Forgotten English.

[MANICHAEAN]

" A morsel of execration "

A piece of cheese or bread which was consecrated with a form of exorcism, desiring of God that it might cause convulsions and paleness, and find no passage if the person was really guilty, but might turn to health and nourishment if he was innocent.

This really comes across as a form of voodoo or ju ju, as adapted to 18th Century England. Perhaps even a culinary take on the witchs ducking stool?

[MANICHAEAN]

" Testiculatory."

An apparently ancient practice, where a man gives testimony while placing his hands between the thighs, as though swearing by his generative powers.

An unusual one. I've never come across it before, despite having worked with Italians, who strike me as the most prolific in the use of hand gestures. Presumably one also utters at the same time "Castrate me if I lie."

[Whifflingpin]

The practice goes back at least to Abraham, if I remember correctly.

[MANICHAEAN]

Thanks Whifflingpin.
Any links that could point me towards that?
Best regards
M.


Today's contribution is "benefit of clergy."

In England prior to about 1827, a felon could plead this in mitigation; by a demonstration of comprehension of Latin using Psalm 51, at the judge's discretion.

[Whifflingpin]

Try Genesis chapter 24.

[MANICHAEAN]

Got it thanks: Genesis 24: 2 & 9.

Apparently this form of oath still exists in parts of India and Ethiopia.

Some Jewish writers interpret it as a respect for the covenant of circumcision. More likely a respect for his seed and the promised Messiah that should spring from his thigh.

[MANICHAEAN]

"Culliage."

An ancient custom in Scotland which gave a lord the liberty of lying the first night with his vassal's bride.

I believe the Normans also practiced it after the conquest of England. Termed "droit du seigneur " or " jus primae noctis."

[Pompey Bum]

"Culliage."

An ancient custom in Scotland which gave a lord the liberty of lying the first night with his vassal's bride.

I believe the Normans also practiced it after the conquest of England. Termed "droit du seigneur " or " jus primae noctis."

Gilgamesh was running the same racket 4800 years ago. It's good to be king.

[MANICHAEAN]

Good to see PB that you are getting back on form.

[Pompey Bum]

Thanks, M.

Stercoraceous: resembling or consisting of human waste; "Kindly remove this stercoraceous concoction and bring me the brisket I ordered!"

[MANICHAEAN]

Whilst I can relate " stercoraceous" to perhaps a predilection in the works of Rabelais on this subject matter, I'm at a loss for your undoubted classical source regarding the request for brisket?

Meanwhile, so unwise of Enkidu to block the way of King Gilgamesh to the wedding chamber to exercise his noble right. I would have waited until his pants were down and gained the advantage.

[Pompey Bum]

No doubt the reason Sumerian kings preferred robes.

And I was also surprised by the definition of stercoraceous. I thought it was the age of the dinosaurs.

Rhagades: Small fissures or chaps on the skin. "Her beguiling rhagades won her suitors."

rhagades

[AuntShecky]

Just by coincidence, this morning I found an email in my inbox on this very topic. (https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-obsolete-word-1691356)
The list included "lunting," "groak" and "cockalorum," which look and presumably sound like terms from a Harry Potter book or the old Monty Python show.

I guess our friends in the British Isles are experiencing a little curglaff today, what with the snow and frigid weather. Our local TV news "team" as they call themselves admitted they had no sympathy for the Brits and Scots since we here in the Great Northeast and the infamous Snow Belt are well accustomed to winter's wrath.

And in case I ever get invited to another shower or "hen party" I'll try to remember to avoid asking a woman if she's "with squirrel." What if she's not?




https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-obsolete-word-1691356

[Pompey Bum]

Gobemouche: a gullible or credulous person; "That gobemouche falls for any snoutfair who groaks at her pie." (Unless "to groak" transitive, in which case: "Yo, slubberdegullion, stop groakin' my pie!"

[MANICHAEAN]

Leof Aunty
Thank eow foro aem eower uteweard waeterstream English wederu.
I wena eow weorofulnes well.
M.

[MANICHAEAN]

"Demaunders for glimmer."

As found in Thomas Harman's "Warning for Common Vagabonds." 1567

"These demunders for glimmer (fire) be, for the most parte women; those goe with fayned lycences and counterfayted wrytings, having the hands (signatures) and seals of suche gentlemen as dwelleth nere o the place where they fayne themselves to have been burnt, and their goods consumed with fyre. They will most lamentabl demaunde your charitie, and wyll quickly shed salte teares, they be so tender harted. They wyll never begge in that shire where their losses ( as they say) was. The upright men be familiare with these kynde of women, and one of them helpes another."

[AuntShecky]

Leof Aunty
Thank eow foro aem eower uteweard waeterstream English wederu.
I wena eow weorofulnes well.
M.

Well, after my il-timed remark in reply #13 above, the weather gods paid yours fooly back with a vengeance. We received well over a foot of snow yesterday, and a nearby town got 39 inches -- well over a meter to you folks who are "metricians" (?)

[MANICHAEAN]

I know. I saw it on the news Aunty, but refrained from smirking.

The Beast From The East has departed from us now and we are now up to 1 degree centigrade, as opposed to minus 5.

Spring has thus arrived in Blighty.

Take care.
M.

[Gloriya]

Do you use classical literature to learn English? What books?

[MANICHAEAN]

Dear Gloriya

No. I was born in the U.K. and developed a taste for reading from a young age.

Classical literature books? There are too many to list, but all well known. Myself I started with the English ones, then moved onto American, French and then Russian.

Best wishes
M.

[MANICHAEAN]

" Harpyes."

Monstrous and ravenous birds which poets feign to have had woman's faces, hands armed with talons,and bellies full of ordure, wherewith they infected all meat they touched. They lived in Stymphalis, a lake of Arcadia, and were named " Aello,Ocypete,Celeno and Thyella." Hence we usually apply the name of harpyes to avaricious, griping and usurious men.

[AuntShecky]

These Harpies evolved and migrated to the NewWorld, where they became bill collectors.