, to resist the invasion of the Danes.

=Norwood.= This was formerly the northern portion of the vast wooded
district situated between London and Croydon.

=None of my Funeral.= An American mode of saying “Nothing to do with
me,” or “It’s no affair of mine.” Being an Americanism, the
expression is devoid of etymology.

=Nosey.= The nickname borne by Cervetto, the violoncellist of Drury Lane
Theatre, and John Wilson, the painter, both of whom had
exceptionally long noses. The Duke of Wellington was also popularly
referred to under this name by his soldiers on account of his Roman
nose.

=Nothing succeeds like Success.= When a man is successful the world bows
before him. Each fresh enterprise is crowned with success, because
there is an abiding public faith in the man who has made money or
hit the popular taste. His intrinsic merits may be no greater than
those of the poor devil who has systematically failed; yet what he
lacks himself he readily finds in his subordinates, whom he can
afford to pay, while the credit is all his own.

=Notions.= An Americanism for small wares or trifles in regard to dress.

=Not much.= An Americanism for “of no consequence.”

=Not quite the Cheese.= A saying which originated with those who
insisted on being served with prime Stilton or double Glo’ster.

=Nottingham.= Called by the Anglo-Saxons _Snottengaham_, “a place of
caves.” The name is partly Celtic, and little doubt exists that the
Britons made their habitations in the caverns with which this county
abounds.

=Nottingham Place.= After the county estates of the Duke of Portland,
the great ground landlord. A goodly portion of Sherwood Forest is
included in this ducal possession.

=Notting Hill.= Properly “Knolton Barn Hill,” the ancient description of
a manor of the De Veres, which in the time of Henry VIII. was held
by Robert Fenroper, an alderman of the city of London.

=Not worth a Dam.= See “Don’t care a Dam.”

=Not worth a Rap.= A rap was an Irish copper coin issued early in the
eighteenth century to supply a long-felt need for very small money.
Nominally worth a halfpenny, its metal was so thin and base that it
never passed for more than a farthing. Its infinitesimal value
consequently gave rise to this expression.

=Not worth a Song.= A song is worth nothing at all after its popularity
has waned. The good old songs live on account of their intrinsic
merits, but they were not pushed into public favour by adventitious
methods at the time of publication. Those of our day are ground out
of street pianos and sung everywhere for a brief season, then heard
no more.

=Nova Scotia.= This name, expressive of “New Scotland,” was bestowed
upon the island by Sir William Alexander, a Scotsman, to whom James
I. granted a charter of colonisation in 1621.

=Nova Zembla.= From the Slavonic _Nowaja Zemlja_, “new land.”

=November.= From _novem_, nine, the ninth month of the Roman calendar
when the year commenced with March.

=Noyau.= Expresses the French for the stone or nut of a fruit; hence the
name given to a cordial flavoured with the kernel of the bitter
almond or peach stone.

=Nun.= From the Italian _nonna_, a grandmother. Those who retired into
convents originally were aged women. It was only in modern times
that seminaries for girls were established in convents; this opened
the way to maidens becoming deeply imbued with religious ideas and
secluding themselves from the world by taking the veil.

=Nunhead.= From a tea garden and holiday resort known to Londoners as
“The Nun’s Head” ever since the days of James I.

=Nutcrackers.= The 3rd Foot, so called because they boasted of having
broken the heads of the Polish Lancers at the battle of Albuera.

=Nutcrack Night.= Another name for All Hallows’ Eve, when nuts are laid
on the fire bars to crack, as a relic of an ancient kind of
divination.

=Nutmeg State.= Connecticut, whose people were believed to manufacture
wooden nutmegs for exportation.

O

=Oak Apple Day.= Another name for Royal Oak Day (29th May), when people
formerly wore oak leaves or oak apples in their hats to commemorate
the manner in which the partisans of Charles II. welcomed his return
to England on his birthday, 1651. This was, of course, in allusion
to his concealment in an oak-tree near Boscobel House, Shropshire,
after the battle of Worcester, on 3rd September previous.

=Oakley Square.= After Oakley House, near Bedford, one of the country
seats of the Duke of Bedford, the ground landlord.

=Oaks Stakes.= So called from a Lodge or Club-House built among the oaks
by the Hunters’ Club, and afterwards converted into an inn, known as
“Lambert’s Oaks,” after the name of its landlord.

=Obiter Scripta.= Latin for a thing written in passing, a note by the
way.

=Observants.= The name borne by those monastic orders whose members
adhere to the strict rule laid down by their pious founders in
contradistinction to others styled “Conventuals,” who, like the
secular clergy, take upon themselves the performance of parochial
duties.

=Obstropulous.= A corruption of the word “obstreperous,” inclined to
quarrelling.

=Ocean Greyhound.= A fast Atlantic steamer belonging to one of the great
lines.

=Octavo.= A sheet of printing paper which, when folded and cut, makes
eight leaves or sixteen pages.

=October.= The eighth month of the Roman calendar when the year began
with March.

=Octroi.= The name given to a toll or tax levied upon market produce
passing through the gates of a town. It comes from the Latin
_auctoritas_, authority.

=Odder.= Colloquial for one who obtains a livelihood by doing odd jobs.

=Oddfellows.= This friendly society originated with five Manchester
shoemakers who in 1812 were accustomed to meet after the day’s work.
It having occurred to one of them how his family would fare if,
through sickness, he should be unable to follow his occupation, and
thinking it would be wise to make some provision against such a
contingency, he proposed that each of them should subscribe a few
pence weekly towards a common sick fund. The idea was at once taken
up. They called themselves Oddfellows because they numbered five.
Others soon joined the little society, and from these humble
beginnings it grew into a powerful organisation.

=Odd rot it.= A perversion of the Crusaders’ curse: “God rot them!”
meaning the Saracens, the enemies of Christianity.

=Odds Bodkins.= A perversion of “God’s Body,” in allusion to the
Eucharist. This oath was not considered profane during the Ages of
Faith.

=Odds Fish.= A favourite exclamation of Charles II. It was a corruption
of “God’s Flesh,” or the Body of Christ.

=Odds Splutter.= A corruption of the Dutch oath _Got’s plut_, “God’s
Blood,” introduced into England during the reign of William III.

=Odd Zounds.= A corruption of “God’s Wounds.” See “Zounds.”

=Off Colour.= To look pale and sickly.

=Off the Hooks.= An expression meaning “beyond hope of requisition for
further service,” “completely done for,” whether on the score of
chronic ill health, lunacy, or old age. This originally had
reference to the Maypole stored away in Shaft Alley, Leadenhall
Street, and perhaps other Maypoles elsewhere of post-Reformation
days. As long as it rested “on the hooks” there was a likelihood of
its being once more called into service. See “St Andrew Undershaft.”

=Ohio.= Indian for “beautiful.”

=O.K.= This arose out of an Irishman’s endorsement for goods passed by
him, as he would have spelt out the words “Orl Korrect.”

=Old Bags.= The nickname of Lord Eldon, because he always carried about
with him, in separate brief bags, the cases on which he had to pass
judgment.

=Old Bailey.= From the Latin _ballium_, a rampart, through the French
_baille_. The term “Bailey” expressed the open space or court
between a castle and the embattlements. Seeing that Lud Gate stood
in line with this street at its southern extremity, there must have
been a keep or fortification behind the Roman Wall where the
Sessions House came to be built. The name was therefore retained
after the wall was demolished.

=Old Bold Fifth.= The 5th Fusiliers, which regiment has distinguished
itself for valorous deeds in many campaigns.

=Old Bond Street.= See “Bond Street.”

=Old Broad Street.= With the exception of Cheapside, this was the widest
thoroughfare in Old London, all the others being similar to what Old
Change is at the present day. During Elizabeth’s reign Old Broad
Street constituted the residence of the wealthiest citizens.

=Old Buffer.= The colloquial term for a short, thick-set elderly man,
whose big paunch suggests a railway buffer.

=Old Bullion.= See “Bullion State.”

=Old Burlington Street.= See “Burlington Street.”

=Old Carthusians.= Old scholars of the “Charter House.”

=Old Catholics.= The followers in Germany of the late Dr Döllinger, who
separated from the Roman Catholic Communion after the promulgation
of the dogma of Papal Infallibility in 1870.

=Old Cavendish Street.= See “Cavendish Square.”

=Old Change.= So called from “The King’s Exchange,” where the bullion
was anciently stored prior to being sent to the shearers or clippers
at the neighbouring Mint. See “Sermon Lane.”

=Old Charlies.= See “Charlies.”

=Old Christmas Day.= Twelfth Day, because, according to the old style
calendar, Christmas Day fell on what is now 6th January.

=Old Compton Street.= See “Compton Street.”

=Old Dominion.= Virginia, on account of its documentary description,
“the Colony and Dominion of Virginia.”

=Old England.= This term was first applied to the Mother Country after
the colonisation of New England in North America.

=Old Fogey.= A term derived from the Danish _fjog_, a stupid old man,
one in his dotage.

=Old Fox.= The sobriquet of Marshal Soult on account of his strategic
cunning.

=Old Grog.= The nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon, who always wore a
grogram cloak in foul weather.

=Old Harry.= A corruption of “Old Hairy,” as applied to the Devil.

=Oldham.= Expresses the old home or settlement.

=Old Hat.= A country tavern sign which must have been the original when
the same premises was devoted to some other business, in days
characterised by the display of signs by tradesmen generally.

=Old Hickory.= “Hickory” is an Americanism used adjectively for anyone
who is tough, obstinate, or hard, after the tree of the same name.
General Andrew Jackson merited the nickname of “Old Hickory” from
his own soldiers on account of his tough, unyielding disposition.
Its origin is thus explained by Parton, the author of the
President’s “Life”: “The name of ‘Old Hickory’ was not an
instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the remark
was made by some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s
pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next it was observed
that he was as tough as hickory. Then he was called ‘Hickory.’
Lastly, the affectionate ‘Old’ was prefixed, and the General
thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the
first-won honour of a great commander.”

=Old Jewry.= The original Jewish quarter of the city of London. See
“Jewin Street.”

=Old Kent Road.= The South London portion of the Roman highway to Dover.

=Old Lady of Threadneedle Street.= The popular name of the Bank of
England. There is a tradition that towards the end of the eighteenth
century a demented old lady wandered up and down Threadneedle Street
day by day for a long period until she suddenly disappeared. It was
generally assumed that this old lady of Threadneedle Street must
have been waiting for someone who had passed into the Bank, and,
according to her idea, never came out again. When, therefore, in
1797 the Bank threatened a temporary stoppage of payment, and
one-pound notes were issued, John Gilray, the artist, published a
caricature entitled “The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street in Danger.”
Since that time the Bank has been colloquially referred to by this
title.

=Old Line State.= Maryland, whose famous regiment, the Old Maryland
Line, saved the prestige of the army when Lord Cornwallis’s
Grenadiers broke the American lines at Loughland.

=Old North State.= North Carolina, from its relative position to South
Carolina.

=Old Paulines.= Old scholars of St Paul’s School.

=Old Pye Street.= See “New Way.”

=Old Quebec Street.= Laid out and built upon soon after the capture of
Quebec by General Wolfe in 1759.

=Old Rep.= Short for “Old Reprobate.”

=Old Rowley.= A sobriquet of Charles II., from the name of his favourite
race-horse.

=Old Rye.= A United States term for old whisky distilled from rye.

=Old Salt.= An old sailor who has sniffed the brine of the ocean from
his youth.

=Old Scotland Yard.= See “Scotland Yard.”

=Old Soldiers.= An Americanism for cigar-ends, because they are the
remnants of the originals that have done good service.

=Old Sport.= An Americanism for a broken-down gambler.

=Old Tom.= The name first given to gin by Thomas Norris, who, after
having long been employed in the distillery of Messrs Hodges, opened
a gin palace in Covent Garden, and perpetuated the affectionate name
of “Old Tom Chamberlain,” his former master.

=Old Toughs.= The nickname of the 103rd Foot, merited during the Indian
Mutiny.

=Old Woman.= In stage parlance an actress who plays old women’s parts. A
fine distinction is, however, drawn between “old women” and what are
called “Aristocratic Old Women.”

=On the Tapis.= _Tapis_ is French for a carpet; expressive also of the
cloth or kind of tapestry which covered the table in the Council
Chamber when French was the language spoken at the English Court.

=On the Tenterhooks.= To have one’s curiosity fully aroused; on the
tiptop of expectation. The phrase has been derived from the mode of
tentering or stretching cloth upon hooks after it is woven.

=On the Tiptoe of Expectation.= A phrase derived from the crowds
awaiting a public procession. As soon as the music is heard everyone
stands on tiptoe, and looks in the direction whence the sounds
proceed.

=Oof.= A slang term for “money”; derived from the legendary “Oof Bird,”
which from the Latin, _ovum_, an egg, traces its origin to the goose
with the golden eggs.

=Olive Branches.= A man’s children are so designated from the Biblical
simile in Psalm cxxviii. 3: “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by
the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about
thy table.”

=Olla Podrida.= A Spanish term for a mixture of meat and vegetables
collected in a common pot for cooking as required. In a literary
sense it signifies a miscellany of short productions. The French
equivalent for the term is _pot-pourri_, which is also employed
figuratively.

=Omnibus.= The dative Latin plural of _omnes_, all. In a public vehicle
of this kind there is room for many, without class distinction.

=One-horse.= A term used adjectively for anything mean or insignificant.
This figure of speech is derived from agriculture.

=Oneida.= Indian for “people of the beacon stone.”

=Ontario.= From the Indian _Onontae_, which expresses “the village on
the mountain,” whence the tribe of the Onondagas derive their name.

=On this Side of Jordan.= An Americanism for “in this life” or “in this
world.”

=Opal.= From the Sanskrit _opula_, through the Latin _opalus_, a
precious stone.

=Oporto.= Portuguese for “the harbour.”

=Orange Lilies.= The 35th Foot, so called on account of the facings on
their uniform.

=Orangemen.= The Protestants in the northern provinces of Ireland, so
called on account of their adherence to William III., Prince of
Orange, in opposition to the “Jacobites” or the adherents of the
Stuart king, James II.

=Orange Peel.= One of the nicknames of Sir Robert Peel, owing to his
strong anti-Catholic spirit. See “Orangemen.”

=Orange River.= This, the largest river in South Africa, received its
name from the colour of its waters when in flood.

=Orange River Free State.= This name was given by the “Boers” to what is
now British territory in South Africa because its early settlers
were also emigrants from the principality of Orange in Holland. Its
new title is the Orange River Colony.

=Orange Street.= In compliment to William III., Prince of Orange.

=Orator Henley.= The sobriquet of John Henley, an English divine who in
1726 attracted large and fashionable congregations in a so-called
“Oratory” or chapel in Newport Market.

=Oratorio.= A term derived from the fact that the first sacred musical
dramas or cantatas were performed in the Church of the Oratorians,
which religious Order was founded by St Philip Nero at Rome in 1540.

=Orchard Street.= Off Portman Square, after Orchard Portman, one of the
country seats of the Portmans in Somersetshire. At Westminster, from
the ancient orchard belonging to the Abbey.

=Orchestra.= A Greek term applied to the place in the theatre allotted
to the chorus of the dancers. Among the moderns it expresses the
place assigned to the instrumentalists.

=Orchid.= From the Greek _orchis_, a testicle, which the root of this
plant resembles.

=Oregon.= From the Spanish _Oregano_, “wild majorum,” which grows
abundantly in this state.

=Orellana.= The original name of the “Amazon” River, after its
navigator.

=Oriel College.= This college at Oxford was built in 1326 by Adam de
Brome, the Almoner of Edward II., and called by him St Mary’s
College. A few years later Edward III. added to its revenues a rich
messuage hard by known as “Le Oriel,” from which circumstance the
foundation received the name which it now bears.

=Orinoco.= Indian for “coiling snake.”

=Orion Horne.= One of the sobriquets of Richard Horne, author of
“Orion,” which acquired an exceptional notoriety on account of its
being published at the low price of one farthing.

=Orkney Isles.= Under the name of _Orcades_ these are mentioned by the
ancient geographers. _Orkney_ is Gaelic for “Isle of Whales.”

=Orleans.= A corruption of _Aureliani_, after the Roman Emperor
Aurelian.

=Orloff Diamond.= This gem, weighing 194 carats, and purchased by
Catherine II. of Russia in 1775, preserves the family name of that
Empress.

=Orme Square.= After the name of a printseller of Bond Street who bought
the land and built upon it.

=Orrery.= After the Earl of Orrery, who first caused one to be made.

=Osnaburg Street.= Named in compliment to Frederick, Duke of York and
Albany, the last sovereign-bishop of Osnaburg in Hanover.

=Ossulton Street.= See “Lisson Grove.”

=Ostend.= Literally the east end of Flanders in Belgium.

=Ostler.= From the French _hostelier_, an innkeeper.

=Oswestry.= A corruption of Oswaldstry, the “place of Oswald,” where
Oswald, King of Northumbria, was slain in 642. Evidence of this is
afforded by the original name of Oswald’s Well, which yields a
spring of pure water.

=Ottawa.= Expresses the Indian for “traders.”

=Ottoman Empire.= That of the Turks, founded by Othman I. at the
commencement of the fourteenth century.

=Ouida.= The pseudonym of Louise de la Ramée. This was suggested to her
at the very commencement of her literary career by the infantile
perversion of Louise into “Ouida.”

=Ouse.= From the Celtic _uisg_, water.

=Out of Collar.= Out of harness and the working habit. A horse has the
collar slipped over its neck when put to work.

=Out of Sorts.= A technical phrase in the printing trade. “Sorts” are
the different sizes and kinds of type used by a compositor. At times
he runs short of “sorts,” so that the composition of the particular
work in hand has to be suspended until the required sorts are
obtained, either by distributing old matter put up in paper or
sending to the typefounder’s for a new supply. Hence a person
indisposed for work confesses to being “out of sorts.”

=Ovidius Naso.= See “Naso.”

=Oxford.= Cited in Domesday Book as _Oxeneford_. Literally a ford for
the passage of oxen across the River Isis.

=Oxford Blues.= The Royal Horse Guards, from their dark blue uniforms
and the circumstance that this regiment of horse was first raised by
Aubrey, Earl of Oxford, soon after the Restoration.

=Oxford Movement.= The great Catholic revival in England, which, midway
in the last century, resulted in the passing over of many of the
most eminent Oxford scholars to the Church of Rome.

=Oxford Street.= After Edward Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer,
landlord of the estate north of this principal thoroughfare.

=Oyez, Oyez.= The old French ceremonial exclamation (“Hear ye, hear
ye!”) to enjoin silence. This obtained in our own country when
French was the language of the Court. In modern times it has been
corrupted by Court criers and town bellmen into “O yes, O yes.”

=Oyster Part.= In theatrical parlance a part which contains only one
line or speech; like an oyster, the actor opens his mouth but once.

P

=Pacha.= See “Pasha.”

=Pacific Ocean.= So called by Magellan, who, after a tempestuous passage
through the straits which bear his name, enjoyed a cruise of three
months and twenty-one days across this ocean in continuous fine
weather, and with the advantage of favourable winds.

=Pack Horse.= An inn sign denoting that the establishment provided
accommodation for “Packmen,” and also that pack horses were let out
on hire.

=Packmen.= The old name for commercial travellers, whose goods or
samples were carried in packs or sacks fastened to the saddle of a
pack horse.

=Paddington.= The ancient description of this parish was “Padynton,” the
settlement of the Pædings. Another branch of the same family gave
its name to “Padendene”--_i.e._ the wooded valley of the Pædings in
Surrey.

=Paddington Street.= Originally a narrow lane leading northward on to
the common known as Paddington Fields.

=Paddle your own Canoe.= Originally a Western phrase for self-reliance.
A canoe is an Indian boat affording room for one person. If he
cannot paddle it himself no one else is in a position to help him.
The expression became extremely popular in England through a song of
this title thirty years ago.

=Paddy.= The common name for an Irishman, being short for “Pat,” after
St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

=Pagan.= This term had at first not the slightest connection with
religion. Derived from the Latin _pagus_, the country, a _paganus_
denoted a peasant or villager. Removed from the refinement of the
cities such a one had, of course, very little acquaintance with the
complicated system of Roman mythology. On this account only could it
be said that those who remained unconverted to Christianity were
Pagans.

=Page Green.= See “Seven Sisters’ Road.”

=Painted Hall.= The picture gallery of Greenwich Hospital received this
name on account of its superbly painted ceiling.

=Painter.= The rope by which the “Jolly Boat” or any other is attached
to a vessel, so called from the Latin _panther_, through the French
_pantier_, a drag net.

=Paint the Town.= An Americanism for a night’s drunken frolic; the
allusion is to a drunkard’s red nose.

=Palace Car.= An Americanism for a “Pullman” or Saloon car.

=Palaver.= From the Portuguese _palavra_, “a talk.”

=Pale Faces.= The name popularly bestowed upon the whites by the North
American Indians.

=Palestine.= From the Hebrew _Palæstina_, “the land of strangers.” This
was the ancient _Philistia_, the country of the Philistines, a term
derived like that of Palestine from the root _phalash_, to emigrate
or wander.

=Pall Mall.= From a species of croquet, called _Paille Maille_,
introduced by Charles II. after his involuntary exile in France, and
played by him and his courtiers here when the thoroughfare was open
to St James’s Park.

=Palmer.= The name bestowed upon a “Pilgrim” returning from the Holy
Land who carried a palm branch, usually affixed to his head-gear, as
a proof that he had actually accomplished his self-imposed task. On
arriving at the place whence he had set out he repaired to the
church or chapel, and offered the palm to the parish priest, who
laid it on the altar on his behalf.

=Palmetto City.= Augusta, the capital of the Palmetto State.

=Palmetto State.= South Carolina, from the palmetto-tree in her arms.
During the Civil War the soldiers of this state bore the name of
“Palmetto Boys.”

=Palm it off.= A phrase derived from the usual procedure of a conjurer,
who is an adept at concealing in the palm of his hand that which he
pretends to have “passed” elsewhere.

=Palm Oil.= A bribe placed in the hand of a servant makes him the more
willing to throw open the apartment of the great man to whom one
wishes to gain access.

=Palm Sunday.= From the palms distributed to the congregation by the
Catholic Church in commemoration of Christ’s entry into the city of
Jerusalem, when the populace strewed palm branches and leaves in His
path.

=Palmy Days of the Drama.= The days of our greatest exponents of the
Drama, so called because, had such celebrated histriones as Garrick,
Mrs Siddons, the Keans, and the Kembles lived in the time of the
Romans, they would have been awarded a palm branch in recognition of
their genius.

=Palsgrave Place.= In honour of Frederick, King of Bohemia, Palsgrave of
the Rhine, married to the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I.

=Pam.= The popular name of Lord Palmerston.

=Pamphlet.= After Pamphilia, a Greek lady who kept a commonplace book
for the collection of anecdotes and literary memoranda.

=Panama.= Expresses the Carribean for “mud fish,” with which the shores
of this isthmus abound.

=Panama Hat.= A corruption of “Palmata Hat,” from the primitive head
covering in equatorial South America made out of the large leaf of
the _Cardulavia palmata_ tree.

=Pancake Tuesday.= From the pancakes eaten on this day. The custom arose
in Catholic days with a view to using up the eggs and lard that were
interdicted during Lent; also because pancakes were an excellent
stay to the appetite while the faithful had to wait long hours in
church to be _shrived_ by the priest in the confessional.

=Pancras Road.= From Old St Pancras parish church. New St Pancras church
is situated in the Euston Road.

=Panel Den.= An Americanism for a brothel, in which the rooms are
panelled off into small compartments.

=Pan-Handle State.= West Virginia, on account of its shape, rising up
like a wedge between Pennsylvania and Ohio.

=Panorama.= Expresses the Greek for “a view of the whole,” as would be
obtained from a monument or a natural eminence. This is the correct
description of a picture exhibited in a circular building, where the
spectators are placed in the centre; not at all of an old form of
picture entertainment at one end of a hall, which approximates to a
_Diorama_, because conformably to _di_, through, it is viewed
through the darkness.

=Pantaloon.= One of the characters of the Italian comedy or “Pantomime,”
so called because he was typical of the Venetians, wearing, like
them, originally a close-fitting garment made all in one piece,
known as a _pantaleone_. The Venetians were nicknamed _Pantaleone_
(“all lion”) from their common patron, St Mark, whose symbol was a
lion; hence the application of the term pantaloons to tight-fitting
knickerbockers or trousers.

=Pantaloonery.= An Americanism for trouser material. See “Pantaloon.”

=Pantechnicon.= A Greek word compounded out of _pan_, all, and _techne_,
art. The large vehicle of this name was first used exclusively for
the conveyance of pictures and art treasures to exhibitions.

=Pantheism.= From the Greek _pan_, all, and _theos_, God; the religion
which recognises the Spirit of God moving throughout all the
processes, works, and glories of His creation. The single doctrine
expressed by Pantheism is that “God is everything, and everything is
God.”

=Pantheon.= The Roman temple erected in honour of the gods collectively,
so called from the Greek _pan_, all, and _theos_, god.

=Pantomime.= In the modern sense a pantomime is an entertainment in
which current events or fashionable foibles are introduced by way of
burlesque. Formerly it denoted a performance of Italian comedy in
which the action took place in dumb show, so called from the Greek
_pantomimos_, an imitator of all or everything. The Roman _mimes_ or
_mimi_ were not theatrical performers, but mutes at funerals, whose
function it was to imitate the characteristic actions of the
deceased--_e.g._ the virtue of generosity.

=Panton Street.= After a noted gamester, Colonel Thomas Panton, whose
daughter became connected by marriage with the family of the ground
landlord, Lord Arundel of Wardour.

=Pants.= Short for “pantaloons,” an Americanism for trousers. See
“Pantaloon.”

=Panyer Alley.= This was an alley behind an ancient church facing
Cheapside, where the bakers stood with their bread paniers. The word
“panier” is French for a bread basket.

=Pan’s Pipes.= The primitive reed instrument named after Pan, the god of
shepherds.

=Pansy.= From the French “penseé,” which in the Language of Flowers
means “thoughts.”

=Papa.= See “Pope.”

=Papal Bull.= So called on account of the _bulla_, a seal embellished
with the symbol of St Peter.

=Paper.= From the Greek _papyros_, the Egyptian plant out of the reeds
of which the earliest writing material was made.

=Paper King.= John Law, the projector of the Mississippi Scheme, whose
prospectus promised fortunes that were never realised by the
luckless speculators.

=Papua.= Expresses the Portuguese for “frizzled.” This name was bestowed
upon the natives of New Guinea on account of their enormous heads of
frizzled hair.

=Parachute.= From the Greek _para_, “beyond,” and the French _chute_, “a
fall.”

=Paraquay.= Expresses the Brazilian for the country of the _Para_, or
“great river.”

=Parasol.= This term is now obsolete, having been superseded by
“Sunshade.” Derived through the Italian _parasole_, from the Greek
_para_, beyond, and _sol_, the sun, its meaning was synonymous with
that of its modern substitute.

=Parchment.= From the Greek _pergamenos_, through the French
_parchemin_, so called after Pergamos, the city of Asia Minor where,
consequent upon Ptolemy’s prohibition of the exportation of the
Egyptian papyrus, dried goatskins were first utilised for a writing
material.

=Paris.= Called by the Romans _Lutetia Parisiorum_, a name signifying
the collection of mud huts inhabited by the _Parisii_, a Gallic
tribe conquered by them.

=Paris Garden.= A notorious bear-baiting establishment in South London
for several centuries, so called after Robert de Paris in the reign
of Richard I. The entrance thereto is fixed by what bears the name
of Bear Garden at the corner of Sumner Street, Borough.

=Park Lane.= Originally a narrow lane skirting the east side of Hyde
Park; it is now one of the most fashionable streets in the West End
of London.

=Park Street.= Leads westward from Camden Town to Regent’s Park.

=Parker Street.= In honour of Archbishop Parker, who founded two
fellowships and five scholarships at Corpus Christi College,
Cambridge, in addition to presenting it with a valuable library of
ancient manuscripts. This street was at one time called Bennet
Street, after the original name of the college, from the adjacent
church of St Benedict.

=Parliament.= From the French _parlerment_, founded on the Latin verb
_parler_, to speak. See “Parlour.”

=Parliamentarians.= The forces under the Parliament of the Commonwealth
under Cromwell during the Civil War with Charles I. and the
Royalists.

=Parliamentary Whip.= One whose duty it is to hunt up Members of the
House of Commons when questions of grave import are being put to the
vote.

=Parliament of Dunces.= That convened at Coventry by Henry IV. in 1404
because it did not number among its members a single lawyer. Sir
Edward Coke styled this the “Unlearned” and also the “Lawless
Parliament.”

=Parlour.= Originally the apartment reserved for visitors where
conversation could be indulged undisturbed. See “Parliament.”

=Parnellites.= The Home Rule party in Ireland during the lifetime of
their political leader, Charles Stewart Parnell.

=Parry Islands.= Discovered by Rear-Admiral Sir William Parry in the
course of his search for the North-West Passage.

=Parsees.= The modern designation of the Zoroastrians or Fire
Worshippers in Persia and India. The Parsees were the original
inhabitants of Persia, a wild Ayrian family called the _Parsa_,
meaning “The Tigers.” By the Greeks the territory they overran was
styled _Perseus_, on account of their chief stronghold,
_Persipolis_, “the city of the Parsa,” the ruins of which may yet be
seen. The modern Parsees are therefore descendants of those who
refused to embrace Mohammedanism.

=Parsons Green.= Prior to the year 1740 the parsonage of Fulham Parish
Church stood facing this green. On its roof was a cross which bore
the name of “Parson’s Cross,” afterwards corrupted into “Percy
Cross.”

=Partridge Day.= The first of September, when partridge shooting
commences.

=Pasha.= A Western corruption of the Turkish “Pashaw,” from the Persian
_bâshâ_, a governor or ruler of a province under the _Shah_ or King.

=Passenger Pigeon.= So called on account of its migratory habits. This
species is found chiefly in America.

=Passing Bell.= That rung at the parish church to announce publicly that
the soul of a parishioner has just passed away.

=Passion Flower.= The traditional reverence for this favourite flower is
due to a fancied resemblance of its tints and various parts to the
instruments of Christ’s Passion; also because it remains open for
three days, corresponding to the period between the Last Supper and
the Resurrection.

=Passionists.= A missionary Order founded by St Francis de Paulo,
otherwise “St Paul of the Cross,” for the preaching of “Christ’s
Passion and Him Crucified.”

=Passion Play.= An alfresco sacred drama based upon the incidents of
Christ’s Passion and Death; that performed every tenth year at
Oberammergau is world famous.

=Passion Sunday.= Although this should properly be the first day of what
is called Passion Week, Palm Sunday is in a sense a feast day, in
allusion to the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The
Sunday previous is therefore set apart for a general commemoration
of the Passion--all crosses, statues, and paintings in the churches
being draped in purple, with a view to concentrating the attention
of the worshippers on the sufferings of the Redeemer.

=Passion Week.= The week in which Good Friday occurs, in commemoration
of Christ’s Passion.

=Passive Resister.= One who in our own day passively resists the
imposition of the Education Rate by allowing his goods to be seized
or going to prison instead of resorting to active measures of
violence.

=Passover.= The great Jewish festival commemorative of the Destroying
Angel having passed over or spared the houses of the Israelites
whose doorposts were sprinkled with the blood of the lamb slain
overnight by Divine command. The Hebrew term for this festival is
_Pesach_, whence “Pasch” has been derived.

=Pastoral Letter.= One addressed by a bishop to his flock. As his title
implies, he is an overseer, and his crook is symbolical of a
shepherd.

=Pat.= See “Paddy.”

=Patagonia.= This name, from the Spanish _patagon_, a large, clumsy
foot, was given by Magellan to the country because, seeing the
impressions of the great shoes worn by the natives, he imagined them
to be giants.

=Paternoster Row.= Two reasons are assigned for this designation. The
Row was the locale of the makers of “Pater Nosters,” or rosary
beads, so called from the name of the first large bead, and the
sellers of religious texts and prayer-books. Also because on great
festival days the monks went in solemn procession to St Paul’s, the
recital of the Pater Noster being commenced at the eastern corner of
the lane, outside the churchyard, and concluded at the western
extremity, where the Ave Maria was then taken up. See “Amen Corner.”

=Pathfinder.= The surname of General John Charles Fremont, the leader of
four exploring expeditions across the Rocky Mountains.

=Patricians.= See “Plebeians.”

=Paul’s Chain.= This lane, on the south side of the Paul’s Churchyard,
formerly had a chain drawn across it during divine service; hence
its name.

=Paul Veronese.= The better-known name of the celebrated Italian painter
Paulo Cagliari, who was born at Verona.

=Pawn.= In relation to the game of chess. The ordinary piece or “man”
bears this name from the French _peon_, a walker or foot soldier,
the superior pieces being kings, queens, knights, castles, and
bishops. An article left in the charge of a pawnbroker is called a
pawn, from the French _pan_, a pledge.

=Pawnbroker.= See “Pawn” and “Broker.”

=Peabody Buildings.= After George Peabody, the American philanthropist,
who left a huge fortune in trust for the building of “model
dwellings” for the poorer classes. His statue, at the back of the
Royal Exchange, was unveiled 23rd July 1869.

=Peach.= A schoolboy term for to inform against another. In allusion to
the fruit of this name, it means to turn soft-hearted, and betray.
In American the word is used to denote a pretty woman or anything
soft and beautiful.

=Peacock.= An inn sign dating from the Crusades, when, the flesh of the
peacock being deemed incorruptible, this bird was adopted by many a
knight as a crest, typical of the Resurrection. “By the peacock” was
a common oath in those days.

=Pearl Bible.= So called from the name of the printing type employed in
its composition.

=Peckham.= A corruption of _Beckham_, a home or settlement among the
becks or brooks.

=Peckham Rye.= In its application to common, the word “Rye” comes from
the Anglo-Saxon _ree_, a watercourse.

=Peculiar People.= Originally those who believed that disease was the
direct consequence of sin, and that by prayer alone could it be
removed. See “Faith Healers.”

=Pedlar.= An itinerant trader, so called in conformity with the Latin
_pedes_, the feet.

=Pedro the Cruel.= The surname of the King of Castile and Leon, who,
midway in the fourteenth century, murdered his two brothers and
poisoned his queen. How he meted out punishment to those outside his
own family may be guessed.

=Peeler.= The old name for a policeman, after Sir Robert Peel, to whom
the introduction of the modern system of Watch and Ward was due.

=Peep O’Day Boys.= Irish insurrectionists who broke into the houses of
the people at peep of day in search of arms. They were not averse to
carrying off other plunder at the same time.

=Peewit.= This bird is so called from its characteristic notes.

=Peg Away.= Originally a camping phrase. When a tent is being put up it
is necessary to secure its ropes to the ground on all sides before
the work can be left, lest the whole structure, caught by the wind,
should be blown down.

=Pekin.= Chinese for “northern capital.”

=Pelican State.= Louisiana, from the pelican in her arms.

=Pembroke.= Called by the Welsh “Penbroshire,” signifying the _pen_ or
head of the _bro_ or country; literally the Land’s End.

=Pembroke College.= Founded at Cambridge in 1348 by the widow of Aylmar
de Valence, Earl of Pembroke.

=Peninsula State.= Florida.

=Penitentiary.= The modern name for a “Magdalen Hospital,” designed as a
home or refuge for fallen women who are penitent. This term was
adopted also by the Quakers of Philadelphia in 1786 for a prison.

=Penknife.= A small pocket-knife intended primarily for cutting quill
pens. Though quills are no longer in fashion, save among lawyers and
bankers, and the penknife is serviceable only for trimming one’s
finger nails, its original name survives.

=Pennsylvania.= From the Latin _sylva_, a wood; expresses the colony in
the wood founded by William Penn.

=Penny.= From the Danish _pennig_ and German _pfennig_, a copper coin of
full value. This was originally nicked across to admit of being
broken into halves and quarters.

=Penny Blood.= The modern substitute for the “Penny Dreadful.” The term
“Blood” is short for a blood-curdling relation.

=Penny Gaff.= The term applied to a low-class theatre, in allusion to
the first Drury Lane Theatre, built on the site of a famous cockpit.
_Gaff_ was but another name for a cockpit, expressing as it did in
various languages the iron hook, fork, or spur with which the cocks
were goaded when they showed a reluctance to fight.

=Penny Wedding.= One to which all the villagers are invited, each
contributing his or her quota to the expenses of the feast amounting
to less than a shilling, while children uniformly bring a penny.

=Pennyweight.= Anciently, before standard weights came into use, the
weight of a Norman silver penny.

=Penrith.= A corruption of “Perith,” from Perith Hill, at the foot of
which the town is situated. The name is Celtic for “red hill,” in
allusion to the red stone quarried on the spot.

=Pensioner Parliament.= That of Charles II., which, though it lasted
sixteen years and a half, was more remarkable for the bestowal of
pensions upon the adherents of the King than for the framing of new
laws.

=Pentateuch.= A Greek word compounded out of _penta_, five, and
_teuchos_, an implement, tool. This name was given to the first five
books collectively of the Old Testament, its second portion being
applicable in the sense of an instrument of direct communication
between God and His people.

=Pentecost.= From the Greek _pentekoste_, the fiftieth day; relative to
the gift of the Law to the Israelites fifty days after their
deliverance out of the Land of Bondage. This great festival,
corresponding to the Whitsuntide of the Christians, is celebrated by
the Jews on the fiftieth day after the “Passover.”

=Penton Street.= See “Pentonville.”

=Pentonville.= Prior to 1773 the whole of this neighbourhood north of
the New Road was open fields. It was then acquired for building
purposes by Henry Penton, M.P., one of the Lords of the Admiralty,
and received its name from “Penton Villa,” his residence, on the
site of what is now Penton Street.

=Penzance.= Expresses the Celtic for “Saint’s Headland,” in allusion to
St Michael’s Mount.

=People’s Friend.= The surname of Dr William Gordon of Hull, merited by
his kindly disposition and unfailing generosity. When he died in
1849 the whole town followed his body to the grave, and the name by
which he had always been known was subsequently chiselled on his
tombstone.

=Percy Cross.= See “Parsons Green.”

=Pere La Chaise.= This, the principal cemetery of Paris, originally
constituted the land attached to a beautiful mansion built by a
grocer named Regnault. After his death the property passed into the
hands of a lady, who made it over to the Jesuits of the Rue St
Antoine. Thenceforth the Maison Regnault became the recognised seat
of the Jesuits. In 1705 Pere La Chaise, the confessor of Louis XIV.,
was made Superior to the Order, and by the King’s desire the house
received his name. The eventual suppression of the Order caused the
property to be sold and the land converted into a cemetery.

=Perfectionists.= An American sect of religionists who, relying on the
gift of the Spirit, dispense with civil laws so far as their own
community is concerned.

=Peripatetics.= The school of philosophy founded by Aristotle, who
taught his disciples in the colonnade or covered walk (styled the
_peripatos_, from _peripatem_, to walk) in the garden of Lyceus at
Athens.

=Pernambuco.= Expresses the Spanish for “the mouth of hell,” so called
on account of the violent surf, which is such an impediment to the
safe navigation of the mouth of its chief river, the San Francisco.

=Persia.= The country of the _Parsa_. See “Parsees.”

=Peru.= From its principal waterway, the Rio Paro, on the banks of which
the ancient city of Paruru is situated. All these names are
modifications of the native _Para_, water or river.

=Perugino.= See “Il Perugino.”

=Peter.= A word employed in America for running up the prices at an
auction. It is derived from the Dutch _pethur_, to run, to hurry.
The common name for a confederate of the auctioneer at a mock
auction is a “Peter Funk,” that of the fictitious person to whom the
goods are knocked down.

=Peter Boat.= One built alike at both ends, so that it can be run out
quickly. See “Peter.”

=Peterborough.= From the great Benedictine monastery built and dedicated
to St Peter by Oswy, King of Northumbria, in the seventh century.

=Peterhouse College.= Founded at Cambridge in connection with a hospital
dedicated to St Peter by Hugh de Balsham in 1280.

=Peterloo Massacre.= The name given to the dispersal of Lancashire
operatives assembled to discuss Parliamentary reform in St Peter’s
Field, Manchester, by an armed force, 10th July 1819. In this melee
many were wounded and several killed. The term was a fanciful one,
suggested by the battle of Waterloo of five years previous to this
event.

=Peter’s Pence.= An annual contribution throughout the Roman Catholic
world for the upkeep of the vast establishment of the Vatican and
the Papal Court. Since the loss of the Papal States in Italy this
constitutes the sole revenue of the Pope. Anciently it was a tax of
a silver penny in respect of every member of a household.

=Petrel.= See “Stormy Petrel.”

=Petticoat.= A smaller or shorter coat, which was the ancient
description of a woman’s outer garment; derived from the Norman
_cotte_.

=Petticoat Lane.= Another name for “Rag Fair,” the old clothes mart of
the Jews in the East End. Its modern name is Middlesex Street.

=Petty.= Provincial for an out-house, because its accommodation is
restricted to one person; also called a “Privy,” short for private.

=Petty Sessions.= A criminal court for the disposal of petty or lesser
felonies, as distinguished from the usual “Quarter Sessions,” where
all graver charges, short of those meriting capital punishment, are
dealt with.