Chapter Quid to Quixada of Q by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Quillet An evasion. In French “pleadings” each separate allegation in the plaintiff's charge, and every distinct plea in the defendant's answer used to begin with qu'il est; whence our quillet, to signify a false charge, or an evasive answer.

“Oh, some authority how to proceed;
Some tricks, some quillets, how to cheat the devil.”
Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost, iv. 3.

Quilp A hideous dwarf, both fierce and cunning, in The Old Curiosity Shop, by Dickens.

Quinapalus The Mrs. Harris of “authorities in citations.” If anyone wishes to clench an argument by some quotation, let him cite this ponderous collection.

“What says Quinapalus: `Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.”- Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, i. 5.

Quinbus Flestrin The man-mountain. So the Lilliputians called Gulliver (chap. ii.). Gay has an ode to this giant.

“Bards of old of him told,
When they said Atlas' head
Propped the skies.”
Gay: Lilliputian Ode.

Quince (Peter) A carpenter, and manager of the play in Midsummer Night's Dream. He is noted for some strange compounds, such as laughable tragedy, lamentable comedy, tragical mirth, etc.

Quinones (Suero de), in the reign of Juan II., with nine other cavaliers, held the bridge of Orbigo against all comers for thirty-six days, overthrowing in that time seventy-eight knights of Spain and France. Quinones had challenged the world, and such was the result.

Quinquagesima Sunday (Latin, fiftieth). Shrove Sunday, or the first day of the week which contains Ash-Wednesday. It is so called because in round numbers it is the fiftieth day before Easter.

Quinsy This is a curious abbreviation. The Latin word is cynanchia, and the Greek word kunanché, from kuon anche, dog strangulation, because persons suffering from quinsy throw open the mouth like dogs, especially mad dogs. From kunanche comes kuanchy, kuansy, quinsy.

Quintessence The fifth essence. The ancient Greeks said there are four elements or forms in which matter can exist- fire, or the imponderable form; air, or the gaseous form; water, or the liquid form; and earth, or the solid form. The Pythagoreans added a fifth, which they called ether, more subtile and pure than fire, and possessed of an orbicular motion. This element, which flew upwards at creation, and out of which the stars were made, was called the fifth essence; quintessence therefore means the most subtile extract of a body that can be procured. It is quite an error to suppose that the word means an essence five times distilled, and that the term came from the alchemists. Horace speaks of “kisses which Venus has imbued with the quintessence of her own nectar.”

“Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements- earth, flood, air, fire;
But this ethereal quintessence of heaven
Flew upward ... and turned to stars
Numberless as thou seest.”
Milton: Paradise Lost, iii. 716.

Quintilians Disciples of Quintilia, held to be a prophetess. These heretical Christians made the Eucharist of bread and cheese, and allowed women to become priests and bishops.

Quip Modest (The). Sir, it was done to please myself. Touchstone says: “If I sent a person word that his bread was not well cut, and he replied he cut it to please himself,” he would answer with the quip modest, which is six removes from the lie direct; or, rather, the lie direct in the sixth degree.

Quis custodiet Custodes? [The shepherds keep watch over the sheep], but who is there to keep watch over the shepherds?

Quisquiliae Light, dry fragments of things; the small twigs and leaves which fall from trees; hence rubbish, refuse.