Chapter Snap-Dragons to Societe de Momus of S by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

the bishop why he was so called, the bishop replied, “Because I am often in hot water, and always come out with clean hands.”

Sober or Sobrius is the Latin s privative, and ebrius, drunk. (S privative is for seorsum.)

Sober as a Judge - i.e. grave and sedate. (See Similes .)

Sobrino (in Orlando Furioso). One of the most valiant of the Saracen army. He is called the Sage. He was aged, and counselled Agramant to give up the war and return home, or, if he rejected that advice, to entrust the fight to single combat, on condition that the nation of the champion overthrown should pay tribute to the other. Rogero was chosen for the pagan champion, and Rinaldo for the Christian, but Agramant broke the league. Sobrino soon after this received the rite of baptism.
   Don Quixote asks-

“Who more prudent than Sobrino?”

Sobriquet (French). A nickname. Ménage thinks the etymology is the Latin subridiculum (somewhat ridiculous); Count de Gebelin suggests the Romance words sopra- quest (a name acquired over and above your proper names); while Leglay is in favour of soubriquet, a word common in the fourteenth century to express a sound of contempt, half whistle and half jeer, made by raising quickly the chin. Probably sous-brechet, where brechet means the breast, seen in our word “brisket.”

Socialism (3 syl.). The political and social scheme of Robert Owen, of Montgomeryshire, who in 1816 published a work to show that society was in a wretched condition, and all its institutions and religious systems were based on wrong principles. The prevailing system is competition, but Owen maintained that the proper principle is co-operation; he therefore advocated a community of property and the abolition of degrees of rank. (1771-1858.)
   The Socialists are called also Owenites (3 syl.). In France the Fourierists and St. Simonians are similar sorts of communists, who receive their designations from Fourier and St. Simon (q.v.).

Societe de Momus One of the minor clubs of Paris for the reunion of song-writers and singers. The most noted of these clubs was the Caveau, or in full Les Diners du Caveau, founded in 1733 by Piron, Crébillon, jun., and Collet. This club lasted till the Revolution. In the Consulate was formed Les Dîners du Vaudeville, for the habitués of the drama; these dîners were held in the house of Julliet, an actor. In 1806 the old Caveau was revived under the name of the Caveau Moderne, and the muster was once a month at a restaurant entitled La Rocher de Cancale, famous for fish dinners, and Laujon (the French Anacreon) was president. Béranger belonged to this club, which lasted ten years. In 1824 was founded the Gymnase Lyrique, which, like the Caveau, published an annual volume of songs; this society was dissolved in 1841. In 1834 was founded La Lice Chansonniére, for those who could not afford to join the Caveau or the Gymnase, to which we owe some of the best French songs.