Chapter Jean Crapaud to Jericho of J by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Jean Crapaud to Jericho

Jean Crapaud A Frenchman. A Frenchman is called both a toad and a frog. (See Crapaud.)

Jean Farine [Jack Flour ]. A sort of Scaramouch, generally very tall, and representing a loutish boy dressed all in white, the hair, face, and hands being covered with flour.

"Jean Farine s'en fervient (du manteau d'un gentilhomme Gascon) un bonnet; et a le voir blanchastre, il semble qu'il soit desja enfarine." - Les Jeux de l'Inconnu (1645).

Jean de Lettre (Mr. Jenkins). "Qui pour l'ordinaire, dit Tallemant, est un animal mal idoine à toute autre chose." (Mme. Deshoulières: Historiettes, ix. 209, x. 82.)

Jean de la Suie (French). A Savoyard.

Jean de la Vigne (French). A crucifix. (See next article.)

Jean des Vignes (French). So the jonglers call the poupée to which they address themselves. The French Protestants in the sixteenth century called "the host" Jean, and the word is pretty well synonymous with buffoon. Jean des Vignes was a drunken marionette performer of considerable ability; "Jean" was his name, "des Vignes" his sobriquet. Hence when a person does a bad action, the French say, "Il fait comme Jean des Vignes;" an illicit marriage is called "le marriage de Jean des Vignes." and a bad fellow is "un Jean des Vignes." Hence Assoucy says, "Moi, pauvre sot, plus sot que Jean des Vignes!"

"Jean! que dire sur Jean? c'est un terrible nom,
Qui jamais n'accompagne une epithete honnête
Jean des Vignes, Jean ligne. Ou vais-je?
Trouves bon
Qu'en si beau chemin je m'arrête."
Virgile Travesti, vii. (Juno to Æneas).

Jeannot (French). One who is minutely great; one who exercises his talents and ingenuity on trifles; one who after great preparation at table to produce some mighty effect, brings forth only a ridiculous mouse.

Jebusites (3 syl.), in Dryden's satire of Absalom and Achitophel, stands for the Roman Catholics; so called because England was Roman Catholic before the Reformation, and Jerusalem was called Jebus before the time of David.
    In this poem, the Jebusites are the Catholics, and the Levites the dissenting clergy.

"Succeeding times did equal folly call,
Believing nothing, or believing all.
The Egyptian rites the Jebusites embraced,
When gods were recommended by their taste."
[Transubstantiation.]
Dryden: Absalom and Achitophel, Part i. 117-123.

Jedwood Justice Putting an obnoxious person to death first, and trying him afterwards. This sort of justice was dealt to moss-troopers. Same as Jedburgh justice, Jeddart justice. We have also "Cupar justice" and "Abingdon law." Of the last we are told that Major-General Brown, in the Commonwealth, hanged a man first and tried him afterwards.

"Jedwood justice - hang in haste and try at leisure." - Scott: Fair Maid of Perth, chap. xxxii.

Jehennam The Gehenna or Inferno of the Arabs. It consists of seven stages, one below the other. The first is allotted to atheists; the second to Manicheans (q.v.); the third to the Brahmins of India; the fourth to the Jews; the fifth to Christians; the sixth to the Magians or Ghebers of Persia; and the seventh to hypocrites. (The Koran.)

Jehovistic (See Elohistic .)

Jehu A coachman, especially one who drives at a rattling pace.

"The watchman told, saying, ... The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously." - 2 Kings ix. 20.

Jejune (2 syl.). A jejune narrative. A dry, tedious one. (Latin, jejunus, dry, spiritless.)

"Till farce itself, most mournfully jejune,
Calls for the kind assistance of a tune."
Sowper: Retirement, 711.

Jekyll Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The two phases of one man, "the law of his members warring against