Chapter Biblia Sauperum to Binks of B by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Billee (Little), a comic ballad by Thackeray, telling how three sailors of Bristol city went to sea, and, having eaten all their food, resolved to make a meal of Little Billee; but the lad eluded his fate.

There was gorging Jack, and guzzling Jimmy,
And the youngest he was little Billee.
Now, when they got as far’s th’ equator,
They’d nothing left but one split pea.
To gorging Jack says guzzling Jemmy,
“We’ve nothing left, us must eat we.”

Billings (Josh.). A. W. Shaw so signs His Book of Sayings (1866).

Billingsgate. Beling was a friend of “Brennus” the Gaul, who owned a wharf called Beling’s-gate. Geoffrey of Monmouth derives the word from Belin, a mythical king of the ancient Britons, who “built a gate there, B.C. 400” (1142).

Billy Barlow, a merry Andrew, so called from a semi-idiot, who fancied himself “a great potentate.” He was well known in the east of London, and died in Whitechapel workhouse. Some of his sayings were really witty, and some of his attitudes truly farcical.

Billy Black, the conundrum-maker.—The Hundred-pound Note.

When Kecley was playing “Billy Black” at Chelmsford, he advanced to the lights at the close of the piece, and said, “I’ve one more, and this is a good ’un. Why is Chelmsford Theatre like a half-moon? D’ye give it up? Because it is never full.”—Records of a Stage Veteran.

Bimater [“two-mother”]. Bacchus was so called because at the death of his mother during gestation, Jupiter put the fœtus into his own thigh for the rest of the time, when the infant Bacchus was duly brought forth.

Bimbister (Margery), the old Ranzelman’s spouse.—Sir W. Scott: The Pirate (time, William III.).

Bimini [Be-me-nee], a fabulous island, sai d to belong to the Bahama group, and containing a fountain possessed of the power of restoring youth. This island was an object of long search by the Spanish navigator Juan Ponce de Leon (1460–1521).

Bindloose (John), sheriff’s clerk and banker at Marchthorn.—Sir W. Scott: St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

Bingen (Bishop of), generally called bishop Hatto. The tale is that during the famine of 970, he invited the poor to his barn on a certain day, under the plea of distributing corn to them; but when the barn was crowded he locked the door and set fire to the building; for which iniquity he was himself devoured by an army of mice or rats. His castle is the Mouse-tower on the Rhine. Of course, this is a mere fable, suggested by the word “Mouse-tower,” which means the tower where tolls are collected. The toll on corn was very unpopular.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the bishop of Bingen,
In his Mouse-tower on the Rhine.
   —Longfellow: Birds of Passage.

Binks (Sir Bingo), a fox-hunting baronet, and visitor at the Spa.

Lady Binks, wife of sir Bingo, but before marriage Miss Rachael Bonnyrigg. Visitor at the Spa with her husband.—Sir W. Scott: St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).