Chapter Egoism to Elector of E by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

America who was every day powdered with gold-dust blown through a reed. If this is admitted, no wonder those who sought a golden country were disappointed.

El Infante de Antequera is the Regent Fernando, who took the city of Antequera from the Moors in 1419.

El Islam The religion of the Moslems. The words mean "the resigning one's-self to God."

El Khidr One of the good angels, according to the Koran.

Elagabalus A Syro-Phænician sun-god, represented under the form of a huge conical stone. The Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, was so called because in childhood he was priest of the Sun-god. Of all the Roman emperors none exceeded him in debauchery and sin. He reigned about four years (B.C. 218-222), and died at the age of eighteen.
   This madman invited the principal men of Rome to a banquet, and smothered them in a shower of roses.

Elaine (2 syl.). The "lily maid of Astolat" (Guildford, in Surrey), who loved Sir Lancelot "with that love which was her doom." Sir Lancelot, being sworn to celibacy, could not have married her, even if he had been willing; and, unhappily, what little love he had was bestowed on the queen. Elaine felt that her love was a vain thing, and died. According to her last request, the bed on which she died was placed on a barge, and on it was laid her dead body, arrayed in white, a lily in her right hand, and a letter avowing her love in the left. An old dumb servitor steered and rowed the barge up the river, and when it stopped at the palace staith, King Arthur ordered the body to be brought in. The letter being read, Arthur directed that the maiden should be buried like a queen, with her sad story blazoned on her tomb. The tale is taken from Sir T. Malory's History of Prince Arthur, part iii. Tennyson turned it into blank verse. (Idylls of the King; Elaine.)

Elasmotherium (Greek, the metalplate beast). An extinct animal, between the horse and the rhinoceros.

Elberich The most famous dwarf of German romance. He aided the Emperor Otnit (who ruled over Lombardy) to gain for wife the Soldan's daughter. (The Heldenbuch.)

Elbow (Anglo-Saxon, el-boga, el = an ell, boga = a bow.)
   A knight of the elbow. A gambler.
   At one's elbow. Close at hand.
   To elbow one's way in. To push one's way through a crowd; to get a place by hook or crook.
   To elbow out, to be elbowed out. To supersede; to be ousted by a rival.
   Up to one's elbow [in work]. Very busy, or full of work. Work piled up to one's elbows.

Elbow Grease Perspiration excited by hard manual labour. They say "Elbow grease is the best furniture oil."

Elbow Room Sufficient space for the work in hand.

Elbows Out at elbows. Shabbily dressed (applied to men only), metaphorically, short of money; hackneyed; stale; thus, we say of a play which has been acted too often that it is worn out at elbows. It is like a coat which is no longer presentable, being out at the elbows.

Elden Hole Elden Hole needs filling. A reproof given to great braggarts. Elden Hole is a deep pit in Derbyshire Peak, said to be fathomless. (See Sir W. Scott: Peveril of the Peak, ch. iii.)

Elder-tree Sir John Maundeville, speaking of the Pool of Siloe, says, "Fast by is the elder-tree on which Judas hanged himself. when he sold and betrayed our Lord." Shakespeare, in Love's Labour's Lost, v. 2, says, "Judas was hanged on an elder" (See Fig-Tree.)

"Judas he japed
With Jewish siller,
And sithen on an elder tree
Hanged himsel ... when"
Piers Plowman: Vision.

Eleanor Crosses (See Charing Cross .)