Chapter Running Leather to Rython of R by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

cliff, and the paramour sneaked off; but Sir Rupert let himself down some thirty feet, took up the fallen woman, and contrived to save her. She was terribly mutilated, and remained a sad disfigured cripple till death, but Sir Rupert nursed her with unwearied zeal. From this story the cliff received its name.

Rush Not worth a rush. Worthless. The allusion is to the practice of strewing floors with rushes before carpets were invented. Distinguished guests had clean fresh rushes, but those of inferior grade had either the rushes which had been already used by their superiors, or none at all. The more modern expression is “Not worth a straw.”

“Strangers have green rushes, when daily guests are not worth a rush.”- Lilly: Sappho and Phaon.

   Friar Rush. Will-o'-the-Wisp; a strolling demon, who once on a time got admittance into a monastery as a scullion, and played the monks divers pranks. (See Friar's Lanthorn.)

Rush-bearing Sunday A Sunday, generally near the time of the festival of the saint to whom the church is dedicated, when anciently it was customary to renew the rushes with which the church floor was strewed. The festival is still observed at Ambleside, Westmoreland, on the last Sunday in July, the church being dedicated to St. Anne, whose day is July 26. The present custom is to make the festival a flower Sunday, with rushes and flowers formed into fanciful devices. The preceding Saturday is a holiday, being the day when the old rushes were removed.

Rushvan The angel who opens and shuts the gates of Paradise or Al Janat. (The Koran.)

Ruskinese (3 syl.). Words and phrases introduced by Ruskin, or coined a la Ruskin. The word is used in The Times:-

“Such writers as Ruskin and Carlyle have made for themselves technical terms, words, and phrases; some of which will be incorporated into the language ... while others may remain emblems of Ruskinese and Carlylism.”- June 11, 1869.

Russ The Russian language; a Russian.

Russel A common name given to a fox, from its russet colour.

“Dann Russel, the fox, stert up at oones,
And by the garget hente Chaunteclere
And on his bak toward the wood him bere.”
Chaucer: The Nonne Prestes Tale.

Russia “Great Russia” is Muscovy. “White or Little Russia” is that part acquired in 1654 by Alexei Mikalowitch, including Smolensk. The emperor is called the “Czar of All the Russias.” (See Black Russia .)

Russian The nickname of a Russian is “a Bear,” or the “Northern Bear.”

Rustam The Deev-bend and Persian Hercules, famous for his victory over the white dragon named Asdeev. He was the son of Zâl, prince of Sedjistan. The exploits attributed to him must have been the aggregate of exploits performed by numerous persons of the same name. His combat for two days with Prince Isfendiar is a favourite subject with the Persian poets. The name of his horse was Reksh. Matthew Arnold's poem, Sohrab and Rustam, gives an account of Rustam fighting with and killing his son Sohrab.

Rusty He turns rusty. Like a rusty bolt, he sticks and will not move.

Rusty-Fusty That odour and filth which accumulates on things and in places not used.

“Then from the butchers we bought lamb and sheepe,
Beer from the alehouse, and a broome to sweepe
Our cottage, that for want of use was musty,
And most extremely rusty-fusty dusty.”
Taylor: Workes, ii. 24.

Ruydera The duenna of Belerma. She had seven daughters, who wept so bitterly at the death of Durandarte, that Merlin, out of pity, turned them into lakes or estuaries. (Don Quixote pt. ii. bk. ii. ch. 6.)