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Ensign

.

(French, enseigner.)

America. The Stars and Stripes.

The British Navy. The Union Jack (q.v.). The white ensign (Royal Navy) is the banner of St. George with the Jack cantoned in the first quarter. The red ensign is that of the merchant service. The blue ensign is that of the navy reserve.

China. A dragon.

Ancient Corinth. A flying horsei.e. Pegʹasos.

Ancient Danes. A raven.

Ancient Egypt. A bull, a crocodile, a vulture.

England (in the Tudor era). St. George’s cross.

Ancient France. The cape of St. Martin; then the oriflamme.

The Franks (Ripuaʹrian). A sword with the point upwards.

The Franks (Salian). A bull’s head.

The Gauls. A wolf, bear, bull, cock.

The ancient Lacedemonians. The Greek capital letter L (lambda A).

The ancient Messeʹnians. The Greek letter mu (M).

The ancient Persians. A golden eagle with outstretched wings on a white field; a dove; the sun.

The Paisdadʹian dynasty of Persia. A blacksmith’s apron. (See Standard.)

The ancient Romans. An eagle for the legion; a wolf, a horse, a boar, etc.

Romʹulus. A handful of hay or fern (manipʹulus).

The ancient Saxons. A trotting horse.

The ancient Thebans. A sphinx.

The Turks. Horsesʹ tails.

The ancient Welsh. A dragon.

 

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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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English French
Englishman
Englishman’s Castle
Enid
Enlightened Doctor (The)
Enniskillens
Ennius
Enough. (Anglo-Saxon, genoh or genog.)
Ensconce
Ensemble
Ensign
Ensilage
Entail
Entangle
Entelechy
Enter a House right Foot fore most (Petronius)
Entering Short
Enthusiast
Entire
Entre Nous (French)
Entrée (To have the)