Chapter Cheeseparing Economy to Chevy Chase of C by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Cheeseparing Economy to Chevy Chase

Cheeseparing Economy A useless economy. The French say, “Une économie de bouts de chandelles.” The allusion is to the well-known tale of a man who chose one of three sisters for wife by the way they pared their cheese. (See above.)

Cheese-Toaster (A). A sword; also called a “toasting-fork.” “Come! out with your toaster.” In Latin veru means a dart, a spit used in roasting, or a toasting fork. Thus we have “pugnant mucrone veruque Sabello” (Æn. vii. 663), and in Æn. i. 210, etc., we read that the men prepared their supper, after slaying the beasts, “pars in frustra secant, verubusque trementia figunt.” In the former example veru is used for an instrument of war, and in the latter for a toasting-fork or spit.

Cheesewring (Lynton, Devon). A mass of eight stones, towering to the height of thirty-two feet; so called because it looks like a gigantic cheese-press. This is probably a natural work, the effect of some convulsion. The Kilmarth Rocks, and part of Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit, present somewhat similar piles of stone.

Chef d'OEuvre A masterpiece. (French.) (Pronounce sha deuvr. )

Chemistry [kemistry] is from the Arabic kimia, whence al-kimia (the occult art), from kamai (to conceal).
   Inorganic chemistry is that branch of chemistry which is limited to metallic and non-metallic substances, which are not organised bodies.
   Organic chemistry is devoted to organised bodies and their elements.

Chemos or Chemosh [Keemosh]. War-god of the Moabites; god of lust.

“Next, Chemos, the obscene dread of Moab's sons,
From Aroer to Nebo, and the wild
Of southmost Abarim.”
Milton: Paradise Lost, book i, 406-8.

Chennappa The city of Chennappa. So Madras is called by the natives.

Chenu (French). Hoary, grey-headed. This word is much used in Paris to signify good, delicate, exquisite in flavour, delicious, de bon goût. It was originally applied to wine which is improved by age. Thus we hear-commonly in Paris the expression, “Voilá du vin qui est bien chenu” (mellow with age). Sometimes gris (grey, with age) is substituted, as, “Nous en boirons tant de ce bon vin gris” (Le Tresor des Chansons Nouvelles, p. 78). The word, however, is by no means limited to wine, but is applied to well-nigh everything worthy of commendation. We even hear Chenu Reluit, good morning; and Chenu sorgue, good night. “Reluit,” of course, means “sunshine,” and “sorgue” is an old French word for evening or brown. “Chenument” = á merveille.

Chequers A public-house sign. In England without doubt the arms of Fitzwarren, the head of which house, in the days of the Henrys, was invested with the power of licensing vintners and publicans, may have helped to popularise this sign, which indicated that the house was duly licensed; but the sign has been found on houses in exhumed Pompeii, and probably referred to some game, like our draughts, which might be indulged in on the premises. Possibly in some cases certain public-houses were at one time used for the payment of doles, etc., and a chequer-board was provided for the purpose. In such cases the sign indicated the house where the parish authorities met for that and other purposes.

Cheronean [ch=k]. The Cheronean Sage. Plutarch, who was born at Chaerone'a, in Boeotia (46-120).

“This phrase, O Cheronean sage, is thine.”
Beattie: Minstrel.

Cherry The whole tree or not a cherry on it. “Aut Caesar aut nullus.” All in all or none at all.

“This Hospitaller seems to be one of those pragmatical knaves who must have the whole tree, or they'll not have a cherry on it.”

   To make two bites of a cherry. To divide something too small to be worth dividing.

Cherry Fairs Now called teagardens. Nothing to do with cherries; it is cheery fairs- i.e. gay or recreation fairs. A “cheering” is a merrymaking. Halliwell tells us that “Cherry (or rather chery) fairs are still held in Worcestershire.” Gower says of this world, “Alle is but a cherye-fayre,” a phrase frequently met with.

“This life, my son, is but a chery-fayre.”- MS. Bodl. 221 (quoted by Halliwell).

Cherry Trees and the