Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/460

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[9 th S. I. JUNE 4, '98.

BOSWELL'S 'JOHNSON' (9 th S. i. 385, 409). MR. JOHN MURRAY says that I called atten- tion to "some strange misreading [italics mine] of the inscription on Dr. Johnson's monument." I did not, however, call atten- tion to a misreading of that inscription, but to a misprinting of it, and a repeated mis- printing of it ; which, I submit, is a very different thing.

Even if the inscription is correctly given in Croker's edition, this does not seriously affect the gravamen of my statement, since the- erroneous inscription has appeared un- challenged in various editions, including the latest, that by Augustine Birrell of 1896.

In reply to J. S., I would observe as follows. Firstly, it is surely not very material whether the blunder first appeared in Boswell's text or in Malone's note, so long as it did appear in the volume cited by me. Secondly,. for the purpose of my argument it is sufficient that the blunder appeared and apparently unchallenged in several editions, including the latest. Thirdly, that portion of the in- scription which I denounced as " sheer gibberish" amounts to no fewer than six syllables out of a total of fifteen syllables which constitute the entire line. Surely that may well be called a great part of the line. Fourthly, as regards di/Taios, I am content not to go behind Liddell and Scott. Fifthly, I did not quarrel with the termina- tion assigned to that adjective ; I merely said that some persons might be inclined to do so. I defended it, expressing my belief that the line was a quotation from some late Greek writer ; which now proves to be the fact, and I thank J. S. for giving us the genesis of the line, and confirming my con- jecture. Finally, I distinctly implied that the line is on the scroll on Johnson's monu- ment in St. Paul's (where else could it be ?), and on this point I added : " Let the monu- ment speak for itself."

I had no wish to correct Dionysius or Dr. Parr peace to their dust ! I merely wished to show the tenacity of life of a printer's blunder, and the indifference or blindness of the public in regard to such things, and I think I showed both. PATRICK MAXWELL.

Bath.

To PLAY GOOSEBERRY (9 th S. i. 147, 293). I have always heard it "to play old goose- berry," which is a euphuism for " playing the devil " ; that is, to disturb, upset, or to make mischief. Though why the devil should be called so I cannot guess, unless, as a goose- berry bush is prickly, so the devil is "prickly," what with his horns, his sting at the end of

his tail, the fork which he carries, and the darts he is said to throw. As for "doing gooseberry," I never heard the saying.

" Gooseberry " reminds me of an evening I spent many years ago, where a "literary" Methodist big gun was a guest. After supper the servants were called in for family wor- ship. He was one of those gifted men who "said nothing in one word if he could say it in three," which is a valuable quality in addressing the dull and ignorant. He pro- ceeded to read a chapter in the Bible, and suddenly, where it had no appropriateness to the matter, he rolled his eyes round the room, and with a solemn air uttered these memor- able words : "Hawl tha aingils in 'eav'n cawnt mek a strowberry ! Hawl tha devils in hell cawnt mek a gooseberry ! " The servants and women exchanged admiring glances.

On telling the tale some time afterwards in a neighbouring town, I found he had been there also, and had done just the same bit of "business." He was carrying it round. I wonder if he had read the anecdote in Izaak Walton about God being " doubtless able to make a better berry than the strawberry, but that doubtless God never did." B. B.

Boston, Lincolnshire.

" Playing gooseberry " or " to play goose- berry " is common enough in connexion with sweethearting. A lass arranges a walk with a lad, but for some reason she does not care to go alone, so she takes a friend, another girl, and the friend " plays gooseberry." Sometimes the girl who is invited to share the walk refuses, saying, " Nay ! I 'm not going to play gooseberry ! " The girls speak of the lad in this connexion as "gooseberry fool." By the way, green gooseberries stewed with a little water, mashed, and sugar added, constitute " gooseberry fool."

THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

The phrase "to kick up old gooseberry" has been known to me for over half a century, but with an altogether different meaning from the former. It means to " kick up a shine," to create a commotion in the room by romping or otherwise, by exhibiting an over- flow of spirits or gaiety or boisterous fun. Is the expression known to any correspond- ent of ' N. & Q.,' or can any one attribute an origin to it 1 I think my father must have known it in his youth, so it is, at any rate, a century old, and no mushroom slang.

TENEBR.E.

ZEPHYR (9 th S. i. 326). Of course ME. LYNN knows all about the mythological