- skip - Brewer’s

Saltarello

,

le fils de la Folie et de Pulcinello.” A supposititious Italian dancer, sent to amuse Bettina in the court of the Grand Duke Laurent. Bettina was a servant on a farm, in love with the shepherd Pippo. But when she was taken to court and made a countess, Pippo was forbidden to approach her. Bettina languished, and to amuse her a troop of Italian dancers was sent for, of which Saltarello was the leader. He soon made himself known to Bettina, and married her. Bettina was a “mascotte” (q.v.), but, as the children of mascottes are mascottes also, the prince became reconciled with the promise that he should be allowed to adopt her first child. (La Mascotte.)

⁂ Hence a Saltarello is an assumed covert to bring about a forbidden marriage and hoodwink those who forbade it.

 

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

Salt Hill (Eton)
Salt Junk
Salt Lake
Salt Ring
Salt River
Salt an Invoice (To)
Salt in Beer
Salt in a Coffin
Salt Losing its Savour
Salt on His Tail (Lay)
Saltarello
Saltpetre (French, saltpetre)
Salute
Salutations
Salve
Salve
Sam
Sam Weller
Samael
Samanides
Samaria