Chapter Rally to Rape of the Lock of R by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Ramee Samee The conjurer who swallowed swords, and could twist himself into a knot as if he had neither bones nor joints.

Rameses (3 syl.). The title of an ancient Egyptian dynasty; it means Offspring of the Sun. This title was first assumed towards the close of the Eighteenth Dynasty, and ran through the Nineteenth. Rameses III. is called Rhampsinitos by Herodotos. Sesostris is supposed to be identical with Rameses the Great. (Eses, i.e. Isis.)

Ramiel (2 syl.). One of the fallen angels cast out of heaven. The word means one that exalts himself against God.

Raminagobris A cat; a vile poet. La Fontaine in several of his fables gives this name to the cat. Rabelais under this name satirises Guillaume Crétin, an old French poet in the reigns of Charles VIII., Louis XII., and Francois I. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, iii. 21.)

Rampallian A term of contempt; probably it means a rampant or wanton woman; hence in A New Trick to Cheat the Devil (1639) we have this line: “And bold rampallian-like, swear and drink drunk.”

“Away, you scullion! you rampallian! you fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe.”- Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV., ii. 1.

Ramsay the Rich Ramsay used to be called the Croesus of our English abbeys. It had only sixty monks of the Benedictine order to maintain, and its revenues allowed £1,000 a year to the abbot, and £100 a year for each of its monks.
   David Ramsay. The old watchmaker near Temple Bar.
   Margaret Ramsay. His daughter, who became the bride of Lord Nigel. (Sir Walter Scott: Fortunes of Nigel.)

Ramsbottom ( Mrs.). A vile speller of the Queen's English. It was the signature of Theodore Hook in his letters published in the John Bull newspaper, 1829.

Rana Goddess of the sea, and wife of the sea-god Aeger. (Scandinavian mythology.)

“ `May Rama keep them in the deep,
As is her wont.
And no one save them from the grave,'
Cried Helgehont.”
Frithiof- Saga; The Banishment.

Randem-Tandem A tandem of three horses. (University term.)

Random (Roderick). A young Scotch scapegrace in quest of fortune; at one time basking in prosperity, at another in utter destitution. He is led into different countries, whose peculiarities are described; and into all sorts of society, as that of wits, sharpers, courtiers, courtesans, and so on. Though occasionally lavish, he is inherently mean; and though possessing a dash of humour, is contemptibly revengeful. His treatment of Strap is revolting to a generous mind. Strap lends him money in his necessity, but the heartless Roderick wastes the loan, treats Strap as a mere servant, fleeces him at dice, and cuffs him when the game is adverse. (Smollett: Roderick Random.)

Rank and File Soldiers of any grade below that of lance-sergeant are so called, collectively, in military phraseology, and any two soldiers of such grade are spoken of as “a file;” thus, 100 rank and file would equal 50 file, that is, 50 men standing behind each other in a row. No soldier ever talks of files in the plural, or about “a file of fours.” As there are two in a “rank,” there is a left file and a right file; and men may move in “single file” or in “double file.” A line of soldiers drawn up side by side or abreast is a rank.

Rank distinguished by Colour In China the emperor, empress, and prince imperial wear yellow; the other wives of the emperor wear violet; high state officers wear blue; officials of lower rank wear red; and the general public wear black or some dark shade.

Ranks Risen from the ranks. From mean origin; a self-made man. A military term applied to an officer who once served as a private soldier. Such an officer is now often called a “ranker.”

Rantipole (3 syl.). A harum-scarum fellow, a madcap (Dutch, randten, to be in a state of idiotcy or insanity, and pole, a head or person). The late Emperor Napoleon III. was called Rantipole, for his