Chapter Sing Out to Six of S by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Sing Out to Six

Sing Out To cry or squall from chastisement.
   To sing small. To cease boasting and assume a lower tone.

Sing-su-hay A lake of Thibet, famous for its gold sands.

“Bright are the waters of Sing-su-hay
And the golden floods that thitherward stray.”
Thomas Moore: Paradise and the Peri.

Singapores (3 syl.), in Stock-Exchange phraseology, means, “British Indian Extension Telegraph Stock.” (See Stock-Exchange Slang .)

Singing Apple was a ruby apple on a stem of amber. It had the power of persuading anyone to anything merely by its odour, and enabled the possessor to write verses, make people laugh or cry, and itself sang so as to ravish the ear. The apple was in the desert of Libya, and was guarded by a dragon with three heads and twelve feet. Prince Chery put on an armour of glass, and the dragon, when it saw its thousand reflections in the armour and thought a thousand dragons were about to attack it, became so alarmed that it ran into its cave, and the prince closed up the mouth of the cave. (Countess d' Aunoy: Chery and Fairstar.) (See Singing-Tree .)

Singing-Bread, consecrated by the priest singing. (French, pain à chanter.) The reformers directed that the sacramental bread should be similar in fineness and fashion to the round bread-and-water singing- cakes used in private Masses.

Singing Chambermaids, in theatrical parlance, mean those smart young light comedy actresses who perform chambermaids and are good singers.

Singing Tree A tree whose leaves were so musical that every leaf sang in concert. (Arabian Nights: Story of the Sisters who Envied their Younger Sister.) (See Singing Apple .)

Singing in Tribulation Confessing when put to the torture. Such a person is termed in gaol slang a “canary bird.”

“ `This man, sir, is condemned to the galleys for being a canary-bird.' `A canary-bird!' exclaimed the knight. `Yes, sir,' added the arch-thief; `I mean that he is very famous for his singing,' `What!' said Don Quixote: `are people to be sent to the galleys for singing?' `Marry, that they are,' answered the slave; `for there is nothing more dangerous than singing in tribulation.' ”- Cervantes: Don Quixote, iii. 8.

Single-Speech Hamilton The Right Hon. W. G. Hamilton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland, spoke one speech, but that was a masterly torrent of eloquence which astounded everyone. (November 13th, 1755.)

“No one likes a reputation analogous to that of `single-speech Hamilton.' ”- The Times.

“Or is it he, the wordy youth,
So early trained for statesman's part,
Who talks of honour, faith, and truth,
As themes that he has got by heart,
Whose ethics Chesterfield can teach,
Whose logic is from Single-speech?”
Sir Walter Scott: Bridal of Triermain, ii. 4.

Sinister (Latin, on the left hand). According to augury, birds, etc., appearing on the left-hand side forbode ill-luck; but, on the right-hand side, good luck. Thus, corva sinistra (a crow on the left-hand) is a sign of ill-luck which belongs to English superstitions as much as to the ancient Roman or Etruscan.(Virgil: Eclogues, i. 18.)

“That raven on yon left-hand oak
(Curse on his ill-betiding croak)
Bodes me no good.” Gay: Fable xxxvii. Sinister. (See Bar Sinister.)