[14]Here write the name, and specify the title or rank of the person addressed, as “The Right Honorable the Earl of Wimbourne.”
[14]Here write the name, and specify the title or rank of the person addressed, as “The Right Honorable the Earl of Wimbourne.”
The Parliament
House of Peers—
1. My Lords, May it please your Lordships.
2. To the Right Honorable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament assembled.
House of Commons—
1. May it please your Honorable House.
2. To the Honorable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Speaker of Ditto—
1. Sir, or Mr. Speaker.
2. To the Right Honorable James W. Lowther, the Speaker of the House of Commons.
A Member of the House of Commons Not Ennobled—
1. Sir.
2. To Thomas Hughes, Esq., M.P.
Narration is a species of composition which relates the particulars of a real or fictitious event in the order of their occurrence. In a wider meaning, narration is the statement of successive facts. In a story or drama theplotis the series of incidents which form the skeleton of the story.
If the subject deals with real facts, as in biography, or history, or news, the rule offidelityto the truth is essential. It requires that not only the main facts shall be true as they are narrated, but also that all the striking and important details be faithfully stated as they are known to have occurred or happened.
Biography.—After theletter, the simplest form of composition is biography. The order of events from youth to age is established.
This style of composition is strongly to be recommended for beginners. It affords excellent practice for all. It promotes a habit of putting things in order.
Outline scheme of biography:—
Answer each question in a complete sentence.
You have nine statements in chronological order.
Each of these can be expanded into one or more paragraphs.
Fiction and Drama.—If the composition is a story or drama, the principal requirements involve the following:
The story should develop one or more of the following: plot, situation, character.
The story should have interest.
1. It should begin attractively and as directly as possible.
2. It must move, and not simply “mark time.”
3. It may be made effective by dramatic situations and turning points.
4. It may use description, but the description must be closely connected with the story and must not hinder the movement.
5. It should discriminate in the number and the importance of details.
6. It may make effective use of suspense and suggestion.
7. It should have no inconsistency in the speech or the actions of the characters.
8. It should have an effective ending.
News, or the Newspaper “Story,”is another very important form of narrative. The newspaper is the great popular educator of the day, and in its columns are found not only excellent examples of vivid and telling narratives, but frequently excellent types of spontaneous writing.
News and news reporting require accuracy, clearness, brevity, and a style that either charms, or compels interest. Indeed, it too frequently happens that to secure the element of interest practically all else is sacrificed.
Reporting and news writing are best learned by careful study of the daily papers, and from constant practice. Shorthand is an invaluable[739]aid in securing the exact words of the speaker if the news takes the form of an interview, or report of a public address or meeting.
The relation of the “facts” and “story” may be illustrated in the following:
Report of exact words of the speaker:—
“I assure you, myfriends, thatIformypart,willdo allIpossiblycanto resistthismeasure.You knowthatI havealways been opposed to it; as recently asyesterday I spokeagainst ithereinthisvery hall.Do youthink that the people of this countrywilltolerate such injustice?I amsure theywillnot.”
How the newspaper report appeared:—
He assured hisfriends thatheforhispartwoulddo allhepossiblycouldto resistthatmeasure.They knewthathe hadalways been opposed to it; as recently asthe day before he had spokenagainst itthereinthatvery hall.Did theythink, he asked, that the people of this countrywouldtolerate such injustice?He wassure theywouldnot.
Exposition is a form of composition designed to explain. Its important characteristic is clearness, and it, therefore, makes large use of illustration.
The main points may be stated in various ways in order to make them clear.
Essays and editorials are among the best known forms of exposition.
Essay.—Anessayis a short composition upon any subject. The subject may be of any kind whatever, one fit for treatment, and with great fulness, in any of the species of discourse described above, or one without sufficient dignity for such treatment. No other species of writing ranges over so wide and varied a field of topics—nothing less than that of all others combined—and none other allows such freedom and diversity in the handling.
Instyle of thoughtthe essay may be dreamy and semi-poetical, and charm by its beauty, it may be simply instructive or critical, it may blaze with its brilliancy, sting with its satire, convulse with its humor, convince with its logic, inflame with its appeal and move to instant duty. The author may wander off in leisurely excursions to the right and the left, and load his pages with gleanings by the way; or, like the orator, he may keep his eye on the point he would reach, and move, with the directness of an arrow’s flight, toward it.
Thestyle of expressionshould fit the thought, and October woods are not more varied in color than this department of literature in utterance.
Outline of the Essay.—1. Give a clear definition of the subject or proposition to be discussed, amplified, paraphrased, or explained.
2. Set out the reason for, or the truth of, the proposition.
3. Add the confirmation of further proofs, including demonstration of the unreasonableness of the contrary.
4. Illustrate the truth of the proposition by comparison or analogy from nature or art.
5. Give direct examples or instances to corroborate the truth.
6. Quote the testimony of standard authors.
7. Conclude by summing up, with pertinent observations.
Remember that all this working to a formula is only a training in the habit of clear thinking—a mental discipline.
When you can do without the formula, and not till then, you will begin to be a writer.
Editorialsare, in point of fact, simply little essays, usually following closely the news or issues of the day. Their function is to elucidate, summarize, inform, persuade, or merely comment. In their highest form they are to prose writing what the sonnet is to verse; but it must be confessed that numerous editorials are so completely dominated by the so-called “editorial policy” of newspaper owners, or colored by one of the various hues of partisanship, that their otherwise beneficent influence and power are largely neutralized.
Description.—We mean by adescriptionthe delineation of some object or scene. Narration deals with successive facts; description with objects that exist at the same time. We rarely find any literary production of great length which is entirely descriptive; but descriptions are often introduced into narratives with happy effect.
Sometimes they serve the purpose of making the narration impressive, by moving the passions of the reader. At other times they are intended to make the events more intelligible. Thus we have seen that some narratives of battles are hard to follow because the writer has neglected to give us a clear description of the battle-field.
Descriptions frequently serve as ornaments, affording an agreeable variety to the narration, and presenting scenes of striking interest to the imagination.
Rules.—The governing rules in description are the following:
1. In every good description a point of view should be established.
2. The description should be governed by the point of view.
3. The general outline of the picture should, ordinarily, be given first.
4. The number of details should be so few and so insignificant as to make a vivid picture.
5. The order of the details should be determined by the character of the object described.
Argument.—This form of composition is designed to prove the truth or the falsity of a proposition.
Abriefis a summary of an argument showing the development of the argument by a series of headings and sub-headings.
The first step in the argument should be to define the terms of the proposition or to determine the facts in the case.
State reasons to establish facts.
The conclusion should be warranted by the premises.
Illustrations may be used effectively, but not conclusively.
Analogy should be used for illustration, not as a basis for conclusions.
Arguments should usually be arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest last.
Poetry is usually classified as epic, lyric, dramatic, and didactic.
Epic Poetryis that which deals with the life and adventures of some real or mythic personage, called a hero.
1. Thegreat epicis considered the highest effort of poetic talent, on account of the loftiness of its conceptions, the dignity of its character, and the difficulty of its execution. Few[740]epic poems have gained general admiration. Those most highly prized are Homer’sIliadandOdyssey; Virgil’sÆneid; Milton’sParadise Lost; and Tasso’sJerusalem Delivered.
2. TheMetrical Romancediffers from the great epic in its theme, which is less serious; its metre, which is lighter; and its control of events, which is mainly human; the love element is more prominent in this form of the epic. Examples: Scott’sMarmionandThe Lady of the Lake.
3. TheTaleis a simple form of narrative poetry telling a complete story. Examples: Chaucer’sCanterbury Tales; Tennyson’sEnoch Arden.
4. TheBalladis a direct, rapid, and condensed story, having peculiarities of phrase and poetic accent. Examples:Chevy Chase; Coleridge’sAncient Mariner.
5.PastoralsandIdyllshave a great deal of description, often of simple country scenes, mingled with the narrative. Examples: Goldsmith’sDeserted Village; Tennyson’sIdylls of the King.
Dramatic poetrytells a story by means of characters speaking and acting in such a way as to develop a plot. The drama is divided into acts, often five, the fifth act showing the results of the plot which has been developing.
The classes of dramatic poetry are tragedy and comedy.
Tragedydeals with the grave situations and problems of life and engenders in the spectator noble emotions.
Comedydeals with the pleasanter and more trivial side of life and chooses its subjects from everyday follies, accidents, or humors.
Lyric poetryexpresses the deepest emotions of sentiment of the poet. The lyric, as the word suggests, was originally designed to be sung to the music of the lyre.
Lyric poetry includes five classes, as follows:
Songmay be either sacred or secular.
TheOdeis the loftiest form of lyric, and expresses great range and depth of feeling. This range of emotion often varies the metre. Examples: Tennyson’sOde on the Death of the Duke of Wellington; Lowell’sCommemoration Ode.
TheElegylaments the fleeting condition of human affairs. Examples: Gray’sElegy Written in a Country Churchyard; Milton’sLycidas; Tennyson’sIn Memoriam.
TheSonnetis a short poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines, and had originally a prescribed arrangement of rhyming lines. The great English sonnet writers are Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, and Mrs. Browning.
Many lyrics have none of the special aims already mentioned. These may be calledSimplelyrics. Example: Burns’sTo a Daisy.
Didactic verseis not the highest type of poetry.
Its aim is not to give pleasure, but to instruct.
Example: Pope’sEssay on Man.
Poetry differs from prose in three particulars: in itspurpose, in itsstyle, and in itsform.
The chief object of poetry is to give pleasure. Of all literature it is the most spontaneous because addressed particularly to the feelings.
It has its own diction and imagery, conforming to the order, gradations and subtleties of its thought. Like other forms of genius, too, it is permitted certain liberties and variations of language or expressions in order to avoid monotony and maintain the life and music of the verse. These are more strictly rhetorical, however, and next in importance to the poeticcontentis poeticform.
By poeticformwe mean the mould and measure whereby, in English, poetry gets itself into the expression adapted to produce its designed effect.
Metre.—All impassioned language, as in eloquence for instance, tends to fall into a more or less regular rhythmic swing. In poetry, which is both impassioned and imaginative, this rhythm is timed to definite lengths and calledmetre, which is the Greek word for measure.
The unit of poetic measure is the foot. A foot is a combination of syllables, two or three distinguished, after the Greek, as long and short, but more truly accented and unaccented, because our syllabic values, unlike the Greek, are more accentual than quantitative. A variety of poetic feet are employed in English, whose names and values are derived from Greek prosody.
Poetic Feet.—For brevity of description a notation is used to designate the foot: the sign (—) for a long, and (◡) for a short syllable. The kinds of feet in most common English use, here marked by their signs and illustrated by a word, are: Iambic or Iambus, a short and a long (◡ —, e. g. forbid); Trochaic or Trochee, a long and a short (— ◡, e. g. lightly); Spondaic or Spondee, two longs (— —, e. g. all day); Anapestic, two shorts and a long (◡ ◡ —, e. g. arabesque); and Dactylic, a long and two shorts (— ◡ ◡, e. g. silently).
Other feet, such as Tribrach, three shorts (◡ ◡ ◡, e. g. rapidly); Amphibrach, short long short (◡ — ◡, e. g. tremendous), and Amphimacer, long short long (— ◡ —, e. g. undismayed), are used less frequently, and only as blends with other measures.
Verse.—The first combination of poetic feet results in the verse or line, somewhat analogous to the clause in a prose sentence. The word verse means by derivation aturning; perhaps because where it reaches a certain designed length the writer turns back and begins a new line. The kinds of verse employed are named by Greek names according to the number of feet they contain; and along with this, if the measure is fully described, is named the kind of foot.
The same notation as given above is kept up through the line, the feet being separated by an upright line. Thus, taking the Iambic foot as unit, we note: Monometer, one-measure, or one foot long (◡ —); Dimeter, two-measure (◡ — | ◡ —); Trimeter, three-measure (◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ —); Tetrameter, four-measure (◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ —); Pentameter, five-measure (◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ —); and Hexameter, six-measure, (◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ — | ◡ —). English names are sometimes used, as 8 and 7, or fourteeners.
A few poetic lines may here be given, with their notation, by way of illustration:
At some place within a long line, pentameter or hexameter, occurs a natural pause, called thecæsura. The continual varying of the place of the cæsura is one means of breaking up the monotony to which blank verse (Iambic pentameter unrhymed) tends.
Stanzas.—The next step of procedure as the combination of poetic elements goes on from the single verse, is some form ofstanzastructure.
The simplest approach to the stanza, employed principally in what is called Heroic verse, is the couplet (also called the Heroic couplet), two lines, Iambic pentameter, rhymed, and generally pausing at the end of the second line. They form only partially a stanza, however, because these couplets go on, according to the requirements of the thought, to group themselves in paragraphs after the manner of prose. Pope is the great master of the heroic couplet.
Sometimes, if the lines are long, a poem is made up of couplet stanzas, as in Tennyson’sLocksley Hall.
There are certain standard stanza structures, such as the Elegiac stanza, four lines Iambic pentameter, rhymed either in pairs or alternately, of which Gray’sElegy(rhymed alternately) is the type; the Ballad stanza, four lines Iambic pentameter and trimeter alternating, with second and fourth lines rhymed together, sometimes also first and third; various hymn stanzas, designated Long Metre (L. M.), Common Metre (C. M.), Short Metre (S. M.), 8 and 7, 6 and 4, etc., which can be studied in any hymn-book; and most elaborate of all, the Sonnet, a fourteen-lined stanza which is also a whole poem, with a rather intricate rhyme scheme.
Generally speaking, however, the liberties and varieties of stanza structure, as to kind of measure, length of line and stanza itself, combination of long and short line, and rhyme scheme, is almost unlimited.
Rhyme.—A new poetic element enters into the stanza: the element ofrhyme. The most prominent regulative feature of English lyric verse, perhaps, is the rhyme by which recurring periods are grouped. Technically speaking, there are three kinds of rhyme, only one of which plays an important, or at least essential part, in modern English poetry.
1.Beginning rhyme, or alliteration (e. g. the mother of months), which in Anglo Saxon poetry was the main principle of verse, but is now introduced only furtively and delicately.
2.Middle rhyme, or assonance, wherein only the vowels rhyme (e. g. blarney, charming), which is introduced with even more caution than alliteration.
3.End-rhyme, which is so constant and essential a principle of the stanza that it needs no further definition here.
In the skillful management and disposition of the end-rhymes, to produce its poetic effects without monotony or undue obtrusiveness, there is room for the finest poetic taste and workmanship. On single rhymes (e. g. face, embrace), double rhymes (e. g. rally, sally), and triple rhymes (e. g. pentameter, sham metre), which explain themselves, there is no occasion to enlarge.
The arrangement of lines in a stanza is indicated, in brief notation, by letters of the alphabet. Thusa a b bindicates a four-line stanza in which the first and second lines rhyme, and the third and fourth;ab ab, a stanza in which the rhymes alternate;a b b a, a stanza like that of Tennyson’sIn Memoriam, in which this arrangement is reversed.
In this way, with the use of the other notation mentioned, a complete description of poetic construction, from foot to stanza, may be made in very short space.
How Rhythm is Applied.—Lyric poetry, of which the type is the song; was originally designed to be associated with music. It is in this class of poetry, especially, that the stanza form and the rhyme system prevail; but besides the song and the ballad, which most suggest musical accompaniment, there are the ode, the elegy, the sonnet, the didactic poem, and many others, with which music, except in the natural melody of the verse, has little to do.
In epic poetry, the vehicle of great national deeds and ideals, and the enshrining of deep religious and moral truths, the verse employed is generally blank verse (i. e. unrhymed verse), in paragraphs instead of stanzas, and generally Iambic pentameter. For less sublime or universal purposes, however, this epic class has been enlarged to include narrative and romantic poetry, often rhymed, as in Chaucer’sCanterbury Talesand Scott’sThe Lady of the Lake; and sometimes in stanzas, as in Spencer’sFairy Queene.
Dramatic poetry, designed for representation on the stage, and written in blank verse of a less severe and rigid artistic kind than in the epic, is modeled more after the natural rhythm of impassioned speech. The range and tone of such dramatic verse is very generous and elastic; from the free and colloquial, as in Browning’s dramatic monologues, up to the so-called closet drama, designed to be read rather than played, wherein the artistic demands are as subtle and exacting as in the epic, and the sentiment generally more intense.
While, therefore, the ancient classification remains fundamental and true, the modern art of printing and the discontinuance of the custom of reading aloud, have operated to enlarge the scope of poetry within these elemental lines till every requirement of impassioned and imaginative utterance is freely open to it, in vital and enduring forms.
Including proverbs, maxims, quotations, mottoes, idioms, allusions, references, and numerous terms used in law, literature, cookery, the drama, social life, and everyday affairs.
ä, as in farm, father;ȧ, as in ask, fast;a, as in at, fat;ā, as in day, fate;â, as in care, fare;e, as in met, set;ē, as in me, see;ẽ, as in her, ermine;i, as in pin, ill;ī, as in pine, ice;o, as in not, got;ō, as in note, old;ô, as in for, fought;oo, as in cook, look;ōō, as in moon, spoon;u, as in cup, duck;ū, as in use, amuse;û, as in fur, urge;th, as in the, though;y, as in yet, you;ow, as in cow, now;ng, as in sing, ring;ch, as in church, choose.
öcannot be exactly represented in English. The English sound ofuin burnis perhaps the nearest equivalent toö.ücannot be exactly represented in English. The English sound ofuinlukeanddukeresembles the original sound ofü.Nrepresents the nasal tone (as in French) of the preceding vowel, as in encore (äN-kôr´).Krepresentsch, as in Germanich,ach.zh, sound ofsinpleasure.jandgbeforeiorein Spanish, strongly aspiratedh.
Phrases not designated are from the French; those from other languages are distinguished thus: (Ger.)—German; (It.)—Italian; and (Sp.)—Spanish.
A
a bas(ȧ bä´), down.
a bas le traitre(ȧ bä´le tretr´), down with the traitor.
a beau jeu beau retour(ȧ bō zhö´bō retōōr´), one good turn deserves another.
a bon chat, bon rat(ȧ bôNrȧ´), (to a good cat, a good rat), well matched; set a thief to catch a thief.
a bon marché(ȧ bôNmȧr shā´), cheap.
abonnement(ȧ bôn mäN´), subscription.
a bras ouverts(ȧ brȧzōō ver´), with open arms.
abrégé(ȧ brā zhā´), abridgment.
absence d’esprit(ȧp säNs des prē´), absence of mind.
a causa persa, parole assai(It.), (ä kä´ōō zä per´sa, pä rô´lāäsä´ē), when the cause is lost, there is enough of words.
accueil(ȧ kö´ē), reception; greeting; welcome.
à charge(ȧ shȧrzh´), at expense.
à cheval(ȧ she vȧl´), on horseback.
à compte(ȧ kôNt´), on account.
à corps perdu(ȧ kôr per dū´), headlong; neck or nothing.
à coup sur(ȧ kōō sür´), with certainty; surely.
à couvert(ȧ kōō ver´), under cover, protected, sheltered.
acqua Tofana(It.), (ä kwä tō fä´nä), a subtle poison.
à demi(ȧ de mi´), by halves.
à dessein(ȧ de sâN), designedly.
à deux mains(ȧ dö mâN´), (for both hands), having a double office or employment.
adieu(ȧ dēö´), (I commit you to God), good-bye.
adieu, la voiture, adieu, la boutique(ȧ dēö´, lȧ vwȧ tür´, ȧ dēö´lȧ bōō tēk´), (good-bye, carriage; good-bye, shop), all is over.
à discrétion(ȧ dēs krā sēôN´), at discretion, unrestrictedly.
à droite(ȧ drwȧt´), to the right.
affaire d’amour(ȧ fer dȧ mōōr´), a love affair.
affaire d’honneur(ȧ fer dô nör´), an affair of honor, a duel.
affaire du coeur(ȧ fer dü kör´), an affair of the heart, a love affair.
affiche(ȧ fēsh´), a placard; a notice; bulletin.
affreux(ȧ frö´), frightful.
à fin(ȧ fâN), to the end or object.
à fond(ȧ fôN´), to the bottom; thoroughly.
à forfait(ȧ fôr fe´), by contract, by the job.
à gauche(ȧ gōsh´), to the left.
à genoux(ȧ zhe nōō), on one’s knees.
agneau(ä-nyō), lamb.
à grands frais(ȧ gräNfre´), at great expense.
a haute voix(ȧ ōt vwȧ), loudly; openly.
a huis clos(ȧ wē klō´), (with closed doors), secretly; in camera.
aide-toi, et le ciel t´aidera(ed twȧ´, ā le sēel ted rȧ´), help yourself, and Heaven will help you.
air distingué(er dēs tâNgā´), a distinguished appearance.
air noble(er nôbl´), a distinguished, patrician air, manner, or presence.
à la(ä lä),au(ō),aux(ō).—With; according to; after the manner of; ashuitres aux champignons, oysters with mushrooms.
If a dish is cooked, or served, or made, with anything as an ingredient or garnish, the dish may be said to be “à la” that substance. So it may be possible to ascertain the meaning of phrases not given below by looking elsewhere in the vocabulary under the word used with the words “à la.”
à l’abandon(ȧ lȧ bäNdôN´), disregarded, uncared for.
à la béarnaise(ä lä bā-är-nāz´).—With a sauce of tarragon vinegar in which shallots have been boiled till it is reduced, then combined with egg yolks and butter, and beaten in a bain-marie, then seasoned with red pepper and lemon juice.
à la béchamel(ä lä bā-shä-mel´).—After the fashion of Béchamel (a French gastronomer); said of a sauce (seeBechamel); also prepared or served with this sauce.
à la belle étoile(ȧ lȧ be lā twȧl´), under the canopy of Heaven; in the open air.
à la Bercy(ȧ lȧ bâr-sē´).—Served with béarnaise sauce, stuffed green pepper and stuffed tomato.
à la bigarade(ȧ lä bē-gā-räd´).—Flavored with (Seville) orange juice or peel.
à la bonne femme(ȧ lȧ bôn fȧm).—Of, or in the style of, the housewife; specifically said of a kind of maigre soup made with fish, bouillon, legumes, and an assortment of vegetables.
à la bonne heure(ȧ lȧ bô nör´), well-timed, in good time; favorably; good.
à la bordelaise(ä lä bôr-de-lāz´).—With Bordeaux wine; said of various preparations containing it; as of a sauce, with garlic, shallots, or onions, chopped mushrooms, and a piece of marrow; also with sauce a la bordelaise.
à la bourguignotte(ā lä boor-gē-nyot).—Generally prepared with the addition of red wine of Burgundy, or of Bordeaux, or of the Midi (i.e., meridional provinces of France). At Bordeaux, or when made elsewhere with Gironde wine, the dish would beà la bordelaise.
à la caledo´nian(ä lä).—Boiled slowly in plain water and then baked with dressing of butter, chopped parsley, and a little lemon juice; said of finnan haddie when so cooked.
à la Camerani(ä lä kä-mā-rä´nē).—After the fashion of Camerani; said of a kind of rich chicken-liver soup.
à la campagne(ȧ lȧ käNpäny´), in the country.
à la carte(ȧ lȧ kȧrt´), by the card.
à la Chateaubriand(ä lä shä-tō-brē-äN´).—With maitre d’hotel butter.
à la chevreuil(ä lä she-vrû´y´).—Served with a savory sauce; said of fillets of beef.
à la chipolata(ä lä chē-pō-lä´tä).—Containing an addition of the strongly flavored Italian sausages, or the mince with which they are filled.
à la chiffonade(ä lä shē-fo-näd´).—Seechiffonade.
à la cocotte(ä lä kō-kot´).—Baked (as eggs) in a cocotte, with butter and cream, or with cheese, or the like, and served in a cocotte.
à la crapaudine(ä lä krä-pō-dēn´).—Like a crapaudine (the flat piece of iron on which a grate pivot rests;) said of grilled chicken, pigeon, etc., when prepared by boning, removing the legs and wings, and pressing flat.
à la Créole(ä lä krā-ōl).—With tomatoes.
à la Croissy(ä lä krwä-sē´).—Containing carrots in quantity, or at least strongly flavored with them; said specifically of a puree of onions, carrots, turnips, and parsnips stewed in coulis. According to others, containing turnips in quantity, or strongly flavored with them.
à la daube(ä lä dōb).—Stewed in daube; said specifically of dishes cooked with small square pieces of salt pork, the round slices of carrots, glaced onions, and turnips.
à la Dauphiné(ä lä dō-fē-nā´).—With various vegetables, spinach, lettuce, leek, onions, sorrel, beets, etc.; said of a kind of soup.
à la Dauphinoise(ä lä dō-fē-nwäz´).—Generally, sauced over with a thick sauce (or with egg yolk), bread-crumbed, and then fried.
à la dérobée(ȧ lȧ dā rô bā), stealthily.
à la diable(ä lä dē-ä´bl).—Deviled.
à la faveur(ȧ lȧ fȧ vör´), by the favor of.
à la financière(ä lä fē-näN-syâr´).—With extract of truffles (literally, after the style of a financier); said[743]of a variety of espagnole sauce, and of dishes served with it.
à la Flamande(ä lä flä-mäNd´).—Containing cabbage, but more particularly Brussels sprouts, and, usually turnips and carrots cut in big slices.
à la Florentine(ä lä flō-räN-tēn´).—Seeà l’Italienne.
à la Française(ȧ lȧ fräNsez), in French fashion.
à la Génevoise(ä lä zhā-ne-vwäz´).—Cooked with champagne; said of certain dishes of fish.
à la godiveau(ä lä gō-dē-vō).—With balls made of mincemeat, usually of veal.
à la Grecque(ȧ lȧ grek´), after the Greek fashion.
à la Holstein(ä lä hōl´stīn).—Fried, and served with a fried egg, sardelles, capers, pickled beets, and pickles, and sometimes scraped horse-radish.
à la jardinière(ä lä zhär-dē-nyâr´).—Made with a typical collection of cooked vegetables, as soups, ragoûts, and removes. Seejardinere.
à la julienne(ä lä zhü-lyen´).—With various vegetables sliced in strips, as carrots, turnips, leeks, onions, celery, lettuce, tarragon, sorrel; said especially of a kind of rich stock soup. Also said of potatoes cut in very slender strips and fried crisp floating in hot fat.
à l’Algérienne(ä läl-zhā-rē-en´).—Cooked with slices of raw ham; said of a preparation of fowl.
à la Languedoc(ä lä läNg-dok´).—Cooked with or in olive oil; with olive oil.
à l’Allemande(ä läl-mäNd´).—Having a German provincial peculiarity of preparation, as a garnish of sauerkraut, prunes stewed in wine, quenelles of potatoes, etc.
à la Loren´zo(ä lä).—Made of minced crab meat, put on toast spread with anchovy paste, then all covered with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, buttered, browned in the oven, and served.
à l’Alsacienne(ä läl-sä-syen´).—With pork and frankfurters; also with onions and pork.
à la lyonnaise(ä lä lē-ō-nāz´).—With flaked or sliced fried onions; as, potatoesà la lyonnaise, or lyonnaise potatoes; sauceà la lyonnaise, or Lyons sauce, that is, espagnole sauce with flaked onions fried in oil.
à la macedoine(ä lä mä-sā-dwän´).—Made with or of a typical collection of green vegetables, mostly in white sauce; also applied to collections of ripe fruit imbedded in jellies, etc.
à la Maintenon(ä lä maN-te-nôN´).—A term variously used to designate a mode of cooking mutton or lamb chops; as, (a) wrapped in caul; (b) garnished with cockscombs and truffles; (c) served with a soubise; (d) served with financière sauce; (e) served with d’Uxelles sauce, etc.
à la maître d’hôtel(ä lä mā´tr dō-tel´).—Prepared by a substantial, but homely, modest sort of cooking. Also served with maitre d’hotel butter.
à la Marengo(ä lä mä-ren´gō).—With some garlic and oil.
à la Marseillaise(ä lä mär-sāy-āz´).—With Marsala wine.
à la Ma´ryland(ä lä).—With a sauce of butter and cream, with or without wine. It is like à la Newburgh, but less rich.
à l’Américaine(ȧ lȧ mā rē ken´), after the American fashion.
à la Meyerbeer(ä lä mâ-ûr-bâr´).—Shirred and served with broiled kidney and truffle sauce; said of eggs.
à la Milanaise(ä lä mē-lä-nāz´).—Seeà l’Italienne.
à la mode(ȧ lȧ môd´), in the fashion; according to the custom or fashion.
à la mode de Caën(ä lä mōd de käN).—A term used to designate tripe prepared with vegetables, leeks, wine, cognac, etc.
à la Napolitaine(ä lä nä-pō-lē-tān´).—Seeà l’Italienne.
à la neige(ä lä nāzh´).—In some form that suggests snow, as with white-of-egg froth, or in balls of white boiled rice, or the like.
à la New´burgh(ä lä).—With a sauce made of cream, egg yolks, Madeira or sherry wine, and butter shaken in a dish over a slow fire until they thicken. Said also of this sauce.
à l’Anglaise(ȧ läNglez´), after the English fashion.
à la nivernaise(ä lä nē-vâr-nāz´).—Containing a nivernaise; said of a kind of soup à la julienne. Seenivernaise.
à la Normande(ä lä nôr-mäNd´).—Generally, with apples in the composition of the dish in some shape or other.
à la Parisienne(ȧ lȧ pȧ-rē-zēen´), after the Parisian fashion.
à la Périgord(ä lä pā-rē-gôr´).—Flavored with, or consisting of, truffles—alluding to the circumstance that these mushrooms grow of excellent size and quality in the province of Perigord.
à la Polonaise(ä lä pō-lō-nāz´).—Having red beets or red cabbage, so as to have their juice, color, and taste, as Polish ragoût, or borsh, which is the type of dishesà la Polonaise.
à la poulette(ä lä poo-let´).—With white velouté sauce.
à la printanière(ä lä praN-tä-nyâr´).—Made with a typical collection of cooked early or spring vegetables; of a somewhat wider application than à la jardinière.
à la Provençale(ä lä prō-väN-säl´).—Generally, prepared with more or less of olive oil, and flavored with garlic.
à la Reine(ä lä rān).—Of, or after the style of, the queen; said specifically of a kind of chicken soup [potage à la reine, (pō-täzh´ä lä rān)] containing white meat of chicken pounded and rubbed to a powder.
à la Ro’land(ä lä).—Made of minced lobster meat in the same manner asà la Lorenzodishes of crab meat. Seeà la Lorenzo.
à la Saint Cloud(ä lä saN´kloo).—With sliced truffles; said of a kind of velouté sauce.
à la serviette(ä lä ser-vyet).—Served in or on a napkin as braised truffles.
à la Soubise(ä lä soo-bēz´).—Generally containing onions in quantity; or, at least, strongly garnished and flavored with them; especially, served with a white onion sauce used with lamb or mutton.
à la Sourdine(ȧ la sōōr dēn´), silently; with bated breath.
à la tartare(ä lä tär-tär´).—With tartare sauce, or a sauce of similar ingredients. Also, said of a steak chopped and garnished with onions, pickles, pickled beets, sardelles, and yolk of egg, to be eaten raw.
à la Tartufe(ȧ lȧ tȧr tüf), like Tartufe, the hypocritical hero of Molière’s comedy, Tartufe, hence hypocritically.
à la turque(ä lä türk).—Shirred and served with chicken livers and mushrooms; said of eggs. Also boiled with rice and saffron; said of chicken.
à l’Aurore(ä lō-rōr´).—With a pink sauce made by coloring velouté sauce with lobster coral or Armenian bole. Also said of sliced hard-boiled eggs put in a dish, covered with velouté, sprinkled with grated egg yolk, and baked.
à la vert pré(ä lä vâr prā).—Colored green with vegetables, as with a puree of spinach.
à la Viennoise(ä lä vyā-nwäz´).—Applied to dishes usually and typically prepared in the Austrian capital, such as the dumplings termed nockerlin, quenelles of potatoes, and others.
à la Villeroi(ä lä vēl-rwä´).—With atelets sauce. Also, said of a poached egg put in a thick white sauce, then covered with egg yolk and bread crumbs, and fried.
à la vinaigrette(ä lä vē-nē-gret´).—With vinaigrette sauce.
al buon vino non bisogna frasca(It.), (äl bwôn vē´nō nōn bē zô´nyä fräs´kä), good wine needs no bush.
à l’envi(ȧ läNvē´), with emulation.
à l’espagnole(ä lā-spä-nyōl´).—Made savory with espagnole sauce; specifically, served with a garnish of onions, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and minced ham cooked together, and bound with espagnole sauce.
a l’extremite(ȧ lek strā mē tā´), at the point of death; without resource.
al fresco(It.), (äl frās´ko), in the open air.
alguazil(Sp.), (äl gwä zēl´), a Spanish constable.
à l’huile(ä-lwēl).—In olive oil; with olive oil dressing.
Alici(ä-lē´chē).—Anchovies, or a similar small fish preserved in oil according to the Italian fashion.
à l’imperatrice(ä lâN-pā-rē-trēs´).—Said of shirred eggs served with a slice of paté de fois gras upon each egg.
à l’improviste(ȧ lâNprô vēst´); unawares, on a sudden.
à l’Irlandaise(ä lēr-län-dez´).—Containing potatoes in some form, and often cabbage, etc., in mass or as a prevailing garnish.
à l’Italienne(ä lē-tä-lē-en´).—Generally made of, or garnished with, savory macaroni, or paste of that kind, or with ravioli; or made savory with Parma cheese.
all’alba(It.), (äl läl´bä), at daybreak.
alla Siciliana(It.), (äl lä sē chē lē ä´nä), in the Sicilian manner; in shepherd’s dress.
allégresse(á lä gres´), liveliness; geniality.
allemande(ál mäNd´), a kind of German dance.
Allemande sauce(äl-mäNd´).—Veloute sauce, with the addition of essence of mushrooms, cream, and a leason, or binding, of yolk of eggs.
alles hat seine Zeit(Ger.), (ä les hät zīne tsīt´), all in good time.
allez-vous en(ȧ lā vōō zäN´), away with you, be off.
allons(ȧ lôN´), come on.
allons donc(ȧ lôNdôN), nonsense.
allzuviel ist ungesund(Ger.), (äl tsōō fēl´ist oon´ge-zoont), too much of a good thing.
al occorrenza(It.), (ä lō kō ren´dzä), according to circumstances.
à l’ordinaire(ȧ lôr dē ner´), in the ordinary manner.
alose(ä-lōs´).—Shad.
á l’outrance(á lōō träNs´), to the death.
aloyau(ä-lwä-yō´).—Loin of beef; short rib of beef.
al piu(It.), (äl pyōō´), at most.
alto rilievo(It.), (äl tō rē lye´vō), in high relief.
à main armée(ȧ mâNȧr mā´), by force of arms.
am Anfang(Ger.), (äm än´fäng), at the beginning.
amar y saber no puede ser(Sp.), (ä mär ē sä vār´nō pooāthā sār´), no one can love and be wise at the same time.
âme de boue(lit., soul of mud), (äm de bōō), a base minded person.
amende honorable(ȧ mäNdô nô rȧbl´), fit reparation; a satisfactory apology.
à merveille(ȧ mer vāy´), marvelously, extraordinarily.
ami du cour(lit., a friend of the court), (ȧ mē dü kōōr), a false friend; one who is not to be depended on.
ami du peuple(ȧ mē dü pöpl´), friend of the people.
à moitié(ȧ mwȧ tēā´), by halves.
Amontillado(ä-mōn-tēl-yä´dō).—A cheaper variety of wine classed as sherry, but in reality a wine from Sicily or other Mediterranean or Atlantic islands, mixed with a little real sherry.
amour propre(ȧ mōōr prôpr´), vanity, self-love.
ananas(ä-nä-nä´).—Pineapple.
anchois(äN-shwä´).—Anchovies.
anchovy(an-chō´vi).—A small fish of the herring family caught in the Mediterranean, and pickled for exportation.
ancienne noblesse(äNsē en nôbles´), (the old nobility), French families ennobled before the revolution of 1792.
ancien régime(äNsēâNrā zhēm), (the former government or administration), the rulers of the ante-revolution period.
andouile(äN-doo´y).—Tripe.
anguilles(än-gē´y).—Eels.
anguilles grillée(än-gē´y grē-yā´).—Spitch-cocked, or grilled, eels.
anisette´.—A cordial or liqueur flavored with anise seeds.
à outrance(ȧ ōō träNs´), to the last extremity.
à pas de géant(ȧ päd zhā äN), with a giant’s stride.
à peindre(ȧ pâNdr´), worth painting.
à perte de vue(ȧ pert de vü´), till out of sight.
à peu près(ȧ pö pre´), nearly.
à pezzi(It.), (ä ped´zē), by the piece.
à piacere(It.), (ä pyä´chā rā), at pleasure.
à pied(ȧ pēā´), on foot.
à plomb(ȧ plôN´), perpendicularly; firmly.
à point(ȧ pwâN´), just in time; exactly right.
appui(ȧ pwē´), point of support; prop.
à prima vista(It.), (ä prē mä vēs´tä), at the first sight.
à prix d’or(ȧ prē dôr´), (at price of gold), very costly; fetching a fancy price.
à propos(ȧ prô pō´), to the point.
à propos de rien(ȧ prô pō de rēâN´), apropos to nothing; not pertinently.
arc-en-ciel(ȧr käNsēel´), rainbow.
à rez de chaussée(ȧ rā d shō sā´), even with the ground.