Gilbert and Sullivan is full of unusual terms, some well-known at the time and some intentionally obscure. Here are a few helpful definitions.
|
Pointdextre |
Alexis and Marmaduke’s last name. The dexter point is the top right-hand corner of a coat of arms. |
|
Sangazure |
French for “blue blood.” |
|
Puling |
Whining or crying |
|
Aurora |
The light of dawn. |
|
Apostrophe |
An exclamatory address. |
|
Simmery Axe |
Contraction of the street name “St Mary Axe,” which runs between Leadenhall St and Houndsditch in the City of London. |
|
(Mrs) Partlett |
Frequently used as a name for a hen |
|
Gilded dukes |
The House of Lords is known as the Gilded Chamber |
|
Belted earls |
Refers to the belt and spurs which knights and others were given when raised to their titles |
|
Apostrophe |
An exclamatory address. |
|
Philtre |
A love potion |
|
Cast a nativity |
Cast a horoscope |
|
Abudah chest |
Abudah was a Baghdad Merchant haunted by a hag who rose form a chest each night and told him to seek out the talisman of Ahrimanes. |
|
A rise in Unified |
A rise in government stock |
|
Djinn |
A genie |
|
Tetrapods |
Verses of four metrical feet. |
|
‘lectro-biology |
Originally a study of how electricity affects organisms; late taken to mean hypnosis. |
|
Nosology |
The study of the classification of diseases |
|
Hogshead |
A cask of 63 to 140 gallons |
|
Pipe |
A unit of two hogsheads |
|
Sally Lunn |
A light tea cake served with jam. |
|
Jorum |
A bowl used for punch. Another joke about a drinking song when they are only drinking tea. |
|
Brindisi |
An Italian drinking song. In this show, the tea cup drinking song Sir Marmaduke starts in the Act I finale. |
|
QC |
Queen’s Counsel, probably the Notary. |
|
One Tree Hill |
Any of 5 or 6 possible locations. Possibly an amusement park near Greenwich Fair. |
|
Rosherville |
A middle class pleasure garden with a maze and small zoo. |
|
Ahrimanes |
In Zoroastrian (Persian) theology, the personification of evil. |