Chapter Osiris to Overie of O by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Otto, duke of Normandy, the victim of Rollo called “The Bloody Brother.”—Beaumont and Fletcher: The Bloody Brother (1639).

(Beaumont died 1616.)

Otuel (Sir), a haughty and presumptuous Saracen, miraculously converted. He was a nephew of Ferragus or Ferracute, and married a daughter of Charlemagne. The romance was in verse, but only fragments remain.

Ouida, an infantine corruption of Louisa. Her full name is Louise de la Ramée, authoress of Under Two Flags (1867), and many other novels.

Our Boys, a comedy by H. J. Byron (1878). (It had a marvellous run of four years and three months.)

Our Mutual Friend. (See Mutual Friend, p. 740.)

Ouranabad, a monster represented as a fierce flying hydra. It belongs to the same class as (1) the Rakshe, whose ordinary food was serpents and dragons; (2) the Soham, which had the head of a horse, four eyes, and the body of a fiery dragon; (3) the syl, a basilisk, with human face, but so terrible that no eye could look on it and live; (4) the Ejder.—Richardson’s Dictionary (“Persian and Arabic”).

In his hand, which thunder had blasted, he [Eblis] swayed the iron sceptre that causes the monster Ouranabad, the afrits, and all the powers of the abyss to tremble.—Beckford: Vathek (1786).

Outalissi, cagle of the Indian tribe of Oneyda, the death-enemies of the Hurons. When the Hurons attacked the fort under the command of Waldegrave (2 syl.), a general massa cre was made, in which Waldegrave and his wife were slain. But Mrs. Waldegrave, before she died, committed her boy Henry to the charge of Outalissi, and told him to place the child in the hands of Albert of Wyoming, her friend. This Outalissi did. After a lapse of fifteen years, one Brandt, at the head of a mixed army of British and Indians, attacked Oneyda, and a general massacre was made; but Outalissi, wounded, escaped to Wyoming, just in time to give warning of the approach of Brandt. Scarcely was this done, when Brandt arrived. Albert and his daughter Gertrude were both shot, and the whole settlement was extirpated. —Campbell: Gertrude of Wyoming (1809).

Outis (Greek for “nobody”), a name assumed by Odysseus (Ulysses) in the cave of Polypheme . When the monster roared with pain from the loss of his eye, his brother giants demanded who was hurting him. “Outis” (Nobody) thundered out Polypheme, and his companions never came to his help.—Homer: Odyssey.

Outram (Lance), park-keeper to sir Geoffrey Peveril.—Sir W. Scott: Peveril of the Peak (time, Charles II.).

Overdees (Rowley), a highwayman. —Sir W. Scott: Guy Mannering (time, George II.).

Overdo (Justice), in Ben Jonson’s Bartholomew Fair (1614).

Overdone (Mistress), a bawd.—Shakespeare: Measure for Measure (1603).

Overie (John), a ferryman, who used to ferry passengers from Southwark to the City, and accumulated a considerable hoard of money by his savings. On one occasion, to save the expense of board, he simulated death, expecting his servants would fast till he was buried; but they broke into his larder and cellar, and held riot. When the old miser could bear it no longer, he started up, and belaboured his servants right and left; but one of them struck the old man with an oar, and killed him.

Mary Overie, the beautiful daughter of the ferryman. Her lover, hastening to town, was thrown from his horse, and died. She then became a nun, and founded the church of St. Mary Overy on the site of her father’s house.