The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-03-01
PROVERBS.

"d DAB at any IHing."-A dab is consid-
cred to be a mere corruption of the word
adeht, which signifies person far advanc-
ed or perfect in any thing, and is no other
than the word adehtns In the same way a
cute man is the abbreviation of acute, or the
Latin acutus, and signifies person that Is
sharp, clever, neat; or to use more modern
term, an feh, at the subject you happen to
be speaking of.
us Dead as Herriag."--The herring
is delicate fish, which is killed by very
small degree of violence. Whenever it is
taken cut the water, even though it seem to
have received no hurt, it gives squeak, and
Immediately expires; and though it be
thrown instantly back into the water it new
er receives. Hence arises the proverb, "as
dead as herring
"Steehs like Toh."--This we may see
in familiar language of a person completely
under the influence of Morpheus; and we
generally imagine the simile taken from the
momentarv pause of peg-top, or huinming
top, when its rotary motion is at the height.
But no such thing, the werd top is Italian.
Toto, in that language, signifies mouse, 1t
is the generic name, and applied indiscriln-
nately to the common mouse, field mouse,
and dormous, from which the Italian prov
erb, "Ef dorme come an toho" is derived;
Ang};cr, "He clecrs like top"
"Hiac Men d Gotham. ."-Gotham is a
village in Noting ghamshire. Its Magistrates
are said to have attempted to hedge in a
cuckoo; and bush called the Cuckoo's bush,
is still shown in support Of the tradition. A
thousand other ridiculous stories are told Of
the Men of Gotham.
"2rue Blue ner,er Stain. ."--Coventry had
formerly the reputation for dyeing blues; in
somuch that true Blue came to be- proverb,
to signify one who was always the same,
like and himself.
ITO 1Aro7v the Gaatlet"-A proverbitl
phrase sgnifying to challenge or tlefv. The
expression derives its origin from the days
Of c ivalry, when he that challenged an OPP
ponent in the list threw down his glove, and
he that accepted the challenge took it up
The word is Fr, nch, and comes from gand
or gant, glove" The gantlct was in use
before the thirteenth century.
"7o Ran tie Gantlohe.nn-A proverbia
phrase commonly expressed to run the CANT
let, and signfying primarily, a certain mill
itary punishment, and fguratively, the pass
ing through difficulties. According to ths
erroneous pronunciation, the hearcr who
compares this phrase with that which is the
subject of the preceding article, is much al
loss to understand the word gantlef. The
real words are these, "to run the Client
race" Gtent Gauut or Cant is a we'll
known town III Flanders; and iooh in the
Belsic signifies race. The gantlope, oil
Ghent.race, so called because invented al
that place, is this: In the land service whel
soldier is to be punished in this manner
the regiment is drawn out in two ranks, IA
eng ach ether, and each soldier having 3
switch in his hand, lashes the criminal as he
runs along naked from the waist upwards
In the navy, the whole ships crew is dis
posed in two rows, standing face to face, OF
both sides Of the deck, SO as to form line
whereby the delinquent may so forward or
one side and return aft on the other; ant
each seaman being furnished with small
twisted cord, strikes him as he passes.