- skip - Brewer’s

Enter a House right Foot fore most (Petronius)

.

It was thought unlucky to enter a house or to leave one’s chamber left foot foremost. Augustus was very superstitious on this point. Pythagoras taught that it is necessary to put the shoe on the right foot first. “When stretching forth your feet to have your sandals put on, first extend your right foot” (Protreptics of Iamblichus, symbol xii.). Iamblichus tells us this symbolised that man’s first duty is reverence to the gods.

 

previous entry · index · next entry

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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

previous entry · index · next entry

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)
Entremets [arn-tre-may]
Eolian
Eolus
Epact
Epergne