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susurrus suh-SUR-uhs noun a gentle whispering sound; a soft humming sound; a soft rustling sound 1911Max Beerbohm Zuleika Dobson Echoes of his boots fell from the upper stairs and met the ascending susurrus of a silk skirt. 1984Eric Van LustbaderThe Miko...he heard nothing above the soft susurrus of the faraway traffic on Highway 70.1994Poul Anderson The Stars Are Also FireBackground noise was a susurrus through which a gust of music would twang…Labels: Eric Van Lustbader, Max Beerbohm, Poul Anderson
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catachresis ka-tuh-KREE-suhs noun mistaken use of words; an out of context or mixed metaphor; the change in a word's meaning over time 1840Captain Frederick MarryatOlla PodridaI was going to say that he could not call his soul his own; but that would be a Catachresis, and I hate and abominate every thing which begins with CAT.1842Caroline Matilda KirklandForest LifeIn vain is the far-sounding bell strapped round the neck of the master ox or cow, (for we say master-cow by catachresis I suppose.)1957John Wyndham The Midwich Cuckoos I wonder if a sillier and more ignorant catachresis than 'Mother Nature' was ever perpetrated? 1990Bill BrysonThe Mother TongueThis drift in meaning, technically called catachresis, is as widespread as it is curious.Labels: Bill Bryson, Captain Frederick Marryat, Caroline Matilda Kirkland, John Wyndham
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limner LIM-nur noun a painter; a portrait artist 1891Arthur Conan DoyleThe White Company'That is Wat the limner,' quoth the landlady, sitting down beside Alleyne, and pointing with the ladle to the sleeping man.1894William MorrisThe Wood Beyond the WorldHowsoever, he entered the house, and found his father in the chamber, and fell to speech with him about their matters; but for all that he loved his father, and worshipped him as a wise and valiant man, yet at that hour he might not hearken the words of his mouth, so much was his mind entangled in the thought of those three, and they were ever before his eyes, as if they had been painted on a table by the best of limners.1972Andre Norton The Crystal GryphonAnd it was not a pleasant countenance to my thinking, but perhaps the limner had either not been skillful or had some reason not to flatter this Elvan.Labels: Andre Norton, Arthur Conan Doyle, William Morris
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aubergine O-bur-zheen noun an eggplant; a shade of purple 1979Graham MastertonThe Wells of HellHis face went blue, and then a hideous aubergine purple.1992Michael OndaatjeThe English PatientHe remembers picnics, a woman who kissed parts of his body that now are burned into the colour of aubergine.Labels: Graham Masterton, Michael Ondaatje
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roman-fleuve RO-mawn FLAERV noun a tremendously long novel or even longer series of books that tell the story of the life of a single person or the lives of members of a family, community, or other affiliated group 1997Kurt VonnegutTimequakeIf there had been a significant body of potential book-buyers who might care about rich German-Americans in Indianapolis, it would have been a piece of cake for me to bang out a roman-fleuve demonstrating that my grandfather in fact murdered my mother, albeit very slowly, by double-crossing her so long ago.1998Patrick TilleyMissionI was not God, or the Presence, or whatever you choose to call the author of this roman-fleuve.1999Anne RiceVittorio the VampirePerhaps when my book is finished and gone from my hands, I may take steps to become somehow a character in that grand roman-fleuve begun by other vampires in San Francisco or New Orleans.Labels: Anne Rice, Kurt Vonnegut, Patrick Tilley
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remonstrance ri-MAWN-struhns noun a protest; a complaint; a grievance 1861R. M. BallantyneThe Gorilla Hunters'O Peterkin,' said I, in a tone of remonstrance, 'how could you be so unkind as to waken me when I had just got to sleep? Shabby fellow!' 1906Lucas MaletThe Far HorizonAll day thunder had threatened, but had not broken. And, even yet, the face of heaven seemed less peaceful than remonstrant, a sullenness holding it as of troops in retreat denied satisfaction of imminent battle.1954J. R. R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersThey heard the gentle remonstrance of a kindly king with an erring but much-loved minister.1966Ian FlemingQuantum of SolaceOf course Masters himself, as he was to tell me later, went through the usual dreary sequence—remonstrance, bitter quarrel, furious rage, violence (he told me he damned nearly throttled her one night) and, finally, icy withdrawal and sullen misery.Labels: Ian Fleming, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lucas Malet, R. M. Ballantyne
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fylfot FIL-fot noun a swastika-shaped cross; gammadion 1896John Denham ParsonsThe Non-Christian CrossAnd the crosses are of three kinds; (1) the right-angled cross of four equal arms, of which so many variations, some enclosed in circles and some with the extremities widened and rounded, are used as Christian symbols; (2) the other cross of four equal arms, known as the St. Andrew's cross or Chi cross; and (3) the Fylfot or Svastika cross.1901P. H. DitchfieldEnglish VillagesThe study of the emblems and devices is full of interest. Of ecclesiastical emblems we have the symbols of the Holy Trinity—God the Father represented as an aged person, holding a crucifix on which the dove, an emblem of the Holy Spirit, is alighting—representations of our Lord, angels, saints, evangelists, the fylfot cross, roses, and figures of Death.1997S. M. StirlingIsland in the Sea of TimeThey were round or oval, frames of wicker and shaped wood covered in hide and painted in gaudy shapes, the swastika-like fylfot, or animals.Labels: John Denham Parsons, P. H. Ditchfield, S. M. Stirling
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vacuity va-KYOO-uh-tee noun the state of being vacuous; a moronic idea 1882Walt WhitmanSpecimen DaysThe attractions, fascinations there are in sea and shore! How one dwells on their simplicity, even vacuity!1885Bret Harte By Shore and Sedge 'That's it. Justifyin' yourself by works instead o' leanin' onto Him! Find Him, sez you! Git Him, sez you! Works is vain. Glory! glory!' he continued, with fluent vacuity and wandering, dull, observant eyes. 1919Camilla KenyonSpanish DoubloonsI listened to their lazy, fragmentary conversation vast gulfs of mental vacuity seemed to open before me.Labels: Bret Harte, Camilla Kenyon, Walt Whitman
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orrery OR-uh-ree noun a model of the solar system that often operates using clockwork-like wheels and gears and which illustrates the relative orbits of the planets around the sun 1794Thomas PaineThe Age of ReasonAfter I had made myself master of the use of the globes and of the orrery, and conceived an idea of the infinity of space, and the eternal divisibility of matter, and obtained at least a general knowledge of what is called natural philosophy, I began to compare, or, as I have before said, to confront the eternal evidence those things afford with the Christian system of faith.1829VariousThe Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction (December 12, 1829)The mechanical ingenuity of Mr. Crawshaw has also been displayed in the construction of an orrery consisting of at least 1,000 wheels, which, by a single winch, turns all the planets in their respective periods…1897John MunroA Trip to Venus'We must consider their relative distances from the earth. By the way, I don't think you have seen my new electrical orrery.'1988Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry LeeCradleThe bright orb, the size of a giant beach ball, lifted itself into its proper place in the orrery and flooded the entire room with its radiance.Labels: Arthur C. Clarke, Gentry Lee, John Munro, Thomas Paine, Various
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Schadenfreude SHAW-den-FROI-duh noun pleasure or delight in the misfortune or misery of others 1989Len DeightonSpy LineIt was no use showing anger. No one was exempt from Tessa's Schadenfreude.1994Tom ClancyDebt of HonorThe American economy would be twice blessed. Toss in a little schadenfreude for their Japanese colleagues, and even before the Street opened for business, people were primed for a big trading day.1996David Irving Goebbels 'Any observations must be sober and objective in tenor,' his third directive that day added, 'devoid of either triumph or Schadenfreude.' 1999Bill CasselmanCanadian SayingsThis Shaudenfreude bristles in many Canadian folk sayings and is the psychological motive force that drives people to create them.Labels: Bill Casselman, David Irving, Len Deighton, Tom Clancy
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harridan HAR-uh-den noun a woman characterized by nastiness and bad-temper 1846Fyodor DostoevskyPoor FolkCrowds of people were hurrying along Naberezhnaia Street, with faces that looked strange and dejected. There were drunken peasants; snub-nosed old harridans in slippers; bareheaded artisans; cab drivers; every species of beggar; boys; a locksmith's apprentice in a striped smock, with lean, emaciated features which seemed to have been washed in rancid oil; an ex-soldier who was offering penknives and copper rings for sale; and so on, and so on.1899Rudyard KiplingStalky and Co'It was at the beginning of this hot weather. I was in camp in the Jullunder doab and stumbled slap on Stalky in a Sikh village; sitting on the one chair of state, with half the population grovellin' before him, a dozen Sikh babies on his knees, an old harridan clappin' him on the shoulder, and a garland o' flowers round his neck. Told me he was recruitin'.1952John CampbellCloak of AesirThere was a hint of bitter defeat in their tones, for each had hoped that field that could not be screened might make them safe in disposing of the old harridan, the Immortal Sam Mother, who ruled them from a forgotten generation.Labels: Fyodor Dostoevsky, John Campbell, Rudyard Kipling
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ribald RI-bawld noun wanton or outrageous 1916Rex BeachRainbow's EndDon Mario de Castano, who was facing the door, stopped in the midst of a ribald song to cry: 'God be praised! What's this I see?'1926Hope MirrleesLud In the Mist...behind them seethed the noisy, impudent, hawking, cat-calling riff-raff—'prentices, sailors, pedlars, strumpets; showing clearly on what side were their sympathies by such ribald remarks as, 'My old granny's pet cockatoo is terrible fond of cherries…1991Winn SchwartauTerminal Compromise1985's high point was an award banquet with slightly ribald speeches.Labels: Hope Mirrlees, Rex Beach, Winn Schwartau
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bibulous BI-byoo-luhs adjective a person who enjoys drinking; an alcoholic 1890Henrik IbsenHedda GablerWhen the play appeared, Holm recognised himself with glee in the character of the bibulous man of letters, and thereafter adopted 'Eilert Lovborg' as his pseudonym.1916John BuchanThe Power-HouseThis case was distinguished from the common ruck by the higher social standing of the accused. Generally the spy is a photographer or bagman who attempts to win the bibulous confidence of minor officials.1950C. S. ForesterMr. Midshipman Hornblower'To hell with care,' repeated the bibulous voice in the corner, and lifted itself in song.Labels: C. S. Forester, Henrik Ibsen, John Buchan
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coterie KO-tuh-ree noun a small social circle; a literary clique 1870Leo TolstoyAnna Karenina'On one side it's a plaything; they play at being a parliament, and I'm neither young enough nor old enough to find amusement in playthings; and on the other side' (he stammered) 'it's a means for the coterie of the district to feather their nests.'1975Robert AdamsThe Coming of the HorseclansAnd that perverted, self-seeking coterie who had influenced and guided him were stunned to discover that no longer had this High Lord need or use for them…1976Frank HerbertThe Children of DuneA tall, slender Priest was addressing his coterie, no doubt supplicants here under his auspices.1996Julian SchnabelBasquiatOn the other side of the room, Rene Ricard is surrounded by a coterie of young, mostly BLACK AND HISPANIC MALES.Labels: Frank Herbert, Julian Schnabel, Leo Tolstoy, Robert Adams
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docta ignorantia DAWK-ta ig-no-rawn-tee-aw noun learned ignorance; the concept that knowledge is not important when seeking God 1895Andrew Dickson WhiteThe History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in ChristendomIn the latter, Whewell cites the exact words of De Cusa in the De Docta Ignorantia, and sums up in these words: 'This train of thought might be a preparation for the reception of the Copernican system; but it is very different from the doctrine that the sun is the centre of the planetary system.'1904Henry Smith WilliamsA History of ScienceHis De Docta Ignorantia expressly propounds the doctrine of the earth's motion. No one, however, paid the slightest attention to his suggestion, which, therefore, merely serves to furnish us with another interesting illustration of the futility of propounding even a correct hypothesis before the time is ripe to receive it—particularly if the hypothesis is not fully fortified by reasoning based on experiment or observation.2003J. FangDocta Ignorantia, American Style[book title] Docta Ignorantia, American Style: The Institutionalized 'Learned Ignorance' in the Information AgeLabels: Andrew Dickson White, Henry Smith Williams, J. Fang
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usurer yoo-ZHUR-ur noun a money lender; a person or organization that lends money at an outrageous interest rate 1889Augustus JessoppThe Coming of the Friars'I loved the maid, and desired to be rich,' he tells us; but these Puritan people were horrified at his deliberately intending to live the life of a usurer, and they 'threatened great judgments, and danger of damnation hereafter.'1891Hall CaineThe ScapegoatWhen the three old usurers had bought themselves out of the Kasbah, they put their heads together and said, 'Let us drive this fellow out of the Mellah, and so shall he be driven out of the town.'Labels: Augustus Jessopp, Hall Caine
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asperity a-SPAER-uh-tee noun ill temper; a bump; harshness; severity 1815Jane AustenEmma'Not Harriet's equal!' exclaimed Mr. Knightley loudly and warmly; and with calmer asperity, added, a few moments afterwards,'No, he is not her equal indeed, for he is as much her superior in sense as in situation.'1890Cornelius TacitusThe Reign of TiberiusFor these his assumed manners and foreign habit, Tiberius blamed him in a gentle style, but censured him with great asperity for violating an establishment of Augustus, and entering Alexandria without consent of the Prince.1915Will Levington ComfortRed FleeceWhat do you want? she asked, though not quite with the original asperity.1976Peter O'DonnellLast Day in LimboHe lifted his head and said with asperity…Labels: Cornelius Tacitus, Jane Austen, Peter O'Donnell, Will Levington Comfort
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shaggydog story sha-gee DAWG stor-ee noun a long story that’s humorous to the speaker but strikes the listener as boring and stupid 1968Larry NivenA Gift From Earth'The luck of Matt Keller.' A joke, a shaggy-dog story. If he hadn't used the power to 'rescue' Polly, she might be alive now. If he hadn't come running to Jay Hood for explanations, he'd be back tending his mining worms. No wonder this form of 'luck' had never appeared before. Perhaps it never would again.1981Spider RobinsonTime Travellers Strictly CashIt was Tall Tales Night at Callahan's, the night on which the teller of the most outrageous shaggy-dog story gets his night's tab refunded.1987Kurt VonnegutBluebeardI myself haven't been in there since. And, yes, there is something in there. This is no shaggy dog story. After I die and am buried next to my darling Edith, and the executors of my estate open those doors at last, they will find more than just thin air in there. And it won't be some pathetic symbol, such as a paintbrush broken in two or my Purple Heart on an otherwise vacant and clean-swept floor.Labels: Kurt Vonnegut, Larry Niven, Spider Robinson
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jeunesse dorée zhuh-NES do-RAY noun young jet set persons; wealthy, sophisticated young people 1880Anthony TrollopeLife of CiceroAs to this, it is necessary to understand Pompey's peculiar popularity at the moment, both with the Liberals and with the Conservatives. 'Above all, see that you have with you the 'jeunesse dorée.'1915F. A. M. MignetHistory of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1814The convention, after the fall of Robespierre; party of the committees; Thermidorian party; their constitution and object—Decay of the democratic party of the committees—Impeachment of Lebon and Carrier—State of Paris—The Jacobins and the Faubourgs declare for the old committees; the jeunesse dorée, and the sections for the Thermidorians—Impeachment of Billaud-Varennes, Collot-d'Herbois, Barrère, and Vadier—Movement of Germinal—Transportation of the accused, and of a few of the Mountain, their partisans—Insurrection of the 1st Prairial—Defeat of the democratic party; disarming of the Faubourgs—The lower class is excluded from the government, deprived of the constitution of '93, and loses its material power.1927Frederick Philip GroveA Search for AmericaWe were surrounded by the 'jeunesse dorée' of a very definite fraction of New York's commercial world.Labels: Anthony Trollope, F. A. M. Mignet, Frederick Philip Grove
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obolary o-BO-la-ree adjective a state of extreme poverty 1913Charles LambThe Works of Charles and Mary LambHe is the true taxer who 'calleth all the world up to be taxed:' and the distance is as vast between him and one of us, as subsisted betwixt the Augustan Majesty and the poorest obolary Jew that paid it tribute—pittance at Jerusalem!—His exactions, too, have such a cheerful, voluntary air!Labels: Charles Lamb
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Weltschmertz VELT-shmurtz noun the state of being world-weary; sadness caused by the ongoing tribulations of the world; pessimism over the future of mankind 1891George Du MaurierPeter Ibbetson Often the inquisitive passer-by, had he peeped through the blinds of No.—Wharton Street, Pentonville, late at night, would have been rewarded by the touching spectacle of a huge, rawboned ex-private in her Majesty's Life Guards, with his head bowed over the black and yellow key-board of a venerable square piano-forte (on which he could not play), dropping the bitter tear of loneliness and Weltschmertz combined. 1923Anton Chekhov Lights...the pessimism of old thinkers does not take the form of idle talk, as it does with you and me, but of Weltschmertz, of suffering…Labels: Anton Chekhov, George du Maurier
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kismet KIZ-muht noun fate; fortune; destiny 1921E. M. HullThe Shadow of the East'It's rotten luck for you, Sheik, but it's kismet. All things are ordained,' he concluded almost shyly, feeling himself the worst kind of Job's comforter.1986Timothy ZahnCobra StrikeIt's come into Anglic through a couple of different languages and changes to become 'kismet,' meaning 'fate' or 'destiny.'1993Nora Ephron and Delia EphronSleepless in SeattleINT. THIRD FLOOR TIFFANY'S - DAY Annie and Walter are walking around the floor, followed by a SALESWOMAN who is carrying a large white card on which she is noting their selections. ANNIE It was like kismet but not, if you see what I mean. Labels: E. M. Hull, Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, Timothy Zahn
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omne ignotum pro magnifico awm-nee ig-NO-tum pro mawg-NI-fi-ko phrase that which is unknown is exaggerated in importance; the unknown is thought to be grand 1831William Godwin Thoughts on Man One of the most glaring infirmities of our nature is discontent. One of the most unquestionable characteristics of the human mind is the love of novelty. Omne ignotum pro magnifico est. 1864Charles Kingsley The Roman and the Teuton The usual rejoinder to this argument is to fall back upon man's weakness and ignorance, and to take refuge in the infinite unknown. Man, it is said, may of course interfere a little with some of the less important laws of his being: but who is he, to grapple with the more vast and remote ones? Because he can prevent a pebble from falling, is he to suppose that he can alter the destiny of nations, and grapple forsooth with 'the eternities and the immensities,' and so forth? The argument is very powerful: but addrest rather to the imagination than the reason. It is, after all, another form of the old omne ignotum pro magnifico…1891Olph SchreionGasps (Punch Vol. 100, May 1891)And over everything hangs that inscrutable charm which hovers forever for the human intellect over the incomprehensible and shadowy. Omne ignotum pro mirifico, I might say, but I prefer the longer phrase.1892Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 'I begin to think, Watson,' said Holmes, 'that I make a mistake in explaining. 'Omne ignotum pro magnifico,' you know, and my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid….'Labels: Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Kingsley, Olph Schreion, William Godwin
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kolkhoz kawl-KAWZ noun a collective farm in the old communist Soviet Union 1963Alexander SolzhenitsynOne Day in the Life of Ivan DenisoThe kolkhoz had a new chairman…2005Vasily BubnovAmerican press makes ridiculous comments about post Soviet states (Pravda, February 12, 2005)...the true essence of the dictator 'in a sport suit giving speeches like head of a kolkhoz'. Labels: Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Vasily Bubnov
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peregrination paer-uh-gruh-NAY-shuhn noun travel; a journey by foot 1831Michael RussellPalestineFrom his infancy he had been distinguished by a sage and pious disposition; and, on emerging from boyhood, he was seized with an anxious desire to 'try the unknown ways of peregrination—to pass over the huge wastes of ocean to the ends of the earth.'1893Mungo ParkLife and Travels of Mungo Park in Central AfricaDuring a wearisome peregrination of more than five hundred British miles, exposed to the burning rays of a tropical sun, these poor slaves, amidst their own infinitely greater sufferings, would commiserate mine; and frequently of their own accord bring water to quench my thirst, and at night collect branches and leaves to prepare me a bed in the Wilderness.1905Booth TarkingtonThe Beautiful LadyThe peregrination of the American trousers suddenly stopped as they caught sight of me, and that precious skirt paused, precisely in opposition to my little table.1908Gordon HomeYorkshireThe many interests that this singularly remote neighbourhood contains can be realized by making such a peregrination as we made through the Wolds.1919James Oliver CurwoodNomads of the NorthThen came the day, when Neewa was eleven weeks old, that she turned her nose toward the distant black forests and began the summer's peregrination.1998Bill BrysonA Walk in the WoodsI can't find one [friend] that will bear the fatigue to accompany me in my paregrinations.Labels: Bill Bryson, Booth Tarkington, Gordon Home, James Oliver Curwood, Michael Russell, Mungo Park
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effluvium e-FLOO-vee-uhm noun a terrible smell; a bad influence; a noxious vapor 1967J. G. BallardThe Cloud-Sculptors of Coral DShe glanced at the dark cloud boiling over the mesa like the effluvium of some black-hearted volcano.1989Martin CaidinPrison ShipYtram had little experience with alien life forms and the strange, pungent, and often wildly sharp odors, smells, gases, and effluvium their bodies cast off with alarming pressure and quantity.1994David GutersonSnow Falling On CedarsThe gutters filled with rust-colored pine needles and the pungent effluvium of alder leaves…Labels: David Guterson, J. G. Ballard, Martin Caidin
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technocracy tek-NAW-kruh-see noun a government by technical experts and scientists 1935Sinclair Lewis It Can'T Happen Here...the 'Share the Wealth' and 'Every Man a King' proposals of the late Hon. Huey Long to assure every family $5000 a year, the Townsend plan, the Utopian plan, Technocracy, and all competent schemes of unemployment insurance…1970Alvin TofflerFuture ShockJust as, in the main, their alternatives to industrialism call for a return to pre-industrial institutions, their alternative to technocracy is not post- but pre-technocracy.1982Steven M. KrauzerRenegade Agent...the world was becoming a technocracy, a society managed by the technical experts.Labels: Alvin Toffler, Sinclair Lewis, Steven M. Krauzer
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ambage AM-bij noun, adjective roundabout; ambiguous; not forthright; a circuitous route 1652Robert BurtonThe Anatomy of MelancholyHaving thus briefly anatomised the body and soul of man, as a preparative to the rest; I may now freely proceed to treat of my intended object, to most men's capacity; and after many ambages, perspicuously define what this melancholy is, show his name and differences.1943Kenneth RobesonDoc Savage: The Running Skeletons'Only a sesquipedalian ambagious inveteberate lacks convulition,' said Johnny.Labels: Kenneth Robeson, Robert Burton
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duumvirate doo-UHM-vur-it noun a two person partnership; a government body comprised of two persons 1863Thomas D'Arcy McGeeA Popular History of IrelandHe dwells on the peculation and extravagance of the administration, under 'the Duumvirate' of the Viceroy and the Primate, which he compares with the league of Strafford and Laud.1908Edward Harper ParkerAncient China SimplifiedThe year 842 B.C. may be considered the first accurate date in Chinese history, and in this year the Emperor had to flee from his capital on account of popular dissatisfaction with his tyrannical ways: he betook himself northward to an outlying settlement on the Tartar frontier, and the charge of imperial affairs was taken over by a regency or duumvirate.1922James JoyceUlyssesOf what did the duumvirate deliberate during their itinerary?Labels: Edward Harper Parker, James Joyce, Thomas D'Arcy McGee
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krill kril noun small crustaceans; planktonic crustaceans 1978Wilbur SmithHungry as the SeaDuring the long voyage up from Shackleton Bay, Samantha had streamed a very fine-meshed net from Warlock's stern, collecting an incredible variety of krill and plankton and other microscopic marine life.1984William GibsonNew Rose HotelI spread crab-flavored krill paste on orange rice crackers.1999Clive CusslerAtlantis FoundWithout the algae to dine on, there would be no krill, the little shrimplike fellows, who in turn provide nourishment for every animal and fish in these southern waters from penguins to whales to phocids.Labels: Clive Cussler, Wilbur Smith, William Gibson
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fillip FIL-uhp noun a blow or flick resulting from the sudden release of a finger curled against the thumb; something trivial; something of no consequence 1832Captain Frederick MarryatNewton Forster This was quite an event, and gave a fillip to the inertness of Madame de Fontanges, whose curiosity was excited. 1880Sir Richard Francis BurtonThe Kasidah of Haji Abdu El-YezdiEat, drink, and sport; the rest of life's not worth a fillip, quoth the King; Methinks the saying saith too much: the swine would say the selfsame thing!1902Harold MacGrathThe Puppet CrownMaurice contemplated him serenely. 'Impossible,' with a fillip at the end of his cigar.1968Ngaio MarshClutch of ConstablesA handful of nice little facts and a fillip to the imagination.Labels: Captain Frederick Marryat, Harold MacGrath, Ngaio Marsh, Sir Richard Francis Burton
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