Chapter Lindabrides to Linspe of L by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Lindabrides to Linspe

Lindabrides A heroine in The Mirror of Knighthood, whose name at one time was a synonym for a kept mistress, in which sense it was used by Scott, Kenilworth and Woodstock.

Linden Tree (A). Baucis was converted into a linden tree. Philemon and Baucis were poor cottagers of Phrygia, who entertained Jupiter so hospitably that he promised to grant them whatever request they made. They asked that both might die together, and it was so. At death Philemon became an oak and Baucis a linden tree. Their branches intertwined at the top.

Lindor A poetic swain of the Corydon type, a lover en bergère.

“Do not, for heaven's sake, bring down Corydon and Lindor upon us.”- Sir Walter Scott.

Line Trade, business.
   What line are you in? What trade or profession are you of? “In the book line”- i.e. the book trade. This is a Scripture phrase. “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage.” The allusion is to drawing a line to mark out the lot of each tribe, hence line became the synonym of lot, and lot means position or destiny; and hence a calling, trade, or profession. Commercial travellers use the word frequently to signify the sort of goods which they have to dispose of; as, one travels “in the hardware line,” another “in the drapery line,” or “grocery line,” etc.

Line (The). The equator. (See Crossing The Line. )
   The deep-sea line. A long line marked at every five fathoms, for sounding the depth of the sea.
   The line. All regiments of infantry except the foot-guards, the rifle brigade, the marines, the militia, and the volunteers.

Line a Day (A). (“Nulla dies sine linea.”) Apelles the artist said he never passed a day without doing at least one line, and to this steady industry he owed his great success.

Line of Battle The order of troops drawn up so as to present a battle-front. There are three lines- the van, the main body, and the rear. A fleet drawn up in line of battle is so arranged that the ships are ahead and astern of each other at stated distances.
   All along the line, in every particular. The reference is to line of soldiers.

“The accuracy of the statement is contested all along the line by persons on the spot.”-W. E. Gladstone (Newspaper report).

   To break the enemy's line is to derange their order of battle, and so put them to confusion.

Line of Beauty according to Hogarth, is a curve thus. Mengs was of the same opinion, but thought it should be more serpentine. Of course, these fancies are not tenable, for the line which may be beautiful for one object would be hideous in another. What would Hogarth have said to a nose or mouth which followed his line of beauty?

Line of Communication or rather Lines of Communication, are trenches made to continue and preserve a safe correspondence between two forts, or two approaches to a besieged city, or between two parts of the same army, in order that they may co-operate with each other.

Line of Demarcation The line which divides the territories of different proprietors. The space between two opposite doctrines, opinions, rules of conduct, etc.

Line of Direction The line in which a body moves, a force acts, or motion is communicated. In order that a body may stand without falling, a line let down from the centre of gravity must fall within the base on which the object stands. Thus the leaning tower of Pisa does not fall, because this rule is preserved.

Line of Life (The). In French, La ligne de vie. So also, line of duty, La ligne du devoir, etc. In palmistry, the crease in the left hand beginning above the web of the thumb, and running towards or up to the wrist is so called.
   The nearer it approaches the wrist the longer will be the life, according to palm-lorists. If long and deeply marked, it indicates long life with very little trouble; if crossed or cut with other marks, it indicates sickness.