Chapter Nadir Shah to Name of N by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Nadir Shah to Name

Nadir Shah Kouli Khan, a Persian warrior. (1687-1747.)

Nag A horse. This is an example of n of the article joined to the following noun, as in the word newt = an ewt. (Danish and Norwegian, og; Anglo-Saxon, eoh or eh; Latin, eq[uus]; Dutch, negge.) Taylor (1630) has naggon, as-

“Wert thou George with thy naggon,
That foughtest with the draggon.”

    Shakespeare's naunt and nuncle are mine-aunt and mine-uncle.

Nag, Nagging Constant fault-finding. (Anglo-Saxon, gnag-an, to gnaw, bite.) We call a slight but constant pain, like a tooth-ache, a nagging pain.

Nag's Head Consecration On the passing of the first Act of Uniformity in Queen Elizabeth's reign, fourteen bishops vacated their sees, and all the other sees, except Llandaff, were at the time vacant. The question was how to obtain consecration so as to preserve the succession called “apostolic” unbroken, as Llandaff refused to officiate at Parker's consecration. In this dilemma (the story runs) Scory, a deposed bishop, was sent for, and officiated at the Nag's Head tavern, in Cheapside, thus transmitting the succession.
    Such is the tale. Strype refutes the story, and so does Dr. Hook. We are told that it was not the consecration which took place at the Nag's Head, but only that those who took part in it dined there subsequently. We are furthermore told that the Bishops Barlow, Scory, Coverdale, and Hodgkins, all officiated at the consecration.

Naga Serpents; the king of them is Sesha, the sacred serpent of Vishnu. (Hindu mythology.)

Naglfar The giants' ship, in which they will embark on “the last day” to give battle to the gods. It is made of the nails of the dead. (Old Norse, nagl, a human nail, and fara, to make.) (Scandinavian mythology.) Piloted by Hrymer

Nahushtan Trumpery bits of brass. (2 Kings xviii. 4.)

Naiads Nymphs of lakes, fountains, rivers, and streams. (Classical mythology.) (See Fairy .)

Nail
   Down on the nail, Pay down on the nail. In ready money. In Latin: “Super unguem; ” in French: “Sur l'ongle;” as, “Boire la goutte sur l'ongle ” (see Supernaculum), “Payer rubis sur l'ongle, ” where rubis means red wine. The Latin ungulus (from unguis) means a “shot” or reckoning, hence ungulum dare, to pay one's reckoning.

“Quo quibus prisis, et cariagiis pleana flat solucio super unguem.”- An Indenture dated July 15th, 1326 (Scot's Act)

    O'Keefe says: “In the centre of Limerick Exchange is a pillar with a circular plate of copper about three feet in diameter, called The Nail, on which the earnest of all stock-exchange bargains has to be paid.” (Recollections.)
   A similar custom prevailed at Bristol, where were four pillars, called nails, in front of the Exchange for a similar purpose. In Liverpool Exchange there is a plate of copper called The Nail, on which bargains are settled.
   Hung on the nail. Up the spout, put in pawn. The custom referred to is that of hanging each pawn on a nail, with a number attached, and giving the customer a duplicate thereof. Very similar to the custom of guarding hats, cloaks, walking-sticks, and umbrellas, in public exhibitions and assemblies.
   To hit the nail on the head. To come to a right conclusion. In Latin, “Rem tenes. ” The Germans have the exact phrase, “Den Nagel auf den kopf treffen. ”

Nail (For want of a). “For want of a nail, the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe, the horse is lost; and for want of a horse, the rider is lost.” (Herbert: Jacula Prudentum.)

Nail-money Six crowns given to the “roy des harnoys” for affixing the arms of a knight to the pavilion.

Nail fixed in the Temple (of Jupiter). On September 13th a nail was annually driven into the wall of the temple of Jupiter. This was originally done to tally the year, but subsequently it lapsed into a religious