low couches ranged round its walls, plentifully supplied with cushions. The name has been imported into Western Europe specifically to imply a low-cushioned sofa or couch.
Dixie’s Land. The Negroes’ paradise in slavery days. Dixie had a tract of land on Manhattan Island. He treated his slaves well, but as they increased sold many of them off to masters further afield. They always looked back to Dixie’s Land as an ideal locality, associated with heaven, and when one of them died his kith and kin said he had gone to Dixie’s Land.
Dizzy. The nickname of Benjamin Disraeli, afterwards 78Earl of Beaconsfield, the great political opponent of Mr Gladstone.
Doctor. There are three kinds of Doctors–of Law, Physic, and Divinity. The first and the last are essentially University degrees, with which the vulgar orders of the people have little or no acquaintance. They know only of one “Doctor,” the medical practitioner, and since he wears a frock coat and a silk hat he is entitled to all the respect that they can pay him.
Doctors’ Commons. Anciently a college for Professors of Canon and Civil Law, who dined in common on certain days in each term, similar to students at the Inns of Court before they are called to the Bar.
Dog and Duck. A tavern sign indicative of the old sport of duck hunting by spaniels in a pond.
Dog-cart. Originally one in which sportsmen drove their pointers and setters to the field.
Dog his Footsteps. To follow close to his heels like a dog.
Dog in the Manger. From the old story told of the dog who did not require the hay for himself, yet refused to allow the ox to come near it.
Dog Rose. From the old idea that the root of this rose-tree was an antidote for the bite of a mad dog.
Dog Watch. A corruption of “Dodge Watch,” being a watch of two hours only instead of four, by which dodging seamen gradually shift their watch on successive days.
Dolgelley. Celtic for “dale of hazels.”
Dollar. From the German Thaler, originally Joachims-Thaler, the silver out of which this coin was struck having been found in the Thal or Valley of St Joachim in Bohemia.
Dollars and Dimes. An Americanism for money generally. See “Dime.”
Dolly Shop. The old name for a rag shop which had a 79black doll over the door for a sign. At one time old clothes were shipped to the Negroes in the southern states of America.
Dolly Varden. The name of a flowered skirt, answering to the description of that worn by Dolly Varden in Dickens’s “Barnaby Rudge.” This dress material became very popular after the novel was published. It also gave rise to a song, of which the burden was: “Dressed in a Dolly Varden.”
Dolphin. A gold coin introduced by Charles V. of France, also Dauphin of Vienne.
Dominica. Expresses the Spanish for Sunday, the day on which Columbus discovered this island.
Dominicans. Friars of the Order of St Dominic; also called Black Friars, from their habits.
Dominoes. A game invented by two French monks, who amused themselves with square, flat stones marked with spots. The winner declared his victory by reciting the first line of the Vesper service: “Dixit Dominus Domino Meo.” When, later, the game became the recreation of the whole convent, the Vesper line was abbreviated into “Domino,” and the stones themselves received the name of “Dominoes.”
Don. A corruption of the Celtic tain, river.
Donatists. A sect of the fourth century, adherents of Donatus, Bishop of Numidia.
Doncaster St Leger. The stakes at Doncaster races founded by Colonel Anthony St Leger in 1776.
Donegal. Gaelic for the “fortress of the west”–viz. Donegal Castle, held by the O’Donnels of Tyrconnel.
Donet. The old name for a Grammar, after Donatus, the grammarian and preceptor of St Jerome.
Donkey. An ass, from its dun colour.
Don’t care a Dam. When this expression first obtained currency a dam was the smallest Hindoo coin, not worth an English farthing.
80Don’t care a Jot. See “Iota.”
Doomster. The official in the Scottish High Court who pronounced the doom to the prisoner, and also acted as executioner. In Jersey and the Isle of Man a judge is styled a “Deemster.”
Dope Habit. An Americanism for the morphia habit. “Dope” is the Chinese word for opium. This in the United States is now applied to all kinds of strong drugs or bromides prepared from opium.
Dorcas Society. From the passage in Acts ix. 39: “And all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.”
Dorchester. The Roman camp in the district of the Dwr-trigs or water dwellers. See “Dorset.”
Dorset. The Anglo-Saxon Dwrset, or water settlement, so called from the British tribe the Dwr-trigs, “water dwellers,” who peopled it.
Dorset Square. After Viscount Portman, the ground landlord, who, before he was raised to the peerage, was for many years Member for Dorsetshire.
Dorset Street. From the mansion and grounds of the Earl of Dorset of the Restoration period. Here stood also the Dorset Gardens Theatre.
Doss. Slang for a sleep, a shakedown. From the old word dossel, a bundle of hay or straw, whence was derived Doss, a straw bed.
Doss-house. A common lodging-house. See “Doss.”
Douay Bible. The Old Testament translation of the Latin Vulgate printed at the English College at Douay, France, in 1609.
Doublet. So called because it was double lined or wadded, originally for purposes of defence.
Douglas. From its situation at the juncture of the two streams, the Dhoo, black, and Glass, grey.
Douro. From the Celtic Dwr, water.
81Dover House. The residence of the Hon. George Agar Ellis, afterwards Lord Dover.
Dover Street. After Henry Jermyn, Lord Dover, who died at his residence here in 1782.
Dowager. The widow of a person of high rank, because she enjoyed a substantial dower or dowry for her maintenance during life.
Dowgate. From the Celtic Dwr, water. Hence a water gate on the north bank of the Thames.
Downing Street. From the mansion of Sir George Downing, M.P., of the Restoration period.
Down with the Dust. A gold miner’s expression in the Far West, where money is scarce and necessary commodities are in general bartered for with gold dust.
Doyley. From the Brothers Doyley, linen drapers in the Strand, who introduced this species of table napery.
Do your Level Best. This expression means that, while striving to the utmost you must also act strictly straightforward.
Drachenfels. German for “dragon rocks.” Here Siegfried, the hero of the Niebelungenlied, slew the dragon.
Draft on Aldgate
