Chapter of War of H by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Honeymoon The month after marriage, or so much of it as is spent away from home; so called from the practice of the ancient Teutons of drinking honey-wine (hydromel) for thirty days after marriage. Attila, the Hun, indulged so freely in hydromel at his wedding-feast that he died.

"It was the custom of the higher order of the Teutons ... to drink mead or metheglin (a beverage made from honey) for thirty days after every wedding. From this comes the expression `to spend the honeymoon.' " - W. Pulleyn: Etymological Compendium, 8, 9, p. 142.

Honeywood A yea-nay type, illustrative of what Dr. Young says: "What is mere good nature but a fool?" (Goldsmith: The Good-natured Man.)

Hong Merchants Those merchants who were alone permitted by the government of China to trade with China, till the restriction was abolished in 1842. The Chinese applied the word hong to the foreign factories situated at Canton.

Hon'i Honi soit qui mal y pense (Evil be [to him] who thinks evil of this). The tradition is that Edward III. gave a grand court ball, and one of the ladies present was the beautiful Countess of Salisbury, whose garter of blue ribbon accidentally fell off. The king saw a significant smile among the guests, and gallantly came to the rescue. "Honi soit qui mal y pense " (Shame to him who thinks shame of this accident), cried the monarch. Then, binding the ribbon round his own knee, he added, "I will bring it about that the proudest noble in the realm shall think it an honour to wear this band." The incident determined him to abandon his plan of forming an order of the Round Table, and he formed instead the order of the "Garter." (Tighe and Davis: Annals of Windsor.)

Honour (h silent). A superior seigniory, on which other lordships or manors depend by the performance of customary services.
   An affair of honour. A dispute to be settled by a duel. Duels were generally provoked by offences against the arbitrary rules of etiquette, courtesy, or feeling, called the "laws of honour;" and, as these offences were not recognisable in the law courts, they were settled by private combat.
   Debts of honour. Debts contracted by betting, gambling, or verbal promise. As these debts cannot be enforced by law, but depend solely on good faith, they are called debts of honour.
   Laws of honour. Certain arbitrary rules which the fashionable world tacitly admits; they wholly regard deportment, and have nothing to do with moral offences. Breaches of this code are punished by duels, expulsion from society, or suspension called "sending to Coventry" (q.v.).
   Point of honour. An obligation which is binding because its violation would offend some conscientious scruple or notion of self-respect.
   Word of honour. A gage which cannot be violated without placing the breaker of it beyond the pale of respectability and good society.

Honour and Glory Griffiths Capt. Griffiths (in the reign of William IV.) was so called, because all his despatches were addressed "To their Honours and Glories at the Admiralty."

Honour paid to Learning Dionysius, King of Syracuse, wishing to see Plato, sent the finest galley in his kingdom royally equipped, and stored with every conceivable luxury to fetch him; and, on landing, the philosopher found the royal state carriage waiting to convey him to the palace.
   Ben Jonson, in 1619, made a journey from London to Scotland expressly to see William Drummond, the Scotch poet.

Honours (h silent). Crushed by his honours. The allusion is to the Roman damsel who agreed to open the gates of Rome to King Tatius, provided his soldiers would give her the ornaments which they wore on their arms. As they entered they threw their shields on her and crushed her, saying as they did so, "These are the ornaments worn by Sabines on their arms." Roman story says the maid was named Tarpeia, and that she was the daughter of Tarpeius, the governor of the citadel.
   Draco, the Athenian legislator, was crushed to death in the theatre of Ægina, by the number of caps and cloaks showered on him by the audience, as a mark of their high appreciation of his merits.    Elagabalus, the Roman Emperor, invited the leading men of Rome to a banquet, and, under the pretence of showing them honour, rained roses upon them. But the shower continued till they were all buried and smothered by the flowers.
   Two or four by honours. A term in whist. If two "partners" hold three court cards, they score two points; if they hold four court cards, they score four points. These are honour points, or points not won by the merit of