Chapter Squeeze to Standard of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Squeeze to Standard

Squeeze (Miss), a pawnbroker’s daughter. Her father had early taught her that money is the “one thing needful,” and at death left her a moderate competence. She was so fully convinced of the value of money, that she would never part with a farthing without an equivalent, and refused several offers, because she felt persuaded her suitors sought her money and not herself. Now she is old and ill-natured, marked with the small-pox, and neglected by every one.—Goldsmith: A Citizen of the World, xxxviii. (1759).

Squint (Lawyer), the great politician of society. He makes speeches for members of parliament, writes addresses, gives the history of every new play, and finds “seasonable thought” upon every possible subject.—Goldsmith: A Citizen of the World, xxix. (1759).

Squint-Eyed, [Guercino] Gian-Francesco Barbieri, the painter (1590–1666).

Squintum (Dr.). George Whitefield is so called by Foote in his farce entitled The Minor (1714–1770).

Squintum (Dr.). The Rev. Edward Irving, who had an obliquity of the eyes, was so called by Theodore Hook (1792– 1834).

Squire of Dames (The), a young knight, in love with Columbell, who appointed him a year’s service before she would consent to become his bride. The “squire” was to travel for twelve months, to rescue distressed ladies, and bring pledges of his exploits to Columbell. At the end of the year he placed 300 pledges in her hands, but instead of rewarding him by becoming his bride, she set him another task, viz. to travel about the world on foot, and not present himself again till he could bring her pledges from 300 damsels that they would live in chastity all their life. The squire told Columbell that in three years he had found only three persons who would take the pledge, and only one of these, he said (a rustic cottager), took it from a “principle of virtue;” the other two (a nun and a courtezan) promised to do so, but did not voluntarily join the “virgin martyrs.” The “Squire of Dames” turned out to be Britomart.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, iii. 7, stanza 51 (1590).

(This story is imitated from “The Host’s Tale,” in Orlando Furioso, xxviii.)

Squire’s Tale (The), in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, is the tale about Cambuscan and Algarsife . (See Cambuscan, p. 172.)

Squirt, the apothecary’s boy, in Garth’s Dispensary; hence any apprentice lad or errand-boy.

Here sauntering ’prentices o’er Otway weep,
O’er Congreve smile, or over D’Urfey sleep,
Pleased sempstresses the Lock’s famed Rape unfold,
And Squirts read Garth till apozems grow cold.
   —Gay: Trivia (1712).

(Pope wrote The Rape of the Lock, 1712.)

Squod (Phil), a grotesque little fellow, faithfully attached to Mr. George the son of Mrs. Rouncewell (housekeeper at Chesney Wold). George had rescued the little street arab from the gutter, and the boy lived at George’s “Shooting Gallery” in Leicester Square (London). Phil was remarkable for limping along sideways, as if “tacking.”—Dickens: Bleak House (1852).

S. S., souvenance, forget-me-not; in remembrance; a souvenir.

On the Wednesday preceding Easter Day, 1465, as sir Anthony was speaking to his royal sister, on his knees, all the ladies of the court gathered round him, and bound to his left knee a band of gold, adorned with stones fashioned into the letters S. S. (souvenance or remembrance), and to this band was suspended an enamelled “forget-me-not.”—Lytton: Last of the Barons, iv. 5 (1849).

S. S. G. G., the letters of the Femgerichte. They stand for Stock, Stein, Gras, Grein (“Stick,” “Stone,” “Grass,” “Groan”). What was meant by these four words is not known.

Staël (Madame de), called by Heine [He-ne] “a whirlwind in petticoats,” and a “sultana of mind.”