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Capon (A)

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A love-letter. In French, poulet means not only a chicken but also a love-letter, or a sheet of note-paper. Thus Henri IV., consulting with Sully about his marriage, saysʹ “My niece of Guise would please me best, though report says maliciously that she loves poulets in paper better than in a fricasee.”

“Boyet . . break up this capon [i.e. open this love-letter].”—Shakespeare. Love’s Labour’s Lost, iv. 1.

 

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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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Caper
Caper Merchant
Capet (Cap-pay)
Capital
Capital Fellow (A)
Capitals
Capite Censi
Capitulars
Capon
Capon (A)
Capon (A)
Capricorn
Captain
Captain Cauf’s Tail
Captain Copperthorne’s Crew
Captain Podd
Captain Stiff
Captious
Capua
Capuohin
Capulet