our excellencies
Language: English
Part of speech: pron
Forms: form: Our Excellencies
Senses: examples: text: The Starosta has informed us several times and with as many profound bows, that his house no longer belongs to him, but that it, its contents, himself, his children and grandchildren, are ours, and at the absolute disposal of our excellencies. Excellencies! By the long-winded, multi-syllabic, but mellifluous epithets he has bestowed on Alexis he must have called him his majesty, his coruscation, his scintillation, his milky-way, by this time.
ref: 1856 December 13, George Augustus Sala, Household Words, page 516:
text: "Your excellencies intend to settle the bill, of course," said the vetturino, with much phlegm.
"Our excellencies never dreamed of any such thing."
ref: 1872, James De Mille, “Chapter IX: A Fight with a Vetturino”, in The Dodge Club; or, Italy in 1859, New York: Harper & Brothers, page 48:
text: While discussing the savoury contents of our bisacce, the courteous dama tendered a graceful offering in the shape of the finest and freshest of cherries, meekly adding an urgent request that our excellencies would do her and her family the supreme honour of remaining to see the "Cujugnu." We could have three excellent beds, and could depart as early as we liked on the ensuing morning, and if our excellencies could condescend to accede to this proposition, it would confer immense happiness. Our excellencies considered for one brief moment, consulted each other, and unanimously agreed to condescend, after which, being much worried by fleas and tormented by heat, we divested ourselves of every superfluous article of clothing, made pillows of the saddle-bags and coats, and stretched our limbs under the dense shade of some fine cork and chestnut trees, and were soon in a sound slumber.
ref: 1874, Mary Davey, “Journey to Domus Novas”, in Sardinia, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, page 45:
text: I, as senior Lord Justice, with my hat on, was seated in the high chair that does duty as a throne. Then the door to the right opens, and the Ulster King of Arms, in his magnificent tabard, appears. Behind him comes a stranger in civilian dress, with his head uncovered. To him nobody pays any attention, but what is this? He hands me a parchment, to which is attached the Great Seal. Our Excellencies, suspicious of this document, hand it to the clerk of the Council to read. Even then we are not convinced; we still remain seated with our hats on. Then the uncovered stranger produces a letter, purporting to come from His Majesty. Still suspicious, our Excellencies hand it down to the Senior Privy Councillor (Mr. Justice Gibson) to read. The letter authorizes and commands us to deliver the sword of state to his Lordship.
ref: 1924, John Ross, “Chapter XXXI: Of Internment Camps, Of Quaint Ceremonies, Of The Lord Chancellorship, and Of the Conclusion of the Whole Matter”, in The Years of my Pilgrimage: Random Reminiscences, London: Edward Arnold, pages 292–293:
text: Therefore we, the Cast of 1948, do hereby designate and set aside this our last will and testament.
Given at the executive chamber in the Ludlow High School, Ludlow, Massachusetts, this warm, sunny day in June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and fortyeight, and of our newly acquired independence the first.
SIGNED:
Class of 1948
By our excellencies
THE WITNESSES:
Zasu Spits
and
Bumphrey Hogart
ref: 1948, “Epilogue”, in 1948 Review; presented by The Seniors, Ludlow, Mass: Ludlow High School, page 81:
text: Standish settled it. "The Butterfly," he said, "is going on to New Amsterdam, when he is rested. He is Our Excellencies' servant, gentlemen, so let’s use the fellow and send Wolsey’s stuff with him."
ref: 1981, Terry Coleman, “16: Fires Quenched by Blood”, in Thanksgiving: a novel in celebration of America, New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 179:
glosses: we, us (of a group addressed as Your Excellencies)
glosses: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see our, excellencies.