10 Matching Annotations
  1. May 2016
  2. annotatingausten.sfsuenglishdh.net annotatingausten.sfsuenglishdh.net
    1. chandler

      “A stand or support for a candle”; “[o]ne whose trade it is to make or sell candles”; or, “[i]n extended sense: [a] retail dealer in provisions, groceries, etc.: often somewhat contemptuous” (OED).<br> This implies that these were shops which primarily sold candles, but also sold various products like a convenience store.

    2. pleasure–ground

      "A piece of land set aside for recreation and enjoyment, esp. one ornamented and laid out for this purpose" (OED). These were generally in the form of a garden attached to an estate, as below.

    3. Mechlin

      A type of lace, so called because it was primarily produced in Mechelen, Belgium. It was also produced in Antwerp and Brussels. It was very popular throughout the 18th century, but the "disappearance of lace ruffles before 1780 from women's sleeves, and the disappearance of the cravat and men's ruffles" seriously reduced its place in fashionable dress (http://belovedlinens.net/lace/Mechlin.html ).

    4. hack post–chaise

      An extension of the phrase a hackney horse, a "horse let out for hire; depreciatively, a sorry or worn out horse; a jade" (OED). 'Post-chaise' refers to a "horse-drawn, usually four-wheeled carriage (in Britain usually having a closed body, the driver or postilion riding on one of the horses) used for carrying mail and passengers, esp. in the 18th and early 19th centuries" (OED). Therefore, 'hack post-chaise' means that the entirety of the post-chaise was hired and not owned.

    5. extenuation

      "The action of lessening, or seeking to lessen, the guilt of (an offense or fault) by alleging partial excuses; an instance or means of doing this; a plea in mitigation of censure" (OED).

  3. Dec 2015
  4. cityheiress.sfsuenglishdh.net cityheiress.sfsuenglishdh.net
    1. Sarazen

      Most likely a misspelling or a different spelling of "Saracen" which is, in literal translation, "a name for the nomadic peoples of the Syro-Arabian desert which harassed the Syrian confines of the Empire; hence, an Arab; by extension, a Muslim," especially associated with the Crusades. However, it is more likely intended to mean more broadly, "[a] non-Christian, heathen, or pagan; an unbeliever, infidel."

      ("Saracen, n. and adj." OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2015. Web. 10 December 2015.)

    2. Retinue

      King John and his Retinue

      A group of people (or animals) in the service of or accompanying a person, esp. a sovereign, noble, or person in authority; a train, a suite.

      ("retinue, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2015. Web. 10 December 2015.)

    3. Small−beer

      Henry Singleton, The Ale-House Door c. 1790

      A "Small-beer" (sometimes called small-ale) is a beer with low alcohol content. This beer was sometimes used as a substitute for water when when it was unfit or if fresh water was not readily available. It was not uncommon to drink such a beer in the morning at breakfast time.

      ("The Supersizers Go... Restoration." The Supersizers Go... British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 May 2008. Television.)

    4. Infantas

      "A daughter of the king and queen of Spain or Portugal; spec. the eldest daughter who is not heir to the throne." (OED) is the literal meaning. However, it can be "[a]pplied analogously or fancifully to other young ladies." (OED)

    5. Billet−Doux

      From French, Billet-Doux means "love letter" (billet meaning "note", and doux meaning "sweet"). (OED)