Vulgar words in Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama - A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook, Vol. 3 (Page 1)

This book at a glance

ass x 18
blockhead x 1
buffoon x 3
country bumpkin x 2
hussy x 1
            
knock up x 1
make love x 11
pimp x 3
            

Page 1

~   ~   ~   Sentence 40   ~   ~   ~

Having mistaken Hardcastle's house for an inn, and Miss Hardcastle for the barmaid, he is quite at his ease, and makes love freely.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 183   ~   ~   ~

She makes love to Mephistophelês, with great worldly shrewdness.--Goethe, _Faust_ (1798).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,182   ~   ~   ~

He decides in favor of Pan, whereupon Pol throws off his disguise, appears as the god Apollo, and, being indignant at the decision, gives Midas "the ears of an ass."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,185   ~   ~   ~

_Midas's Ears._ The servant who used to cut the king's hair, discovering the deformity, was afraid to whisper the secret to any one, but, being unable to contain himself, he dug a hole in the earth, and, putting his mouth into it, cried out, "King Midas has ass's ears!"

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,291   ~   ~   ~

Sir Wilful Witwould makes love to her, but she detests "the superannuated lubber."--W.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,464   ~   ~   ~

When, therefore, Miranda asked his consent to marry, he readily gave it, thinking himself to be the man of her choice; but the sly little hussy laughed at her old guardian, and plighted her troth to Sir George Airy, a man of 24.--Mrs. Centlivre, _The Busy Body_ (1709).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,934   ~   ~   ~

In order to sound her, the count disguised himself as a father confessor; but Volantê detected the trick instantly, and said to him, "Come, come, count, pull off your lion's hide, and confess yourself an ass."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,832   ~   ~   ~

Suddenly he would stop, stamp with one foot, knock up the hinder brim of his hat, begin to scratch the nape of his neck, wait a moment, then wheel round, look at the first-floor window, and roar out, "Matilda!"

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,736   ~   ~   ~

A nincompoop, fond of drinking, but with just a shade more brains than Abel Day, who is "a thorough ass" (act i.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,747   ~   ~   ~

Titania happened to see a country bumpkin, whom Puck had dressed up with an ass's head.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,784   ~   ~   ~

Ocnus is represented as twisting with unwearied diligence a rope, which an ass eats as fast as it is made.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,499   ~   ~   ~

While still a lad, Orson made love to Ellen, a rustic maiden; but, in the fickleness of youth, forsook her for a richer lass, and Ellen left the village, wandered far away, and became waiting maid to old Boniface, the innkeeper.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,708   ~   ~   ~

One day, riding on an ass by the ruins of Jerusalem, after its destruction by the Chaldeans, he doubted in his mind whether God could raise the city up again.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,711   ~   ~   ~

While he still looked, the dry bones came together, received life, and the resuscitated ass began to bray.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,784   ~   ~   ~

When Sir John Falstaff made love to Mrs. Page, Page himself assumed the name of Brooke, to outwit the knight.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,789   ~   ~   ~

When Sir John Falstaff made love to her, she joined with Mrs. Ford to dupe him and punish him.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,040   ~   ~   ~

He is drawn under two widely different characters: In classic story he is depicted as an admirable archer, slain by Diomed, and honored as a hero-god in his own country; but in mediæval romance he is represented as a despicable pimp, insomuch that the word _pander_ is derived from his name.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,173   ~   ~   ~

He rides an ass called Dapple.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,492   ~   ~   ~

He returned the favor by stealing Sancho's wallet and ass.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,653   ~   ~   ~

=Pattypan= (_Mrs._), a widow who keeps lodgings, and makes love to Tim Tartlet, to whom she is ultimately engaged.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,769   ~   ~   ~

=Peach´um=, a pimp, patron of a gang of thieves, and receiver of their stolen goods.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 5,795   ~   ~   ~

The hero becomes possessed of a magical wild ass's skin, which yields him the means of gratifying every wish; but for every wish thus gratified, the skin shrank somewhat, and at last vanished, having been wished entirely away.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,158   ~   ~   ~

When grown to manhood, a "sea-captain" named Norman, made love to Violet, Lord Ashdale's cousin.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,909   ~   ~   ~

=Pickel-Herringe= (5 _syl._), a popular name among the Dutch for a buffoon; a corruption of _pickle-härin_ ("a hairy sprite"), answering to Ben Jonson's _Puck-hairy_.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,416   ~   ~   ~

When Norman, "the sea-captain," made love to Violet, Mistress Prudence remonstrated, "What will the countess say if I allow myself to see a stranger speaking to her ward?"

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,473   ~   ~   ~

This exquisite allegory is from the _Golden Ass_ of Apulēios.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,523   ~   ~   ~

Jonson, _The Devil is an Ass_ (1616).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,541   ~   ~   ~

He entertains Captain Charles Stanley, and Captain Harry Stukely at Strawberry Hall, when the former, under cover of acting, makes love to Kitty (an heiress), elopes with her, and marries her.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,554   ~   ~   ~

_Pantalone_ was a Venetian merchant; _Dottore_ a Bolognese physician; _Spaviento_ a Neapolitan braggadocio; _Pullicinella_ a wag of Apulia; _Giangurgolo_ and _Coviello_ two clowns of Calabria; _Gelsomino_ a Roman beau; _Beltrame_ a Milanese simpleton; _Brighella_ a Ferrarese pimp; and _Arlecchino_ a blundering servant of Bergamo.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,901   ~   ~   ~

=Querno= (_Camillo_), of Apulia, was introduced to Pope Leo X., as a buffoon, but was promoted to the laurel.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,137   ~   ~   ~

=Rakeland= (_Lord_), a libertine, who makes love to married women, but takes care to keep himself free from the bonds of matrimony.--Mrs. Inchbald, _The Wedding Day_ (1790).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,413   ~   ~   ~

Una comes on a white ass to the court of Gloriana, and craves that one of the knights would undertake to slay the dragon which kept her father and mother prisoners.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,861   ~   ~   ~

A country bumpkin, wholly ignorant of the world and of literature.--Vanbrugh and Cibber, _The Provoked Husband_ (1727).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 10,594   ~   ~   ~

Ocnus was always twisting a rope with unwearied diligence, but an ass ate it as fast as it was twisted.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 11,201   ~   ~   ~

⁂ The allusion is to Sancho Panza's ass, which was stolen from under him by the galley-slave, Gines de Passamonte.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 11,970   ~   ~   ~

He rode upon an ass which he dearly loved, and was noted for his proverbs.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 11,971   ~   ~   ~

_Sancho Panza's Ass_, Dapple.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 12,473   ~   ~   ~

_Scogan_ (_John_), the favorite jester and buffoon of Edward IV.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 13,236   ~   ~   ~

Hence Pope says: Benlowes, propitious still to blockheads, bows; And Shadwell nods the poppy on his brows.

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