Chapter Water to Weak as Water of W by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Water to Weak as Water

Water The coldest water known.
   Colder than the water of Nonacris (Pliny, xiii. 2).
   Colder than the water of Dirce. “Dirce et Neme fontes sunt frigidissimi aestate, inter Bilbilim et Segobregam, in ripa fere Salonis amnis.” (Martial.)
   Colder than the water of Dircenna. (Martial, i. 51.)
   Colder than the Conthoporian Spring of Corinth, that froze up the gastric juices of those that sipped it.

Water-gall The dark rim round the eyes after much weeping. A peculiar appearance in a rainbow which indicates more rain at hand. “Gall” is the Anglo-Saxon gealew (yellow).

“And round about her tear-distainëd eye
Blue circles streamed, like rainbows in the sky;
These watergalls ... foretell new storms.”
Shakespeare: Rape of Lucrecs.

Water-hole The big water-hole. The bed of the sea; the ocean.

“We've got to the big water-hole at last ... Tis a long way across.”- Boldrewood: Robbery under Arms, chap. xii.

Water-logged Rendered immovable by too much water in the hold. When a ship leaks and is water-logged, it will not make any progress, but is like a log on the sea, tossed and stationary.

Water-Poet John Taylor, the Thames waterman. (1580-1654.)

“I must confess I do want eloquence,
And never scarce did learn my accidence,
For having got from `possum' to `posset,'
I there was grayelled, nor could farther get.”
Taylor the Water-Poet.

Water-sky (A), in Arctic navigation, is a dark or brown sky, indicating an open sea. An ice-sky is a white one, or a sky tinted with orange or rose-colour, indicative of a frozen sea. (See Ice-Blink .)

Water Stock (To). To add extra shares. Suppose a “trust” (q.v.) consists of 1,000 shares of 50 each, and the profit available for dividend is 40 per cent., the managers “water the stock,” that is, add another 1,000 fully paid-up shares to the original 1,000. There are now 2,000 shares, and the dividend, instead of 40 per cent., is reduced to 20; but the shares are more easily sold, and the shareholders are increased in number.

Water of Jealousy (The). If a woman was known to commit adultery she was to be stoned to death, according to the Mosaic law. (Deut. xxii. 22.) If, however, the husband had no proof, but only suspected his wife of infidelity, he might take her before the Sanhedrim to be examined, and if she denied it, she was given the “water of jealousy” to drink (Numb. v. 11-29). In this water some of the dust of the sanctuary was mixed, and the priest said to the woman, “If thou hast gone aside may Jehovah make this water bitter to thee, and bring on thee all the curses written in this law.” The priest then wrote on a roll the curses, blotted the writing with the water, gave it to the woman, and then handed to her the “water of jealousy” to drink.

Water Tasting like Wine Pliny (ii. 103) tells us of a fountain in the Isle of Andros, in the temple of Bacchus, which every year, on January 5th, tasted like wine.
   Baccius de Thermis (vi. 22) gives numerous examples of similar vinous springs.
   In Lanternland there was a fountain in the middle of the temple, the water of which had the flavour of the wine which the drinker most liked. (Rabelais: Pantagruel, v. 42.)

Waters (Sonitary).
   For anaemia, Schwalbach, St. Moritz.
   ” articular rheumatism, Aix les Bains.
   ” asthma, Mont Dore.
   ” atonic gout, Royat.
   ” biliary obstructions, Carlsbad.
   ” calculous disorders, Vichy and Contrexéville.
   ” diabetes, Neuenahr and Carlsbad.
   ” gout, Aix les Bains.
   ” gouty and catarrhal dyspepsia, Homburg and Kissingen.
   ” obesity, Marienbad.
   ” plethoric gout, Carlsbad.
   ” scrofulous glandular affections, Kreuznacn.
   ” skin diseases Aix la Chapelle and Constadt.
   ” throat affections, La Bourbonne, Aix-les-Bains, Uriage, Auterets, Eaux Bonnes.

Waterloo Cup (The). A dog prize. Waterloo is on the banks of the Mersey, about three miles north of Liverpool.