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Horse-shoes

were at one time nailed up over doors as a protection against witches. Aubrey says, “Most houses at the west-end of London have a horse-shoe on the threshold.” In Monmouth Street there were seventeen in 1813, and seven so late as 1855.

“Straws laid across my path retard;

The horse-shoes nailed, each threshold’s guard.”


Gay: Fable xxiii. part 1.

It is lucky to pick up a horse-shoe. This is from the notion that a horse-shoe was a protection against witches. For the same reason our superstitious fore-fathers loved to nail a horse-shoe on their house-door. Lord Nelson had one nailed to the mast of the ship Victory.

2

⁂ There is a legend that the devil one day asked St. Dunstan, who was noted for his skill in shoeing horses, to shoe his “single hoof.” Dunstan, knowing who his customer was, tied him tightly to the wall and proceeded with his job, but purposely put the devil to so much pain that he roared for mercy. Dunstan at last consented to release his captive on condition that he would never enter a place where he saw a horse-shoe displayed.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Horse-faced
Horse Latitudes
Horse-laugh
Horse Marines (The)
Horse-milliner
Horse-mint
Horse-play
Horse-power
Horse Protestant
Horse-radish
Horse-shoes
Horse-vetch
Horse and his Rider
Horse-shoes and Nails (for rent)
Horsemen
Horsey Man (A)
Hortus Siccus
Horus
Hose
Hospital
Hospital (The)