Chapter Silver of Guthrum to Sing Old Rose of S by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Silver of Guthrum to Sing Old Rose

Silver of Guthrum or Guthram's Lane. Fine silver; so called because in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the principal gold- and silver-smiths resided there.

Silverside of Beef (The). The upper side of a round, which not only shows the shining tissue uppermost, but, when carved cold has a silvery appearance. Generally boiled.

Simeon (St.) is usually depicted as bearing in his arms the infant Jesus, or receiving Him in the Temple.

Similes in common use:-

BALD as a coot.
BITTER as gall, soot.
BLACK as ink, as a coal, as a crow
BLIND as a bat, a beetle, a mole.
BLUNT as a hedge-hook.
BRAVE as Alexander.
BRIGHT as silver.
BRITTLE as glass.
BROWN as a berry
BUSY as a bee.
CHATTER like a jay.
CLEAR as crystal.
COLD as ice, as a frog, as charity.
COOL as a cucumber.
CROSS as the tongs, as two sticks.
DARK as pitch [pitch-dark].
DEAD as a door-nail.
DEAF as a post.
DRY as a bone.
FAIR as a lily.
FALSE as hell.
FAT as a pig, as a porpoise.
FLAT as a flounder, as a pancake.
FLEET as the wind, as a racehorse.
FREE as air.
GAY as a lark.
GOOD as gold.
GREEN as grass.
HARD as iron, as a flint.
HARMLESS as a dove.
HEAVY as lead.
HOARSE as a hog, as a raven.
HELPLESS as a babe.
HOLLOW as a drum.
HOT as fire, as an oven, as a coal.
HUNGRY as a hunter.
LIGHT as a feather, as day.
LIMP as a glove.
LOUD as thunder.
MERRY as a grig, as a cricket.
MILD as Moses, as milk.
NEAT as wax, as a new pin.
OBSTINATE as a pig (pig-headed.)
OLD as the hills, as Methuselah.
PALE as a ghost.
PATIENT as Job.
PLAIN as a pikestaff.
PLAYFUL as a kitten.
PLUMP as a partridge.
POOR as a rat, as a church mouse, as Job.
PROUD as Lucifer.
RED as blood, as a fox, a rose, a brick.
ROUGH as a nutmeg-grater.
ROUND as an orange, a ball.
RUDE as a bear.
SAFE as the bank [of England], or the stocks.
SAVAGE as a bear, as a tiger, as a bear with a sore head.
SICK as a cat, a dog, a horse, a toad.
SHARP as a needle.
SLEEP like a top.
SLOW as a snail, as a tortoise.
SLY as a fox, as old boots.
SOFT as silk, as velvet, as soap.
SOUND as a roach, as a bell.
SOUR as vinegar, as verjuice.
STARE like a stuck pig.
STEADY as Old Time.
STIFF as a poker.
STRAIGHT as an arrow.
STRONG as iron, as a horse, as brandy.
SURE as a gun, as fate, as death and taxes.
SURLY as a bear.
SWEET as sugar.
SWIFT as lightning, as the wind, as an arrow.
THICK as hops.
THIN as a lath, as a whipping-post.
TIGHT as a drum.
TOUGH as leather.
TRUE as the Gospel.
VAIN as a peacock.
WARM as a toast.
WEAK as water.
WET as a fish.
WHITE as driven snow, as milk, as a swan, as a sheet, as chalk.
WISE as a serpent, as Solomon.
YELLOW as a guinea, as gold, as saffron.

Similia Similibus Curantur Like cures like. (See under Hair : Take a hair of the dog that bit you.)

Simmes' Hole The cavity which Captain John C. Simmes maintained existed at the North and South Poles.

Simnel Cakes Rich cakes eaten in Lancashire in Mid-Lent. Simnel is the German semmel, a manchet or roll; Danish and Norwegian simle; Swedish, simla. In Somersetshire a teacake is called a simlin. A simnel cake is a cake manchet, or rich semmel. The eating of these cakes in Mid-Lent is in commemoration of the banquet given by Joseph to his brethren, which forms the first lesson of Mid-Lent Sunday, and the feeding of five thousand, which forms the gospel of the day. (See Mid-Lent.)

Simon (St.) is represented with a saw in his hand, in allusion to the instrument of his martyrdom. He sometimes bears fish in the other hand, in allusion to his occupation as a fishmonger.

Simon Magus Isidore tells us that Simon Magus died in the reign of Nero, and adds that he (Simon) had proposed a dispute with Peter and Paul, and had promised to fly up to heaven. He succeeded in rising high into the air, but at the prayers of the two apostles he was cast down to earth by the evil spirits who had enabled him to rise into the air.
   Milman, in his History of Christianity, vol. ii. p. 51, tells another story. He says that Simon offered to be buried alive, and declared that he would reappear on the third day. He was actually buried in a deep trench, “but to this day,” says Hippolytus, “his disciples have failed to witness his resurrection.”