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Tongues

.

The Italian is pleasant, but without sinews, as still fleeting water.

The French—delicate, but like an overnice woman, scarce daring to open her lips for fear of marring her countenance.

Spanish—majestical, but fulsome, running too much on the letter o; and terrible, like the devil in a play.

Dutch—manlike, but withal very harsh, as one ready at every word to pick a quarrel.

We (the English), in borrowing from them, give the strength of consonants to the Italian; the full sound of words to the French; the variety of terminations to the Spanish; and the mollifying of more vowels to the Dutch. Thus, like bees, we gather the honey of their good properties and leave the dregs to themselves. (Camden.)

 

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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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Tom oBedlams
Tomboy
Tomahawk
Tomb of Our Lord
Tommy Atkins (A)
Tommy Dodd
Tommy Shop
To morrow never Comes
Tonans
Tongue of the Trump (The)
Tongues
Tonna (Mrs.)
Tonsure
Tonsures
Tontine
Tony Lumpkin
Too Many for [Me] or One too many for [me]
Tooba or Touba [eternal happiness]
Tool
Tooley Street
Toom Tabard [empty jacket]