Chapter Phoenix Theatre to Pickwick of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Physician, heal Thyself “First cast out the beam from thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote which is in thy brother's eye.”

Physignathos [one who swells the cheeks]. King of the Frogs, and son of Pelus [mud], slain by Troxartas, the Mouse-king.

“Great Physignathos I, from Peleus' race,
Begot in fair Hydromede's embrace.
Where, by the nuptial bank that paints his side,
The swift Eridanus delights to glide.”
   Parnell: Battle of the Frogs, bk. i.

Piarists or Brethren of the Pious School. A religious congregation founded in the 16th century by Joseph of Calasanza, for the better instruction and education of the middle and higher classes.

Pic-nic Dr. John Anthony derives it from the Italian piccola nicchia (a small task), each person being set a small task towards the general entertainment. (French, pique-nique.)
    The modern custom dates from 1802, but picnics, called eranoi, where each person contributed something, and one was appointed “master of the feast,” are mentioned by Homer, in his Odyssey, i. 226.

Picador (Spanish). A horseman; one who in bull fights is armed with a gilt spear (pica-dorada), with which he pricks the bull to madden him for the combat.

Picards An immoral sect of fanatics in the 15th century; so called from Picard of Flanders, their founder, who called himself the New Adam, and tried to introduce the custom of living nude, like Adam in Paradise.
   You are as hot-headed as a Picard. This is a French expression, and is tantamount to our “Peppery as a Welshman.”

Picaroon A pirate; one who plunders wrecks. (French, picoreur, picorer, to plunder; Scotch, pikary, rapine; Spanish, picaron, a villain.)

Picatrix The pseudonym of a Spanish monk, author of a book on demonology, collected from the writings of 224 Arabic magicians. It was dedicated to King Alfonso.

“At the time when I was a student in the University of Toulouse, that same reverend Picatrix, rector of the Diabolical Faculty, was wont to tell us that devils did naturally fear the bright glancing of swords, as much as the splendour and light of the sun.”- Rabelais: Pantagruel, iii. 23.

Piccadilly (London). So called from Piccadilla Hall, the chief depôt of a certain sort of lace, much in vogue during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The lace was called piccadilly lace, from its little spear-points (a diminutive of pica, a pike or spear). In the reign of James I. the high ruff was called a piccadilly, though divested of its lace edging. Barnaby Rice, speaking of the piccadillies, says- “He that some forty years sithen should have asked after a piccadilly, I wonder who would have understood him, and would have told him whether it was fish or flesh” (1614). Another derivation is given in the Glossographia (1681). Piccadilly, we are there told, was named from Higgins' famous ordinary near St. James's, called Higgins's Pickadilly, “because he made his money by selling piccadillies” (p. 495). (See also Hone: Everyday Book, vol. ii. p. 381.)

“Where Sackville Street now stands was Piccadilla Hall, where piccadillies or turnovers were sold, which gave name to Piccadilly.”- Pennant.

Piccinists (1774-1780). A French musico-political faction, who contended that pure Italian music is higher art than the mixed German school. In other words, that music is the Alpha and Omega of opera, and the dramatic part is of very minor importance.
   Niccolo Piccino, of Naples (1728-1801), was the rival of Christopher Glück, of Bohemia, and these two musicians gave birth to a long paper war. Those who sided with the Italian were called Piccinists, those who sided with the German were called Glückists.