Chapter Grace Days to Grandison Cromwell Lafayette of G by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Grain A knave in grain. A knave, though a rich man, or magnate. Grain means scarlet (Latin, granum, the coccus, or scarlet dye).

"A military vest of purple flowed
Livelier than Melibean [Thessalian], or the grain
Of Sarra [Tyre] worn by kings and heroes old
In time of truce."
Paradise Lost, xi. 241-244.

   Rogue in grain. A punning application of the above phrase to millers.
    To go against the grain. Against one's inclination. The allusion is to wood, which cannot be easily planed the wrong way of the grain.
   With a grain of salt. Latin, "Cum grano salis, " with great reservation. The French phrase has another meaning - thus, "Il le mangerait avec un grain de sel " means, he could double up such a little whipper-snapper as easily as one could swallow a grain of salt. In the Latin phrase cum does not mean "with" on "together with," but it adverbialises the noun, as cum fide, faithfully, cum silentio, silently, cum lætitia, joyfully, cum grano, minutely ("cum grano salis, " in the minute manner that one takes salt).

Gramercy Thank you much (the French grand merci). Thus Shakespeare, "Be it so, Titus, and gramercy too" (Titus Andronicus, i. 2). Again, "Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise" (Taming of the Shrew, i. 1). When Gobbo says to Bassanio, "God bless your worship!" he replies, "Gramercy. Wouldst thou aught with me?" (Merchant of Venice, ii. 2.)

Grammar Zenodotos invented the terms singular, plural, and dual.
   The scholars of Alexandria and of the rival academy of Pergamos were the first to distinguish language into parts of speech, and to give technical terms to the various functions of words.
   The first Greek grammar was by Dionysios Thrax, and it is still extant. He was a pupil of Aristarchos.
   Julius Cæsar was the inventor of the term ablative case.
   English grammar is the most philosophical ever devised; and if the first and third personal pronouns, the relative pronoun, the 3rd person singular of the present indicative of verbs, and the verb "to be" could be reformed, it would be as near perfection as possible.
    It was Kaiser Sigismund who stumbled into a wrong gender, and when told of it replied, "Ego sum Imperator Romanorum, et supra grammaticam ' (1520, 1548-1572).

Grammarians Prince of Grammarians. Apollonios of Alexandria, called by Priscian Grammaticorum princeps (second-century B.C.).

Grammont The Count de Grammont's short memory. When the Count left England he was followed by the brothers of La Belle Hamilton, who, with drawn swords, asked him if he had not forgotten something. "True, true," said the Count; "I promised to marry your sister," and instantly went back to repair the lapse by making the young lady Countess of Grammont.

Granary of Europe So Sicily used to be called.

Granby The Marquis of Granby. A public-house sign in honour of John Manners, Marquis of Granby, a popular English general (1721-1770).
   The Times says the old marquis owes his sign-board notoriety "partly to his personal bravery and partly to the baldness of his head. He still presides over eighteen public-houses in London alone."
   Old Weller, in Pickwick, married the hostess of the "Marquis of Granby" at Dorking.

Grand (French).
   Le Grand Corneille. Corneille, the French dramatist (1606-1684).
   Le Grand Dauphin. Louis, son of Louis XIV. (1661-1711).
   La Grande Mademoiselle. The Duchesse de Montpensier, daughter of Gaston, Duc d'Orléans, and cousin of Louis XIV.
   Le Grand Monarque. Louis XIV., also called "The Baboon" (1638, 1643-1715).
   Le Grand Pan. Voltaire (1696-1778).
   Monsieur le Grand. The Grand Equerry of France in the reign of Louis XIV., etc.

Grandee In Spain, a nobleman of the highest rank, who has the privilege of remaining covered in the king's presence.

Grand Alliance Signed May 12th, 1689, between England, Germany, and the States General, subsequently also by Spain and Savoy, to prevent the union of France and Spain.