Chapter Kenno to Kex of K by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Kentucky (U.S. America), so called in 1782, from its principal river. It was admitted into the union in 1792. The nickname of the inhabitants is Corncrackers. Indian Shawnoese Kentuckee = "head or long river."

Kepler's Fairy The fairy which guides the planets. Kepler said that each planet was guided in its elliptical orbit by a resident angel.
Kepler's Laws (Johann Kepler, 1571-1630):
   (1) That the planets describe ellipses, and that the centre of the sun is in one of the foci.
   (2) That every planet so moves that the line drawn from it to the sun describes equal areas in equal times.
   (3) That the squares of the times of the planetary revolutions are as the cubes of their mean distances from the sun.

Kerchief of Plesaunce An embroidered cloth presented by a lady to her knight to wear for her sake. The knight was bound to place it in his helmet.

Kerna A kind of trumpet used by Tamerlane, the blast of which might be heard for miles.

Kernel (Anglo-Saxon, cyrnel, a diminutive of corn; seed in general), whence acorn (the ác or oak corn).

Kersey A coarse cloth, usually ribbed, and woven from long wool; said to be so named from Kersey, in Suffolk, where it was originally made.

Kerseymere A corruption of Casimir, a man's name. A twilled woollen cloth made in Abbeville, Amiens, Elbeuf, Louviers, Rheims, Sedan, and the West of England. (French, casimir, Spanish casimiro or casimiras.)

Kerzereh or Kerzrah. A flower which grows in Persia. It is said, if anyone in June or July inhales the hot south wind which has blown over this flower he will die.

Kesora The female idol adored in the temple of Juggernaut. Its head and body are of sandalwood; its eyes two diamonds, and a third diamond is suspended round its neck; its hands are made entirely of small pearls, called perles á l'once; its bracelets are of pearls and rubies, and its robe is cloth of gold.

Kestrel A hawk of a base breed, hence a worthless fellow. Also used as an adjective.

“No thought of honour ever did assay
His baser brest; but in his kestrell kynd
A pleasant veine of glory he did find ...”
Spenser: Faerie Queene, book ii, canto iii. 3.

Ketch (See Jack Ketch .)

Ketch A kind of two-masted vessel. Bomb-ketches were much used in the last century wars.

Ketchup A corruption of the Japanese. Kitjap, a condiment sometimes sold as soy, but not equal to it.

Ketmir or Katmir. The dog of the Seven Sleepers. Sometimes called Al Rakim. (Sale's Koran; xviii. n.)

Kettle (A), a watch. A tin kittle is a silver watch. A red kittle is a gold watch. “Kettle,” or rather kittle, in slang language is a corrupt rendering of the words to-tick read backwards. (Compare Anglo-Saxon cetel, a kettle, with citel-ian, to tickle.)
   Thor's great kettle. The god Thor wanted to brew some beer, but not having a vessel suited for the purpose in Valhalla, stole the kettle of the giant Hymer. (Scandinavian mythology.)

Kettle of Fish A fête-champêtre in which salmon is the chief dish provided. In these pic-nics, a large caldron being provided, the party select a place near a salmon river. Having thickened some water with salt to the consistency of brine, the salmon is put therein and boiled; and when fit for eating, the company