Chapter Green Gown to Gregorian Telescope of G by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Green Wax Estreats delivered to a sheriff out of the Exchequer, under the seal of the court, which is impressed upon green wax, to be levied (7 Henry IV. c. 3). (Wharton: Law Lexicon.)

Green as Grass Applied to those easily gulled, and quite unacquainted with the ways of the world. "Verdant Greens."

Green Bag Inquiry Certain papers of a seditious character packed in a green bag during the Regency. The contents were laid before Parliament, and the committee advised the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act (1817).

Green Baize Road (Gentlemen of the). Whist players. "Gentlemen of the Green Cloth Road," billiard players. (See Bleak House, chap. xxvi. par. 1.) Probably the idea of sharpers is included, as "Gentlemen of the Road" means highwaymen.

Green-Eyed Jealousy or Green-eyed Monster. Expressions used by Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice, iii. 2; Othello, iii. 3). As cats, lions, tigers, and all the green-eyed tribe "mock the meat they feed on," so jealousy mocks its victim by loving and loathing it at the same time.

Green in my Eye Do you see any green in the white of my eye (or eyes)? Do I look credulous and easy to be bamboozled? Do I look like a greenhorn? Credulity and wonderment are most pronounced in the eye.

Green Man and Still This public-house sign refers to the distillation of spirits from green herbs, such as peppermint cordial, and so on. The green man is the herbalist, or the greengrocer of herbs, and the still is the apparatus for distillation.

Green Ribbon Day in Ireland is March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, when the shamrock and green ribbon are worn as the national badge.

Green Sleeves and Pudding Pies This, like Maggie Lauder, is a scurrilous song, in the time of the Reformation, on the doctrines of the Catholic Church and the Catholic clergy. (See "John Anderson, my Jo.")

Greens of Constantinople (The). A political party opposed to the Blues in the reign of Justinian.

Greenbacks Bank notes issued by the Government of the United States in 1862, during the Civil War; so called because the back is printed in green. In March, 1878, the amount of greenbacks for permanent circulation was fixed at 346,681,016 dollars; in rough numbers, about 70 millions sterling.

Greener A slang term for a foreigner who begins to learn tailoring or shoe-making on his arrival in England.

Greengage Introduced into England by the Rev. John Gage from the Chartreuse Monastery, near Paris. Called by the French "Reine Claude," out of compliment to the daughter of Anne de Bretagne and Louis XII., generally called la bonne reine (1499-1524).

Greenhorn (A). A simpleton, a youngster. French, Cornichon (a cornicle or little horn), also a simpleton, a calf.

"Panurge le veau cocquart, cornichon, escorne ...viens ici nous ayder, grand veau plourart," etc." - Rabelais, book iv. chap. xxi.

Greenlander A native of Greenland. Facetiously applied to a greenhorn, that is, one from the verdant country called the land of green ones.

Greenlandman's Galley The lowest type of profanity and vulgarity.

"In my seafaring days the Greenland sailors were notorious for daring and their disrespect of speech, prefacing or ending every sentence with an oath, or some indecent expression. Even in those days [the