The Breitmann Ballads - Part 35
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Part 35

Paardeken,(Flemish) - Palfrey.

Pabst, Der Pabst lebt, &c. - "The Pope he leads a happy life," &c., beginning of a popular German song.

Palact,(Ger. Pallast) - Palace.

Peke - Belgian rye whisky.

Peeps - People. "Hard on the American peeps" - a phrase for anything exacting or severely pressing.

Pelznickel, Nick, Nickel - St. Nicolas, m.u.f.fled in fur, is one of the few riders in the army of the saints, but, unlike St.

George and St. Martin, he oftener rides a donkey than a horse, more especially in that part of the German land which can boast of having given birth to the ill.u.s.trious Hans. St. Nicolas is supposed, on the night preceding his name-day, the sixth of December, to pa.s.s over the house-tops on his long-eared steed, and having baskets suspended on either side filled with sweets and playthings, and to drop down through the chimneys presents for those children who have been good during the year, but birch-rods for those who have been naughty, would not go to bed early, or objected to being washed, &c. In the expectation of his coming, the children put, on the eve of St. Nicolas' day, either a shoe, or a stocking, or a little basket, into the chimney-piece of their parents' bedroom. We may remark, by the way, that St. Nicolas is the Christian successor of the heathen Nikudr, of ancient German mythology.

Pesser, besser,(Ger.) - Better.

Pestain - Stain, with the augment.

Pfaelzer - A man from the Rhenish Palatinate.

Pfeil,(Ger.) - Arrow.

Philosopede - Velocipede.

Pickel-haube,(Ger.) - The spiked helmet worn by Prussian soldiers.

Pie the forms - Break and scatter the forms of types - the greatest disaster conceivable to a true typo.

Pig-sticker - Bowie-knife.

Pile-out,(Amer.) - Hurry out.

Pimeby - By and by.

"Plain" - Water plain, i.e., unmixed.

Plue goats - Blue coats, soldiers.

Plug-muss - Fight for a fire-plug. American fireman's language.

Pokal, (Poculum) - Goblet.

Poker - A favourite game of cards among Western gamblers.

Poonkin - Pumpkin.

Pop-slets - Bob-sleds. A very rough kind of sledge.

Potzblitz,(Ger.) - int., The deuce.

Potztausend! Was ist das? - Zounds! What is that?

Poulderie - Poultry.

Poussiren - To court.

Pretzel,(Ger.) - A kind of fancy bread, twist or the like.

Prezackly - Pre(cisely), exactly.

Protocollirt, protocolliren - To register, record.

Pully, i.e., Bully - An Americanism, adjective. Fine, capital. A slang word, used in the same manner as the English used the word crack; as, "a bully horse," "a bully picture."

Pumpernickel - A heavy, hard sort of rye-bread, made in Westphalia.

Put der Konig troo - To put through, (Amer.), to qualify, to imitate.

Pye - To buy.

Rapp(Rappe) - A black horse.

Raushlin', rauschend - Rustling.

Reb - An abbreviation of rebel.

Redakteur - Editor.

Red c.o.c.k - Or make de red c.o.c.k crow. Einem den rothen Hahn aufs Dach setzen. A German proverb signifying to set fire to a house.

Rede,(Ger.) - Speech.

Red-Waelsch, Roth-Waelsch,(Ger.) - Thieves' language.

Reiten gaen,(Flemish) - Go riding.

Reiter,(Ger.) - Rider.

Reiver - Robber.

Reue,(Ger.) - Repentance.

Rheingraf,(Ger.) - Count of the Rhine districts.

Rheinweinbechers Klang - The Rhine wine goblet's sound.

Richter,(Jean Paul Fr.) - A distinguished German author.

Ridersmann,(Reitersmann in Ger.) - Rider.

Ring - A political clique or cabal.

Ringe,(Ger.) - Rings.

Ritter,(Ger.) - Knight.

Roland - One of the paladins of Charlemagne.

Rolette - Roulette.

Rollin' locks - Rolling logs, mutually aiding (used only in politics.) Rosen,(Ger.) - Roses.

Rouse,(Ger. Heraus) - Out; come out.

Sachsen - Saxonia, Saxony.

Sacrin - Consecrating.

Sagen Cyclus - Cycle of legends.

Sa.s.s, Sa.s.sy, Sa.s.sin' - Sauce, saucy, &c.

Sauerkraut,(Ger.) - Pickled cabbage.

Saw it - Understood it.

Scatterin, Scotterin - Scattering.

Schatz - Sweetheart.

Schauer,(Ger.) - Awe.

Schenk aus,(Ger.) - Pour out.

Schenket ein,(Ger.) - Pour in (fill the gla.s.ses).

Schimmel,(Ger.) - Grey horse.

Schimpft und flucht gar laesterlich,(Ger.) - Swears and blasphemes abominably.

Sc.h.i.n.ken,(Ger.) - Ham.

Schlaeger,(Ger.) - A kind of sword or broadsword; a rapier used by students for duelling or fighting matches.

Schlesierwein,(Ger.) - Wine grown in Silesia, proverbially sour.

Schlimmer,(Ger.) - Worse.

Schlog him ober de kop - Knocked him on the head.

Schloss,(Ger.) - Castle.

Schmutz,(Ger.) - Dirt.

Schnapps,(Ger.) - Dram.

Schnitz - Pennsylvania German word for cut and dried fruit.

Schnitz, schnitzen,(Ger.) - To chop, chip, snip.

Schonheitsideal,(Ger.) - The ideal of beauty.

Schopenhauer - A celebrated German "philosophical physiologist."

Schoppen,(Ger.) - A liquid measure, chopin, pint.

Schrocken(Erschrocken) - Frightened.

Schwaben - Suabia.

Schwan,(Ger.) - Swan.

Schweinblatt - (Swine) Dirty paper.

Schweitzer kase,(Ger.) - Swiss cheese.

Schwer,(Ger.) - Heavy.

Schwig, Swig, verb. - To drink by large draughts.

Schwigs, Swig, n. - A large draught.

Schweinpig,(Ger.) - Swinepig.

Scoop - Take in, get.

Scorched - Escorted. A negro malapropism.

Scrouged,(Amer.) - Pressed, jammed.

Seelen-Ideal - Soul's ideal.

Sefen-lefen - Seven or eleven(minutes).