Chapter Pascal's Thoughts to Patelinage of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Pascal's Thoughts to Patelinage

Pascal's Thoughts Pensées sur la Religion (1670). Fugitive reflections and short sentences chiefly of a religious character, by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662).

Pasch Eggs (pron. Pask). Easter eggs, given as an emblem of the resurrection. They are generally coloured. Not unfrequently a name written with grease, which does not absorb the colouring matter, causes a pasch egg to appear with a name on it.
   The day before Easter Sunday is called Egg Saturday.
   Donner un oeuf, pour avoir un boeuf. Giving a sprat to catch a mackerel. To give an egg at Easter under the expeetation of receiving a more substantial present later on.

Pasha of Three Tails (A). There are three grades of pashas distinguished by the number of horse- tails on their standard. In war the horse-tail standard is carried before the pasha, and planted in front of his tent. The highest rank of pashas are those of three tails; the grand vizier is always ex officio such a pasha. Pashas of two tails are governors of provinces; it is one of these officers that we mean when we speak of a pasha in a general way. A pasha of one tail is a sanjak or lowest of provincial governors. (The word pasha is the Persian pa, support of Shah, the ruler.)

Pasque Eggs (See Pasch Eggs .)

Pasquinade (3 syl.). A lampoon or political squib, having ridicule for its object; so called from Pasquino, an Italian tailor of the fifteenth century, noted for his caustic wit. Some time after his death a mutilated statue was dug up, representing either Ajax supporting Menelaos, or Menelaos carrying the dead body of Patroclos, or else a gladiator, and was placed at the end of the Braschi Palace near the Piazza Navoni. As it was not clear what the statute represented, and as it stood opposite Pasquin's house, the Italians called it “Pasquin.” The Romans made this torso the depository of their political, religious, and personal satires, which were therefore called Pasquin-songs or Pasquinades. In the Capitol is a rival statue called Marforio, to which are affixed replies to the Pasquinades.

Pass A pass or A common pass. An ordinary degree, without honours. Where a person is allowed to pass up the senate-house to his degree without being “plucked.” (See Pluck. )
   Well to pass. Well to do. Here “pass” is the synonym of fare (Saxon, faran, to go or pass). Shakespeare has the expression, “How goes it?”- i.e. How fares it, how passes it?

Passe Brewell Sir Tristram's horse. Sir Tristram was one of the round-table knights. (History of Prince Arthur, ii. 68.)

Passe-partout A sort of picture-frame. The middle is cut out to the size of the picture, and the border or edge is embossed, so as to present a raised margin. The passe-partout and picture, being backed and faced with a glass, are held together by an edging of paper which shows on the glass face. The word means something to “pass over all.”
   A master-key is also called a passe-partout (a pass through all the rooms).

Passelourdin (3 syl.). A great rock near Poitiers, where there is a very narrow hole on the edge of a precipice, through which the university freshmen are made to pass, to “matriculate” them. The same is done at Mantua, where the freshmen are made to pass under the arch of St. Longinus. Passe-lourdan means “lubber-pass.”

Passelyon A young foundling brought up by Morgane la Fée. He was detected in an intrigue with Morgane's daughter, and the adventures of this amorous youth are related in the romance called Perceforest, vol. iii.

Passing Bell (The). It now means the bell tolled to announce the death of one who has died in the parish; but originally it meant the bell which announced that the person was in extremis, or passing from time into eternity.

“When a person lies in agony, the bells of the parish he belongs to are touched with the clappers until