Chapter Vaudeville to Venus of V by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Vaudeville to Venus

Vaudeville (2 syl.). A corruption of Val de Vire, or in Old French, Vau de Vire, the native valley of Oliver Basselin, a Norman poet, the founder of a certain class of convivial songs, which he called after the name of his own valley. These songs are the basis of modern vaudeville.
   Father of the Vaudeville. Oliver Basselin, a Norman poet. (Fifteenth century.)

Vaugirard The deputies of Vaugirard. Only one individual. This applies to all the false companies in which the promoter represents the directors, chairman, committee, and entire staff. The expression is founded on an incident in the reign of Charles VIII. of France: The usher announced to the king “The deputies of Vaugirard.” “How many are there?” asked the king. “Only one, and please your majesty,” was the answer. (See Tailors .)

Vauxhall or Fauxhall (2 syl.). Called after Jane Vaux, who held the copyhold tenement in 1615, and was the widow of John Vaux, the vintner. Chambers says it was the manor of Fulke de Breauté, the mercenary follower of King John, and that the word should be Fulke's Hall. Pepys calls it Fox Hall, and says the entertainments there are “mighty divertising.” (Book of Days.)
   Thackeray, in Vanity Fair (chap. vi.), sketches the loose character of these “divertising” amusements.

Ve Brother of Odin and Vili. He was one of the three deities who took part in the creation of the world. (Scandinavian mythology.)

Veal. Calf The former is Norman, and the latter Saxon. (See Beef, Pork .)

“Mynheer Calf becomes Monsieur de Veau in the like manner. He is Saxon when he requires tendance, but takes a Norman name when he becomes matter of enjoyment.”- Sir Walter Scott: Iranhoe.

Ve das or Vedams. The generic name of the four sacred books of the Hindus. It comprises (1) the Rig or Rish Veda, (2) Yajar or Yajush Veda, (3) the Sama or Saman Veda; and (4) the Atharvana or Ezour Veda. (Sanskrit, vid, know, Chaldee, yed-a; Hebrew, id-o, Greek, eid-o, Latin, video, etc.)

Vehmgerichte or Holy Vehme Tribunal. A secret tribunal of Westphalia, said to have been founded by Charlemagne. (See Fehm-Gericht .)

Veil At one time men wore veils, as St. Ambrose testifies. He speaks of the “silken garments and the veils interwoven with gold, with which the bodies of rich men are encompassed.” (St. Ambrose lived 340-397.)

Veiled Prophet of Khorassan The first poetical tale in Thomas Moore's Lalla Rookh.
   The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan was Hakim ben Allah, surnamed the Veiled (Mokanna), founder of an Arabic sect in the eighth century. Having lost an eye, and being otherwise disfigured in battle, he wore a veil to conceal his face, but his followers said it was done to screen his dazzling brightness. He assumed to be a god, and maintained that he had been Adam, Noah, and other representative men. When encompassed by Sultan Mahadi, he first poisoned all his followers at a banquet, and then threw himself into a burning acid, which wholly destroyed his body.

Vendemiiare (4 syl.), in the French Republican calendar, was from September 22 to October 21. The word means “Vintage.”

Vendetta The blood-feud, or duty of the nearest kin of a murdered man to kill the murderer. It prevails in Corsica, and exists in Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria. It is preserved among the Druses, Circassians, Arabs, etc. (Latin, vindicta.)

Vendredi (French), Friday. (Latin, Veneris dies. Here Vener is metamorphosed into Vendre. The Italian is Venerdi.)