Chapter B to Babel of B by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

B to Babel

B This letter is the outline of a house. It is called in Hebrew beth (a house). In Egyptian hierology this letter is a sheep.

B stands for 300. Scit B. trecentum sibi cognatum retinère. And, again, Et B. trecentum per se retinere videtur. But with a line above, it denotes 3,000.

For Becarre and Bemol (French for B sharp and B flat), see Becarre.

Marked with a B (French), i.e. a poor thing. In the French language almost all personal defects begin with the letter B; e.g. bigle (squint- eyed), borgne (one-eyed), bossu (humpty), boiteux (lame), etc.

Not to know B from a battledoor. To be quite illiterate, not to know even his letters. Miege tells us that hornbooks used to be called battledoors. The phrase might therefore originally mean not to know the B of, from, or out of, your hornbook. But its more general meaning is "not able to distinguish one letter from another."

"He knoweth not a B from a battledoore." - Howell; English Proverbs.

"Distinguish a B from a battledore." - Dekker: Guls Hornebook.

I know B from a Bull's foot. Similar to the proverb, "I know a hawk from a hernshaw." (See Hawk.) The bull's parted hoof somewhat resembles a B.

"There were members who scarcely knew B from a bull's foot." - Brackenbridge: Modern Chivalry.

B. C. Marked with B.C. (bad character). When a soldier disgraced himself by insubordination he was formerly marked with "B. C." before he was drummed out of the regiment.

B. and S Brandy and soda-water.

B. K. S The name of "residence" given by officers in mufti, who do not wish to give up their address. The word stands for BarracKS.

B Flats Bugs. The pun is "B" (the initial letter), and "flat," from the flatness of the obnoxious insect. Also called Norfolk Howards, from Mr. Bugg, who advertised in the Times that he should in future change his name into "Norfolk Howard." (See F Sharp.)

B.'s Four B.'s essential for social success. Blood, brains, brass, brads (money). (American.)

Beware of the B.'s, i.e. the British. A Carlow caution.

B. of B. K Some mysterious initials applied to himself in his diary by Arthur Orton, "the Tichborne Claimant." Supposed to denote "Baronet of British Kingdom."

Baal-Peor or Belphegor. The Priapus of the Moabites and Midianites.

Baal Samin The god of celestial places.

Baal Shemesh The Sun-god.

Baal Zeboub [Beelzebub], god of corruption or of flies. (See Flies.)

Ba ba Same as papa (Turkish). Alibaba is "father Ali."

Babau The bogie with which nurses in Languedoc terrify unruly children.

Babes in the Wood (1)Simple trustful folks, never suspicious, and easily gulled.

(2) Insurrectionary hordes that infested the mountains of Wicklow and the woods of Enniscorthy towards the close of the eighteenth century. (See Children.)