Chapter Ganges to Gargantuan of G by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Ganges to Gargantuan

Ganges (The) is so named from gang, the earth. Often called Gunga or Ganga.

"Those who, through the curse, have fallen from heaven, having performed ablution in this stream, become free from sin; cleansed from sin by this water, and restored to happiness, they shall enter heaven and return again to the gods. After having performed ablution in this living water, they become free from all iniquity." - The Ramayuna (section xxxv.).

Ganna A Celtic prophetess, who succeeded Velleda. She went to Rome, and was received by Domitian with great honours. (Tacitus: Annals, 55.)

Ganor (g hard), Gineura (g soft), or Guinever. Arthur's wife.

Ganymede (3 syl.; g hard). Jove's cup-bearer; the most beautiful boy ever born. He succeeded Hebe in office.

"When Ganymede above
His service ministers to mighty Jove."
Hoole's Ariosto.

Gaora A tract of land inhabited by a people without heads. Their eyes are in their shoulders, and their mouth in their breast. (Hakluyt's Voyages.) (See Blemmyes.)

Gape (g hard). Looking for gapeseed. Gaping about and doing nothing, A corruption of "Looking a- gapesing;" gapesing is staring about with one's mouth open. A-gapesing and a-trapesing are still used in Norfolk.
   Seeking a gape's nest. (Devonshire.) A gape's nest is a sight which people stare at with wide-open mouth. The word "nest" was used in a much wider sense formerly than it is now. Thus we read of a "nest of shelves," a "nest of thieves," a "cosy nest." A gape's nest is the nest or place where anything stared at is to be found. (See Mare's Nest.)

Garagantua (g hard). The giant that swallowed five pilgrims with their staves and all in a salad. From a book entitled The History of Garagantua, 1594. Laneham, however, mentions the book of Garagantua in 1575. The giant in Rabelais is called Gargantua (q.v.).

"You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first [before I can utter so long a word]; `tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size." - Shakespeare: As You Like It, iii. 2.

Garagantuan Threatening, bullying. (See preceding.)

Garble (g hard) properly means to sift out the refuse. Thus, by the statute of 1 James I. 19, a penalty is imposed on the sale of drugs not garbled. We now use the word to express a mutilated extract, in which the sense of the author is perverted by what is omitted. (French, garber, to make clean; Spanish, garbillar.)

"A garbled quotation may be the most effectual perversion of an author's meaning." - McCosh: Divine Government, p. 14.

    One of the best garbled quotations is this: David said (Psalm xiv. 1), "There is no God" (omitting the preceding words, "The fool hath said in his heart.")

Garcias (g hard). The soul of Pedro Garcias. Money. It is said that two scholars of Salamanca discovered a tombstone with this inscription: - "Here lies the soul of the licentiate Pedro Garcias;" and on searching for this "soul" found a purse with a hundred golden ducats. (Gil Blas, Preface.)

Gardarike (4 syl., g hard). So Russia is called in the Eddas.

Garden (g hard). The garden of Joseph of Arimathea is said to be the spot where the rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre now stands.
   The Garden or Garden Sect. The disciples of Epicurus, who taught in his own private garden.

"Epicurus in his garden was languid; the birds of the air have more enjoyment of their food." - Ecce Homo.

   Garden of England. Worcestershire and Kent are both so called.
   Garden of Europe. Italy.
   Garden of France. Amboise, in the department of Indre-et-Loire.
   Garden of India. Oude.
   Garden of Ireland. Carlow.
   Garden of Italy. The island of Sicily.
   Garden of South Wales. The southern division of Glamorganshire.
   Garden