Chapter Bear to Beasts of B by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Bear to Beasts

Bear (To). Come, bear a hand! Come and render help! In French, “Donner un coup à quelqu'un.” Bring a hand, or bring your hand to bear on the work going on.
   To bear arms. To do military service.
   To bear away (Nautical). To keep away from the wind.
   To bear one company. To be one's companion.

“His faithful dog shall bear him company.”
Pope: Essay on Man, epistle i. 112.

   To bear down. To overpower; to force down.

“Fully prepared to bear down all resistance.”- Cooper: The Pilot, chap. xvii.

   To bear down upon (Nautical). To approach from the weather side.
   To bear in mind. Remember; do not forget. Carry in your recollection.
“To learn by heart,” means to learn memoriter. Mind and heart stand for memory in both phrases.
   To bear out. To corroborate, to confirm.
   To bear up. To support; to keep the spirits up.
   To bear with. To show forbearance; to endure with complacency.

“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation?”-Numbers xiv. 27.

   To bear the bell. (See Bell.)

Bear of Bradwardine (The) was a wine goblet, holding about an English pint, and, according to Scott, was made by command of St. Duthac, Abbot of Aberbrothoc, to be presented to the Baron of Bradwardine for services rendered in defence of the monastery. Inscribed upon the goblet was the motto: “Beware the bear.”

Bear Account (A). (See Bear. )

Bear Garden This place is a perfect bear-garden - that is, full of confusion, noise, tumult, and quarrels. Bear-gardens were places where bears used to be kept and baited for public amusement.

Bear-leader One who undertakes the charge of a young man of rank on his travels. It was once customary to lead muzzled bears about the streets, and to make them show off in order to attract notice and gain money.

“Bear! [said Dr. Pangloss to his pupil]. Under favour, young gentleman, I am the bear-leader, being appointed your tutor.”- G. Colman: Heirat-Law.

Bears are caught by Honey In French, “Il faut avoir mauvaise bête par douceur, ” for, as La Fontaine says, “Plus fait douceur que violence.” Bears are very fond of honey. Bribes win even bears.
    There is another phrase: Divide honey with a bear, i.e. It is better to divide your honey with a bear than to provoke its anger.

Beard Cutting the beard. The Turks think it a dire disgrace to have the beard cut. Slaves who serve in the seraglio have clean chins, as a sign of their servitude.
   Kissing the beard. In Turkey wives kiss their husband, and children their father on the beard.
   To make one's beard (Chaucer). This is the French “Faire la barbe à quelqu'un,” and refers to a barber's taking hold of a man's beard to dress it, or to his shaving the chin of a customer. To make one's beard is to have him wholly at your mercy.
   I told him to his beard. I told him to his face, regardless of consequences; to speak openly and fearlessly.

Beard (To). To beard one is to defy him, to contradict him flatly, to insult by plucking the beard. Among the Jews, no greater insult could be offered to a man than to pluck or even touch his beard.
   To beard the lion in his den. To contradict one either in his own growlery, or on some subject he has made his hobby. To defy personally or face to face.

“Dar'st thou, then,
To beard the lion in his den,
The Douglas in his hall?”
Sir W. Scott: Marmion, canto vi. stanza 14.”

   Maugre his beard. In spite of him.
   To laugh at one's beard. To attempt to make a fool of a person- to deceive by ridiculous exaggeration.

“ `By the prophet! but he laughs at our beards,' exclaimed the Pacha angrily. `These are foolish lies.' ”- Marryat: Pacha of Many Tales.

   To laugh in one's beard [“Rire dans sa barbe”] To laugh in one's sleeve.
   To