Reference  |  Brewer's Phrase & Fable  |  C  |  Commendation Ninepence to Conciergerie

C — Commendation Ninepence to Conciergerie (Part 3 of 3)

Con Spirito (Italian). With quickness and vivacity. A musical term.

Conan The Thersites of “Fingal;” brave even to rashness.
   Blow for blow or claw for claw, as Conan said. Conan made a vow never to take a blow without returning it; when he descended into the infernal regions, the arch-fiend gave him a cuff, which Conan instantly returned, saying “Claw for claw.”

“ `Blow for blow,' as Conan said to the devil.”- Scott Waverley, chap. xxii.
Concert Pitch The degree of sharpness or flatness adopted by a number of musicians acting in concert, that all the instruments may be in accord. Generally, a particular note is selected for the standard, as A or C; this note is put into the proper pitch, and all other notes are regulated by it.

Concerto (Italian). A composition intended to display the powers of some particular instrument, with orchestral accompaniments.

Concierge (3 syl.). French. The door - porter of a public or private “hotel,” or house divided into flats, or of a prison.

Conciergerie (French.) The office or room of a concierge or porter's lodge; a state prison. During the Revolution it was the prison where the chief victims were confined prior to execution.