Language

More doors are opened with "please" than with keys.

Something is Wobbly = Its shaky

Archaic word

addoom = adjudge

Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Judge's Black Cap = The judge puts on his black cap (now a three-cornered piece of black silk) when he condemns to death, in sign of mourning. This sign is very ancient. "Haman hasted to his house mourning, having his head covered" (Esther vi. 12). David wept "and had his head covered" (2 Samuel xv. 30). Demosthenes went home with his head covered when insulted by the populace. Darius covered his head on learning the death of his queen. Malcolm says to Macduff in his deep sorrow, "What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows" (Macbeth, iv. 3). And the ancient English, says Fosbroke, "drew their hoods forward over their heads at funerals."

Difficult words

penetrometer - n. instrument measuring the penetrability or firmness of a substance by driving a needle into it; instrument measuring the penetrativeness of X-rays, etc.

Limerick

When Simon so cruelly mocks Poor David's very short locks, He tends to forget It's incredibly wet From a man who never wears socks.

Knowledge

Belon, Pierrea French naturalist, one of the founders of natural history, and one of the precursors of Cuvier; wrote in different departments of natural history, the chief, "Natural History of Birds"; murdered by robbers while gathering plants in the Bois de Boulogne (1518-1564).

Quote

Mystics and Mysticism by Louis Claude de St. Martin - All mystics speak the same language, for they come from the same country.

Tongue twister

Betty bought some butter,
but the butter Betty bought was bitter,
so Betty bought some better butter,
and the better butter Betty bought
was better than the bitter butter Betty bought before!

Unusual word

lyrate = lyre-shaped