Chapter Whistle to White Ladies of W by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

White Company (The ). “Le Blanche Compagnie. ” A band of French cutthroats organised by Bertrand du Guesclin and led against Pedro the Cruel.

“Se faisoient appeller `La Blanche Compagnie.' parce quils portoient tous une croix blanche sur I'epaule, comme voulant temoigner qu'ils n'avoient pris les armes que pour abolir le Judaisme en Espagne, et combattre le Prince qui le protegesit.”- Memoires Historiques.

White Czar (The ). Strictly speaking means the Czar of Muscovy; the King of Muscovy was called the White King from the white robes which he wore. The King of Poland was called the Black King.

“Sunt qui principem Moscoviae Album Regem nuncupant. Ego quidem causam diligenter quielebam, cur regis albi nomine appellaretur, cum nemo principum Moscoviae eo titulo antea [Ivan III.] esset usus ... Credo autem ut Persam nune propter rubea tegumenta capitis `Kissilpassa' (i. e. rubeum caput) vocant; ita reges Moscoviae propter alba tegumenta `Albos Reges' appellari.”- Sigismund.

“The marriage of the Czarevitch with the Princess Alex of Hesse (2 syl.), will impress the Oriental mind with the expectation that the Empress of India and the White Czar will henceforth ... labour to avoid the ... mischief of disagreement.”- The Standard, April 21st, 1894.

White Elephant King of the White Elephant. The proudest title borne by the kings of Ava and Siam. In Ava the white elephant bears the title of `lord,” and has a minister of high rank to superintend his household.
   The land of the White Elephant. Siam.
   To have a white elephant to keep. To have an expensive and unprofitable dignity to support, or a pet article to take care of. For example, a person moving is determined to keep a pet carpet, and therefore hires his house to fit his carpet. The King of Siam makes a present of a white elephant to such of his courtiers as he wishes to ruin.

White Feather To show the white feather. To show cowardice. No gamecock has a white feather. A white feather indicates a cross-breed in birds.
   Showing the white feather. Some years ago a bloody war was raging between the Indians and settlers of the backwoods of North America. A Quaker, who refused to fly, saw one day a horde of savages rushing down towards his house. He set food before them, and when they had eaten the chief fastened a white feather over the door as a badge of friendship and peace. Though many bands passed that house, none ever violated the covenant by injuring its inmates or property.

White Friars The Carmelites. So called because they dressed in white.
   Whitefriars, London. So called from a monastery of White Friars which formerly stood in Water Lane.
   Whitefriars. A novel, by Emma Robinson.

White Harvest (A ). A late harvest, when the ground is white of a morning with hoarfrost. The harvest of 1891 was a white harvest.

White Hat (See under Hat .)

White Horse of Wantage (Berkshire), cut in the chalk hills. This horse commemorates a great victory gained by Alfred over the Danes, in the reign of his brother Ethelred I. The battle is called the battle of AEseesdun (Ashtreehill). The horse is 374 feet long, and may be seen at the distance of fifteen miles. (Dr. Wise. )
   An annual ceremony was once held, called “Scouring the White Horse.”

White Horses Foam-crested waves.

“The resemblance ... has commonly been drawn between the horse [and the waves], in regard to his mane, and the foam-tipped waves, which are still called white horses.”- W. E. Gladstone: Nineteenth Century, November, 1885.

White House The presidential mansion in the United States. It is a building of freestone, painted white, at Washington. Figuratively, it means the Presidency; as, “He has his eye on the White House.” (See Whitehall .)

White Ladies [Les Dames Blanches ]. A species of fée in Normandy. They lurk in ravines, fords, bridges, and other narrow passes, and ask the passenger to dance. If they receive a courteous answer, well; but