Chapter Publicans of the New Testament to Punch of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Publicans of the New Testament to Punch

Publicans of the New Testament were the provincial underlings of the Magister or master collector who resided at Rome. The taxes were farmed by a contractor called the Manceps; this Manceps divided his contract into different societies; each society had a Magister, under whom were a number of underlings called Publicani or servants of the state.

Pucelle (La) The Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc (1410-1431). (See Shakespeare's 1 Henry VI., v. 4.)

Puck or Robin Goodfellow. A fairy and merry wanderer of the night, “rough, knurly-limbed, faun-faced, and shock-pated, a very Shetlander among the gossamer-winged” fairies around him. (See Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, ii. 1; iii. 1.)

Pucka an Indian word in very common use, means real, bona fide; as, “He is a commander, but not a pucka one” (i.e. not officially appointed, but only acting as such, pro tempore). “The queen reigns, but her ministers are the pucka rulers.” A suffragan bishop, an honorary canon, a Lynch-judge, a lieutenant- colonel, the temporary editor of a journal, are not “pucka,” or bona fide so.

Pudding (See Jack .)

Pudding-time properly means just as dinner is about to begin, for our forefathers took their pudding before their meat. It also means in the nick of time.

“But Mars
In pudding-time came to his aid.”
Butler: Hudibras, i. 2.

Pudens A soldier in the Roman army, mentioned in 2 Tim. iv. 21, in connection with Linus and Claudia. According to tradition, Claudia, the wife of Pudens, was a British lady; Linus, otherwise called Cyllen, was her brother; and Lucius, “the British king,” the grandson of Linus. Tradition further adds that Lucius wrote to Eleutherus, Bishop of Rome, to send missionaries to Britain to convert the people

Puff Exaggerated praise. The most popular etymology of this word is pouff, a coiffure employed by the ladies of France in the reign of the Grand Monarque to announce events of interest, or render persons patronised by them popular. Thus, Madame d'Egmont, Duke of Richelieu's daughter, wore on her head a little diamond fortress, with moving sentinels, after her father had taken Port Mahon; and the Duchess of Orleans wore a little nursery, with cradle, baby, and toys complete, after the birth of her son and heir. These, no doubt, were pouffs and puffs, but Lord Bacon uses the word puff a century before the head- gear was brought into fashion. Two other etymons present themselves: the old pictures of Fame puffing forth the praises of some hero with her trumpet; and the puffing out of slain beasts and birds in order to make them look plumper and better for food- a plan universally adopted in the abattoirs of Paris. (German, puffen, to brag or make a noise; and French, pouf, our puff.)
   Puff, in The Critic, by Sheridan. An impudent literary quack.

Puff-ball A sort of fungus. The word is a corruption of Puck or Pouk ball, anciently called Puck-fist. The Irish name is Pooka-foot. (Saxon, Pulker-fist, a toadstool.) Shakespeare alludes to this superstition when Prospero summons amongst his elves-

“You whose pastime
Is to make midnight mushrooms.”
Shakespeare: Tempest, v. 1.

Puffed Up Conceited; elated with conceit or praise; filled with wind. A puff is a tartlet with a very light or puffy crust.

“That no one of you be puffed up one against another.”- 1 Cor. iv. 5.

Pug a variant of puck, is used to a child, monkey, dog, etc., as a pet term.
   You mischievous little pug. A playful reproof to a favourite.
   Pug. A mischievous little goblin in Ben Jonson's drama of The Devil is an Ass.

Pugna Porcorum (Battle of the Pigs). The most celebrated poem of alliterative verse, extending to 253 Latin hexameters, in which every word begins with p.