The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-19
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Recently at a birthday celebration.
at the close Of the dinner a loving cup
was passed. When II reached one gem
tleman, while raising 1t to his lips he
asked: rs any one standing behind my
chair"' Can you tell the meaning OF
the allusion or refer me TO some book
having to do with ancient customs on
such occasions? QrERo.
II We urmise rightly. the drinker re-
called a superstition that It is bad luck
to drink with a person standing behind
YOU. The reason for the superstition is
this
Edward the Martyr. by the c%on,riv-
anre OF his stepmothcr. Elfrida. was
stabbed in the back az he was drinking.
II If said hat from this affair arose
the custom Of having the man on either
side Of tho toast drinker pledge him.
According to William of Malmesbury it
was the usage when a person was about
10 drink a health. to ask q neighbor at
the board to pledge the toast. II the
neighbor answered yes he held up his
knife or sword to guard the drinker az
he duaffcd for while a man il drinking
he is necessarily in an unguarded pos
ture and exposed to a trcacherous stroke.
Qucro Will find this under the heading
Drinking Usages" in W. G. iIazlitt's
Faiths and Folklore" ,I.ondun, 1905.
Volume -. Other interesting notes on
the subject OF toasts may be found in
the same work under the heading
"iIcalths."
Recently there appeared an inquiry
from u respondent asking why the
statutes "f this State provided that no
corporation now existing or hereafter to
hc created shall use the words "I.ucrctia
Mott" IN its corporal, name. The fol-
lowing explanation II respectfully SUBJ
mlttcd
Pursuant To- chapter ~. Laws of 1872.
n then existing corporation Known a. the
l%.ncrctid Mott biSpcisIry ana Iufrmjry
was authorized to convey all its property
to the New York Infirmary for Women
ana 'hildr,n. and thcrcupun the cor
p"rii" existence OF the former was To
provided that any bcIucSt or devise
thereafter mad, 10 the lucrctiI Mott
DiSuchsarN and lufirmaty shall iuurc to
the benefit of said New York lniirmiry
FOR Women aud Children. and further
i'Jt no corporation then existing or
thereafter organized in this stat. shall
ever employ the words "L.ucrctja Mott"
10 designate any hospital. inhrmdry or
d!Spcnsat!. This latter provision was
doubtless enacted 80 prevent confusion
I'm ease Of futur" b,qucSts or dcV.scs.
Section I Of the act OF 1892 containing
the pruhib ton - to the Ms" ~ Ia"
words "lncrctia Mott" was repealed by
th, Consolidated Law OF 1909. but a.
the sam tim" the prohibition wds CON
tluurl 10y Insertion IN HI" general corr
purttiuu law. section i. which * IN-
tended to cmhodv al. restrictions re
sprctjug the use 90 cor pora,s names
FRANZ WHITE.
This explanation by the author u
sw,r the question fully and au,hori-
t~at.>cly.
In beaumont and flctchcl's Knight
Of Tia" burning ~i'os,lc.' .Nct Y. Seen. .
,at the very end. occurs he word gal
lifoist" and IN the next ~ceuo. line ID.
the word "Mimou." can YOU help me
OUT T.. T.. II.
\ gallifoist casually "galley-fois,")
was a long barge Win oars especiaIi'
thr "aire OF the i'ord Mayor OF i'oh""''
Mimon We cannot explain Mer'yfho"ohf
is Singing shh''teS OF ancient "dI''oS
AND this j. one burst:
- -he Miuon. round
. tam. nav. ,,.. .,,.,.
Amt ,,o r,,. t.,. f,,rJ
NuI vha. ht., ,hol here hrosgA,'
; Ipycc and other editors of the play
throw no lcb' on THE mon round.
ard the word rts not been found ia SIR
James \. II Murray'S all inclusive die
t~ioutrN, nor is II in such books Is 4
- Ualivclrs hi |tiouiry OF Archaic
and Provincial Words
l. ,h.r, any nrf.u,r.. .nU.r,Uru u.
T., clean ~. eutt,r lu frDut az r,, urrri.
i-,>" Tn, S'v does this for some. and
Yet the pul Amuu not tic~ 100. go 20 ug,
anu do q. CITIZEN.
The 'oipor't on '"uu-'ls office directs
attention - section - ~ atiI'l" !, ''dp-
ter - 81 the 'lt} code OF ordinances.
which SAYS '"a' '''rN owner ''n'nt'
"''uI'I'' "'' mus remove ~" S"""
= d.Wdlk and ruit,r.' Tire fact tia,