Chapter a Well to Tunkers of T by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

a Well to Tunkers

Truth in a Well This expression is attributed both to Cleanthes and to Democritos the derider.

“Naturam accusa, quæ in profundo veritatem (ut ait Democritus) peuitus abstruserit.”- Cicero: Academics, i. 10.

Tryanon Daughter of the fairy king who lived on the island of Oléron. “She was as white as lily in May,” and married Sir Launfal, King Arthur's steward, whom she carried off to “Oliroun her jolif isle,” and, as the romance says-

“Since saw him in this land no man,
Ne no more of him tell I n'can
For soothë without lie.”
Thomas Chestre: Sir Launfal (15th century).

Trygon A poisonous fish. It is said that Telegonos, son of Ulysses by Circe, coming to Ithaca to see his father was denied admission by the servants; whereupon a quarrel ensued, and his father, coming out to see what was the matter, was accidentally struck with his son's arrow, pointed with the bone of a trygon, and died.

“The lord of Ithaca.
Struck by the poisonous trygon's bone, expired.”
West: Triumphs of the Gout (Lucian).

Tsin Dynasty The fourth Imperial Dynasty of China, founded by Tchaosiang-wâng, prince of Tsin, who conquered the “fighting kings” (q.v.). He built the Wall of China (B.C. 211).

Tsong Dynasty The nineteenth Imperial Dynasty of China, founded by Tchao-quang-yn, the guardian and chief minister of Yông-tee. He was a descendant of Tchuang-tsong, the Tartar general, and on taking the yellow robe assumed the name of Taë-tsou (great ancestor). This dynasty, which lasted 300 years, was one of the most famous in Chinese annals. (960-1276.)

Tu Autem Come to the last clause. In the long Latin grace at St. John's College, Cambridge, the last clause used to be “Tu autem miscrere mei, Domine, Amen.” It was not unusual, when a scholar read slowly, for the senior Fellow to whisper “Tu autem” - i.e. Skip all the rest and give us only the last sentence.

Tu l'as Voulu, George Dandin (`Tis your own fault, George Dandin). You brought this upon yourself; as you have made your bed so you must lie on it. (See Dandin .)

Tu Quoque The tu quoque style of argument. Personal invectives; argument of personal application; ad hominem.

“We miss in this work his usual tu quoque style.”- Public Opinion.

Tu-ral-lu the refrain of comic songs, is a corruption of the Italian turluru, and the French turlureau or turelure. “Loure” is an old French word for a bagpipe, and “toure loure” means a refrain on the bagpipe. The refrain of a French song published in 1697 is-

“Toure loure, lourirette
Lironfa, toure lourira.”
Saite du Théátre Italien, iii. p. 453.

Tub A tale of a tub. A cock-and-bull story; a rigmarole, nonsensical romance. The Tale of a Tub is a religious satire by Dean Swift.
   Throw a tub to the whale. To create a diversion in order to avoid a real danger; to bamboozle or mislead an enemy. In whaling, when a ship is threatened by a whole school of whales, it is usual to throw a tub into the sea to divert their attention, and to make off as fast as possible.
   A tub of naked children. Emblematical of St. Nicholas, in allusion to two boys murdered and placed in a pickling tub by a landlord, but raised to life again by this saint. (See Nicholas.)

Tub, Tubbing Tubs, in rowing slang, are gig pairs of college boat clubs, who practice for the term's races. They are pulled on one side when a pair-oar boat in uniform makes its appearance. Tubbing is taking out pairs under the supervision of a coach to train men for taking part in the races.

Tub-woman (A). A drawer of beer at a country public-house.

“The common people had always a tradition that the queen's [Anne] grandmother ... had been a washerwoman, or, as Cardinal York asserted, a tub-woman- that is, a drawer of beer at a country publichouse.”- Howell: History of England; Anne, p. 171.

Tuba [ happiness ]. A tree of Paradise, of gigantic proportions, whose branches stretch out to those who wish to gather their produce; not only all luscious fruits, but even the flesh of