Chapter Vaudeville to Venus of V by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Venerable The Venerable. Bede, the ecclesiastical historian. (672-735.)
   The Venerable Doctor. William de Champeaux, founder of realism. (Twelfth century.)
   Peter, Abbot of Clugny. (1093-1156.)

Vengeur (Le). A man-of-war commanded by Cambrone. The tale is this: June 1, 1794, Lord Howe encountered the French fleet off Ushant. Six ships were taken by the English admiral, and the victory was decisive. but Le Vengeur, although reduced to a mere hulk, refused to surrender, and, discharging a last broadside, sank in the waves, while the crew shouted “Vive la République! ” The Convention ordered a medal to be struck with this legend- Le Triomphe du Vengeur. It is almost a pity that this thoroughly French romance should lack one important item- a grain of truth. The day of this victory is often called “The Glorious First of June.” The historic fact is, the ship sank, with the crew crying for help, which was readily given by the British foe.

“We'll show the haughty British race
The Frenchman can such honour boast-
That when one Vengour we have lost,
Another hastes to take her place.
Translated by J. Oxenford.

Veni, Creator Spiritus A hymn of the Roman Breviary used on the Feast of Pentecost. It has been ascribed to Charlemagne, but Mone thinks that Pope Gregory I. was the author.

Veni, Sanote Spiritus A Latin hymn in rhyme, ascribed to Robert, King of France; also to Archbishop Langton.

Veni, Vidi, Vici It was thus that Julius Caesar announced to his friend Amintius his victory at Zela, in Asia Minor, over Pharnaces, son of Mithridates, who had rendered aid to Pompey. (Plutarch.)

Venial Sin One that may be pardoned; one that does not forfeit grace. In the Catholic Church sins are of two sorts, mortal and venial; in the Protestant Church there is no such distinction; but see Matt. xii. 31.

Venice Glass The drinking glasses of the Middle Ages, made at Venice, were said to break into shivers if poison were put into them.

Doge. “ `Tis said that our Venetian crystal has
Such pure antipathy to poison, as
To burst, if aught of venom touches it.”
Byron: The Two Foscari, v. 1.

   Venice glass, from its excellency, became a synonym for perfection.

Venice of the West Glasgow.

“Another element in the blazon of the `Venice of the West' is a fish laid across the stem of the tree, `in base,' as the heralds say.”- J. H. Burton.

Venison Anything taken in hunting or by the chase. Hence Jacob bids Esau to go and get venison such as he loved (Gen. xxvii. 3), meaning the wild kid. The word is simply the Latin venatio (hunting), but is now restricted to the flesh of deer.

Venom The venom is in the tail. The real difficulty is the conclusion. The allusion is to the scorpion, which has a sting in its tail.
   The French say, “It is always most difficult to flay the tail” (C'est lc plus difficile que d'écorcher la queue).

Venomous Preacher (The). Robert Traill (1642-1716).

Ventilate a Subject (To). To moof it, to throw it out for discussion that it may be winnowed or sifted. To ventilate a room is to let air and light into it, to drive away bad gases, etc. So in ventilating a subject, light is thrown on it, and all that is false, extraneous, or doubtful is blown away.

Ventre-saint-Gris! The usual oath of Henri IV. About equal to “Corpus Christi. ” A similar juron is “Par le ventre de Dieu ” (Ventre-dieu! or Ventrebleu!). Cris for Christ is familiarised by our common phrase “the criss-cross or cris-cross row”; and if saint refers to Christ we have a similar phrase in St. Saviour's.