Chapter Garcias to Garlic of G by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Garganta, by Rabelais, in French (1533). The English version by Urquhart and Motteux (1653).

Gargantua’s Mare. This mare was as big as six elephants, and had feet with fingers. On one occasion, going to school, the “boy” hung the bells of Notre Dame de Paris on his mare’s neck, as jingles; but when the Parisians promised to feed his beast for nothing, he restored the peal. This mare had a terrible tail, “every whit as big as the steeple of St. Mark’s,” and on one occasion, being annoyed by wasps, she switched it about so vigorously that she knocked down all the trees in the vicinity. Gargantua roared with laughter, and cried, “Je trouve beau ce!” whereupon the locality was called “Beauce.”—Rabelais: Gargantua, i. 16 (1533).

(Of course, this “mare” is an allegorical skit on the extravagance of court mistresses, and the “tail” is the suite in attendance on them.)

Gargantuan Curriculum, a course of studies including all languages, all sciences, all the fine arts, with all athletic sports and calisthenic exercises. Grangousier wrote to his son, saying—

“There should not be a river in the world, no matter how small, thou dost not know the name of, with the nature and habits of all fishes, all fowls of the air, all shrubs and trees, all metals, minerals, gems, and precious stones. I would, furthermore, have thee study the Talmudists and Cabalists, and get a perfect knowledge of man, together with every language, ancient and modern, living or dead.”—Rabelais: Pantagruel, ii. 8 (1533).

Gargery. (See Joe Gargery.)—Dickens: Great Expectations (1860).

Gargouille , the great dragon that lived in the Seine, ravaged Rouen, and was slain by St. Romanus in the seventh century.

Garland of Howth (Ireland), the book of the four Gospels preserved in the abbey of Howth, remains of which still exist.

Garlic, the old English gar-leac (the spear-[shaped] leek); the leaves are spear-shaped.

Garlic. The purveyor of the sultan of Casgar says he knew a man who lost his thumbs and great toes from eating garlic. The facts were these: A young man was married to the favourite of Zobeidê, and partook of a dish containing garlic; when he went to his bride, she ordered him to be bound, and cut off his two thumbs and two great toes, for presuming to appear before her without having purified his fingers. Ever after this he washed his hands 120 times with alkali and soap after partaking of garlic in a ragout.—Arabian Nights (“The Purveyor’s Story”).