Chapter Flotsam and Jetson to Fly of F by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

the arum; the purple orchis; the crimson-spotted leaves of the roodselken (a French tradition); the spotted persicaria, snake-weed. (See Christian Traditions.)

Flowers at Funerals The Greeks crowned the dead body with flowers, and placed flowers on the tomb also. The Romans decked the funeral couch with leaves and flowers, and spread flowers, wreaths, and fillets on the tomb of friends. When Sulla was buried as many as 2,000 wreaths were sent in his honour. Most of our funeral customs are derived from the Romans; as dressing in black, walking in procession, carrying insignia on the bier, raising a mound over the grave, called tumulus, whence our tomb.

Flowered Robes In ancient Greece to say "a woman wore flowered robes" was to imply that she was a fille publique. Solon made it a law that virtuous women should appear in simple and modest apparel, but that harlots should always dress in flashy or flowered robes.

"As fugitive slaves are known by their stigmata, so flowered garments indicate one of the demi-monde [moichalida] -" Clemens of Alexandria.

Flowing Philosophers The followers of Heraclitos, referred to by Plato as tous reontaz (Theætetus, 181 A). Heraclitos denied the permanency of everything in nature except change. Tennyson has a poem entitled Oi reontez.

Fluellen A Welsh captain and great pedant, who, amongst other learned quiddities, attempted to draw a parallel between Henry V. and Alexander the Great; but when he had said that one was born at Monmouth and the other at Macedon, both beginning with the same letter, and that there was a river in both cities, he had exhausted his best parallelisms. (Henry V., iv. 7.)

"His parallel is, in all essential circumstances, as incorrect as that which Fluellen drew between Macedon and Monmouth." - Lord Macaulay.

Fluke Hap-hazard. In billiards it means playing for one thing and getting another. Hence an advantage gained by luck more than by skill or judgment. (German, glück, chance, our luck.)

"We seem to have discovered, as it were by a fluke, a most excellent rule for all future Cabinet arrangements." - The Times.

Flummery Flattering nonsense, palaver. In Wales it is a food made of oatmeal steeped in water and kept till it has become sour. In Cheshire and Lancashire it is the prepared skin of oatmeal mixed with honey, ale, or milk; pap; blancmange. (Welsh, llymry, wash-brew, from llym, sour or sharp.)

"You came ... with your red coats and flashing buttons ... and her head got turned with your flummery." - Simms: The Partizans, chap. xxix.

Flummux (To). To bamboozle, to deceive; to be in a quandary. "I am regularly flummuxed" - i.e. perplexed. The first syllable is probably a variant of flam, humbug, deception, and the word seems to be compounded on the model of the word "perplex."

"For the privates, the sergeants, and 'spectors,
She flummuxed them all to a coon."
Sims: Dagonet Ballads (Moll Jarvis).

Flummuxed The mark set on a street, gatepost, house, etc., as a warning to fellow-vagabonds not to go near, for fear of being given in charge.

Flunkey A livery servant. (Old French, flanquier, a henchman.)

Flur The bride of Cassivelaun, "for whose love the Roman Cæsar first invaded Britain." (Tennyson: Enid.)

Flush (A), in cards, means a whole hand of one suit, as a "flush of clubs," a "flush of hearts," etc. (See below.)

Flush of Money Full of money. Similarly A flush of water means a sudden and full flow of water. (Latin, flux-us.)

"Strut was not very flush in [the] ready." - Dr.Arbuthnot.

Flute The Magic Flute, an opera by Mozart (Die Zauberflöte). The "flute" was bestowed by the powers of darkness, and had the power of inspiring love. Unless purified the love was only lust, but, being purified by the Powers of Light, it subserved the