Benford's G&S Lexicon Entries for The Grand Duke
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Act II
“Deuce” here is a euphemism for devil. “To give the devil his due” means to give a disliked person such credit as he (or, in this case, she) may merit (54).
Jiminy is “a mild exclamation of surprise, emotion, or awe.” Possibly derived from Gemini (250).
Excessively affected or fastidious. The roots of the word are explained in Patience.
Flour is made from grain that is ground between two stones (one of which is turning). The lower one is the “millstone nether.”
Pronunciation: Rhymes with demon
A paramour in two syllables.
Pronunciation: keh-MEER-eh-kell
The chimera was a fabulous fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and a dragon’s tail; hence any wildly imaginative or impossible creation.
Short for “supernumerary,” a stage extra. Since many supers are thwarted would-be stars, one may expect them to be sulky. Stedman (273) notes that when Gilbert wrote reviews of plays he often made fun of supers who stood around like zombies instead of reacting to developments on stage.
A baroque version of “hub-bub,” meaning confused voice or voices (115).
This has nothing to do with ice cream. It is French for “style” or “manner.” An expression à la mode is one that is new and possibly ephemeral.
Tauto-logically married (and perhaps one day to be divorcedly divorced).
A woman who is in shabby, out-of-date attire, and probably experiencing a bad hair day.
An imaginary death based on a legal sleight-of-hand.
Pronunciation: EPP-eh-thal-A-me-uh
Plural of epithalamium: “A nuptial song … especially among the Greeks and Romans” (75). Bradley (48) adds that the songs were performed by young men and women outside the door of the wedding chamber. One supposes the newlyweds had the foresight to plug the key hole.
A wine from Marsala, in Sicily. Walters (301) tells us it is somewhat like Madeira wine. Our wino-readers will appreciate these details, we are sure.
An archaic term for “care” or “heed.” (Now you know the roots of “reckless.”) Gilbert is perhaps using it as short for “reckon” in the sense of understanding the value of something.
A promise plighted is a promise promised or a pledge pledged. (Gilbert’s legal training is showing again.) In case you want to know, the word “plight” comes from the German Pflicht: duty.
Sad reflections on the past or present. See also The Yeomen of the Guard.
Pronunciation: vee-VAH
Roughly equivalent to “give three cheers.”