Chapter Osmand to Out in the Fifteen of O by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

her gaze even for a minute or so, the eggs are addled. Furthermore, we are told that if an egg is bad the ostrich will break it: so will God deal with evil men.

“Oh! even with such a look, as fables say
The mother ostrich fixes on her eggs,
Till that intense affection
Kindle its light of life.”
Southey : Thalaba.

Ostrich Stomachs Strong stomachs which will digest anything. The ostrich swallows large stones to aid its gizzard, and when confined where it cannot obtain them will swallow pieces of iron or copper, bricks, or glass.

Ostringers, Sperviters, Falconers Ostringers are keepers of goshawks and tercelles. Sperviters are those who keep sparrowhawks or muskets. Falconers are those who keep any other kind of hawk, being long-winged. (Markham: Gentleman's Academie, or Booke of S. Albans.)

Oswald's Well commemorates the death of Oswald, Christian king of Northumbria, who fell in battle before Penda, pagan king of Mercia, in 642.

Othello (in Shakespeare's tragedy so called). A Moor, commander of the Venetian army, who eloped with Desdemona. Brabantio accused him of necromancy, but Desdemona, being sent for, refuted the charge. The Moor, being then sent to drive the Turks from Cyprus, won a signal victory. On his return, Iago played upon his jealousy, and persuaded him that Desdemona intrigued with Cassio. He therefore murdered her, and then stabbed himself.
   Othello the Moor. Shakespeare borrowed this tale from the seventh of Giovanni Giraldi Cinthio's third decade of stories. Cinthio died 1573.

Othello's Occupation's Gone (Shakespeare). “Jam quadrigæ meæ decurrerunt” (Petronius). I am laid on the shelf; I am no longer the observed of observers.

Other Day (The). The day before yesterday. The Old English other was used for second, as in Latin, unus, alter, tertius; or proximus alter, tertius. Starting from to-day, and going backwards, yesterday was the proximus ab illo; the day before yesterday was the altera ab illo, or the other day, and the day preceding that was tertius ab illo, or three days ago. Used to express “a short time ago.”

Othman, Osman or Othoman, surnamed the Conqueror. Founder of the Turkish power, from whom the empire is called the Ottoman, and the Turks are called Osmans, Othmans, Osmanli etc. Peter the Great, being hemmed in by the Turks on the banks of the Pruth, was rescued by his wife, Catherine, who negotiated a peace with the Grand Vizier.

O'tium cum Dig [dignitate ]. Retirement after a person has given up business and has saved enough to live upon in comfort. The words are Latin, and mean “retirement with honour.” They are more frequently used in jest, familiarity, and ridicule.

Otos A giant, brother of Ephialtes (q.v.). Both brothers grew nine inches every month. According to Pliny, Otos was forty-six cubits (sixty-six feet) in height. (Greek fable.) (See Giants. )

O'Trigger (Sir Lucius) in The Rivals (Sheridan).

Oui (French for “yes”). A contraction of Hoc illud. Thus, hoc-ill', ho'-il, o'il, oïl, oï, oui.

Out Out of God's blessing into the warm sun. One of Ray's proverbs meaning from good to less good. “Ab equis ad asinos." When the king says to Hamlet “How is it that the clouds still hang on you?” the prince answers, “No, my lord, I am too much i' the sun,” meaning, “I have lost God's blessing, for too much of the sun”- i.e. this far inferior state.

"Thou out of heaven's benediction comest
To the warm sun.”
Shakespeare : King Lear, ii. 2.

   To have it out. To contest either physically or verbally with another to the utmost of one's ability; as, “I mean to