Chapter Delaware to Democritos of D by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Delaware to Democritos

Dejeuner a la Fourchette (French). Breakfast with forks; a cold collation; a breakfast in the middle of the day, with meat and wine; a lunch.

Delaware U.S. America, was granted by charter in 1701 to Lord De la Ware, who first explored the bay into which the river empties itself.

Delectable Mountains (The), in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, are a range of mountains from which the "Celestial City" may be seen. They are in Immanuel's land, and are covered with sheep, for which Immanuel had died.

Delf or more correctly Delft. A common sort of pottery made at Delft in Holland, about 1310.

Delia of Pope's line, "Slander or poison dread from Delia's rage," was Lady Deloraine, who married W. Windam of Carsham, and died 1744. The person said to have been poisoned was Miss Mackenzie. (Satires and Epistles, i. 81.)
   Delia is not better known to our yard-dog - i.e. the person is so intimate and well known that the yard-dog will not bark at his approach. It is from Virgil, who makes his shepherd Menalcas boast "That his sweetheart is as well known to his dog as Delia the shepherdess." (Eclogues, iii. 67.)

Delias The sacred vessel made by Theseus (2 syl.) and sent annually from Athens to Delos. This annual festival lasted 30 days, during which no Athenian could be put to death, and as Socrates was condemned during this period his death was deferred till the return of the sacred vessel. The ship had been so often repaired that not a stick of the original vessel remained at the time, yet was it the identical ship. So the body changes from infancy to old age, and though no single particle remains constant, yet the man 6 feet high is identical with his infant body a span long. (Sometimes called Theoris.)

Delight is "to make light." Hence Shakespeare speaks of the disembodied soul as "the delighted spirit ... blown with restless violence round about the pendant world" (Measure for Measure, iii. 1). So again he says of gifts, "the more delayed; delighted" (Cymbeline, v. 5), meaning the longer they are delayed the "lighter" or less valuable they are esteemed. Delighted, in the sense of "pleased," means light-hearted, with buoyant spirits.
   The delight of mankind. So Titus, the Roman emperor, was entitled (40, 79-81).

Delirium From the Latin lira (the ridge left by the plough), hence the verb de-lirare, to make an irregular ridge or balk in ploughing. Delirus is one whose mind is not properly tilled or cultivated, a person of irregular intellect; and delirium is the state of a person whose mental faculties are like a field full of balks or irregularities. (See Prevarication.)

Della Cruscans or Della Cruscan School. So called from Crusca, the Florentine academy. The name is applied to a school of poetry started by some young Englishmen at Florence in the latter part of the eighteenth century. These silly, sentimental affectations, which appeared in the World and the Oracle, created for a time quite a furore. The whole affair was mercilessly gibbeted in the Baviad and Mæviad of Gifford. (Academia della Crusca literally means, the Academy of Chaff, and its object was to sift the chaff from the Italian language, or to purify it.)

Delmonico The great American cuisinier, of New York.

"The table service is of heavy silver, French cut glasses, and handsome china; and the meals are worthy of Delmonico." - The Oracle, August 2nd 1884, p. 495.

Delos A floating island ultimately made fast to the bottom of the sea by Poseidon (Neptune). Apollo having become possessor of it by exchange, made it his favourite retreat. It is one of the Cyclades.

Delphi or Delphos. A town of Phocis, famous for a temple of Apollo and for an oracle celebrated in every age and country. So called from its twin peaks, which the Greeks called brothers (adelphoi).