Chapter Peace of Antalcidas to Pedlar's Acre of P by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Pearl For Cleopatra melting her pearl in honour of Antony, see Cleopatra.
   A similar act of vanity and folly is told by Horace (2 Satire, iii. verse 239). Clodius, son of AEsop the tragedian, drew a pearl from his ear of great value, melted it in a strong acid, and drank to the health of Cecilia Metella. This story is referred to by Valerius Maximus, Macrobius, and Pliny. Horace says,

“Qui sanior, ac si
Illud idem in rapidum flumen jaceretve cloacam!'

   Sir Thomas Gresham, it is said, when Queen Elizabeth dined with him at the City banquet, melted a pearl worth £15,000, and drank to her health.

“Here fifteen thousand pounds alone clap goes
Instead of sugar, Gresham drinks the pearl
Unto his queen and mistress.”
Thomas Heywood.

Pearl of the East Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra (reigned 266-272).

Peasant Bard Robert Burns, the lyric poet of Scotland. (1759-1796.)

Peasant-boy Philosopher (The). James Ferguson. (1710-1776.)

Peasants' War (The), between 1500 and 1525. It was a frequent rising of the peasantry of Swabia, Franconia, Saxony, and other German states, in consequence of the tyranny and oppression of the nobles. In 1502 was the rebellion called the Laced Shoe, from its cognisance; in 1514, the League of Poor Conrad; in 1523, the Latin War. The insurgents were put down, and whereas they had been whipped before with scourges, they were now chastised with scorpions.

Peascod Father of Peasblossom, if Bottom's pedigree may be accepted.

“I pray you commend me to Mistress Squash your mother, and to Master Peascod your father, good Master Peasblossom.”- Shakespeare: Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. 1.

   Winter for shoeing, peascod for wooing. The allusion in the latter clause is to the custom of placing a peascod with nine peas in it on the door-lintel, under the notion that the first man who entered through the door would be the husband of the person who did so. Another custom is alluded to by Browne-

“The peascod greene oft with no little toyle
Hee'd seeke for in the fattest, fertil'st soile,
And rend it from the stalke to bring it to her,
And in her bosome for acceptance woo her.”
Britannia's Pastorals.

Pec Eton slang for money. A contraction of the Latin pecunia.

Peccavi To cry peccavi. To acknowledge oneself in the wrong. It is said that Sir Charles Napier, after the battle of Hyderabad, in 1843, used this word as a pun upon his victory- “Peccavi"x (I have sinned, i.e. Sinde).

Peck (A). Some food. “To have a peck,” is to have something to eat.
   Peckish. Hungry, or desirous of something to eat. Of course “peck” refers to fowls, etc., which peck their food.

“When shall I feel peckish again.”- Disraeli: Sybil, book vi. chap. iii.

Pecker Keep your pecker up. As the mouth is in the head, pecker (the mouth) means the head; and to “keep your pecker up,” means to keep your head up, or, more familiarly, “keep your tail up;” “never say die.”

Peckham: All holiday at Peckham.- i.e. no appetite, not peckish; a pun on the word peck, as going to Bedfordshire is a pun on the word bed.
   Going to Peckham. Going to dinner.

Pecksniff A canting hypocrite, who speaks homilies of morality, does the most heartless things “as a duty to society,” and forgives wrong-doing in nobody but himself. (Dickens: Martin Chuzzlewit.)

Peculiar A parish or church exempt from episcopal jurisdiction, as a royal chapel, etc.

Peculiars (The Court of). A branch of the Court of Arches having jurisdiction over the “peculiars” of the archbishop of Canterbury. (See above.)