Chapter Potage to P. R. B of P by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Potage to P. R. B

Potage (Jean), the French Jack Pudding; similar to the Italian “Macaroni,” the Dutch “Pickel-herringe,” and the German “Hanswurst.” Clumsy, gormandizing clowns, fond of practical jokes, especially such as stealing eatables and drinkables.

Pother (Doctor), an apothecary, “city registrar, and walking story-book.” He had a story à propos of every remark made and of every incident; but as he mixed two or three together, his stories were pointless and quite unintelligible. “I know a monstrous good story on that point. He! he! he!” “I’ll tell you a famous good story about that, you must know He! he! he! …” “I could have told a capital story, but there was no one to listen to it. He! he! he!” This is the style of his chattering… “speaking professionally—for anatomy, chemistry, pharmacy, phlebotomy, oxygen, hydrogen, caloric, carbonic, atmospheric, galvanic. Ha! ha! ha! Can tell you a prodigiously laughable story on the subject. Went last summer to a watering-place—lady of fashion—feel pulse—not lady, but lap-dog—talk Latin—prescribe galvanism—out jumped Pompey plump into a batter pudding, and lay like a tode in a hole. Ha! ha! ha!”—Dibdin : The Farmer’s Wife (1780).

(Colman’s “Ollapod” (1802) was evidently copied from Dibden’s “doctor Pother.” See Aircastle, p. 17.)

Potiphar’s Wife, Zoleikha or Zuleika; but some call her Raïl.—Sale : Al Korân, xii. note.

Pott (Mr.), the librarian at the Spa. Mrs. Pott, the librarian’s wife.—Sir W. Scott : St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

Potteries (Father of the), Josiah Wedgewood (1730–1795).

Pounce (Mr. Peter), in The Adventures of Joseph Andrews, by Fielding (1742).

Poundtext (Peter), an “indulged pastor” in the covenanters’ army.—Sir W. Scott : Old Mortality (time, Charles II.).

Pourceaugnac [Poor-sone-yak], the hero of a comed y so called. He is a pompous country gentleman, who comes to Paris to marry Julie, daughter of Oronte ; but Julie loves Eraste , and this young man plays off so many tricks, and devises so many mystifications upon M. de Pourceaugnac, that he is fain to give up his suit.—Molière: M. de Pourceaugnac (1669).

Pou Sto, the means of doing. Archimedês said, “Give me pou sto (‘a place to stand on’), and I could move the world.”

Who learns the one pou sto whence after-hands
May move the world.

Poussin, an eminent French landscape painter (1594–1665).

The British Poussin, Richard Cooper (*-1806).

Gaspar Poussin. So Gaspar Dughet, the French painter, is called (1613–1675).

Powell (Mary), the pseudonym of Mrs. Richard Rathbone.

Powheid (Lazarus), the old sexton in Douglas.—Sir W. Scott: Castle Dangerous (time, Henry I.).

Poyning’s Law, a statute to establish the English jurisdiction in Ireland. The parliament that passed it was summoned in the reign of Henry VII. by sir Edward Poynings, governor of Ireland (1495).

Poyser (Mrs.), a capital character in the novel called Adam Bede, by George Eliot (Mrs. J. W. Cross, 1859). Her shrewd proverbial observations are inimitable.