Chapter Thelusson Act to Thirteen Unlucky of T by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Thieves on the Cross called Gesmas (the impenitent) and Desmas (afterwards “St. Desmas,” the penitent thief) in the ancient mysteries. Hence the following charm to scare away thieves:

“Impartibas meritis pendent tria corpora ramis:
Desmas et Gesmas, media est divina potestas;
Alta petit Desmas, infelix, inflma, Gesmas:
Nos et res nostras conservet samma potestas,
Hos versus dicas, ne tu furto tua perdas.”

Thimble Scotch, Thummle, originally “Thumb-bell,” because it was worn on the thumb, as sailors still wear their thimbles. It is a Dutch invention, introduced into England in 1695 by John Lofting, who opened a thimble manufactory at Islington.

Thimble-rig A cheat. The cheating game so called is played thus: A pea is put on a table, and the conjurer places three or four thimbles over it in succession, and then sets the thimbles on the table. You are asked to say under which thimble the pea is, but are sure to guess wrong, as the pea has been concealed under the man's nail.

Thin-skinned (See above, Thick-Skinned. )

Thin Red Line (The). The old 93rd Highlanders were so described at the battle of Balaclava by Dr. W. H. Russell, because they did not take the trouble to form into square. “Balaclava” is one of the honour names on their colours, and their regimental magazine is named The Thin Red Line.

Thin as a Whipping-post As a lath; as a wafer. (See Similes. )

“I assure you that, for many weeks afterwards, I was as thin as a whipping-post.”- Kingston The Three Admirals, chap. vi.

“ `I wish we had something to eat,' said Tom. `I shall grow as thin as a whipping-post ... I suspect.' ”- Kingston: The Three Admirals, chap. xi.

Think about It (I'll). A courteous refusal. When the sovereign declines to accept a bill, the words employed are Le roi (or la reine) s'avisera.

Thirteen Unlucky The Turks so dislike the number that the word is almost expunged from their vocabulary. The Italians never use it in making up the numbers of their lotteries. In Paris no house bears the number, and persons, called Quartorziennes (q.v.), are reserved to make a fourteenth at dinner parties.

“Jamais on ne devrait
Se Mettre a table treize,
Mais douze c'est parfait.”
La Mascotte (an opera), i. 5.

   Sitting down thirteen at dinner, in old Norse mythology, was deemed unlucky, because at a banquet in the Valhalla, Loki once intruded, making thirteen guests, and Baldur was slain.
   In Christian countries the superstition was confirmed by the Last Supper of Christ and His twelve apostles, but the superstition itself is much anterior to Christianity.
   Twelve at a dinner table, supposing one sits at the head of the table and one at the bottom, gives a party to these two, provided a couple is divided; but thirteen, like any other odd number, is a unicorn.