Glossary of Words and Latin Phrases
Act of Contrition — a traditional Catholic prayer said by sinners who are repentant for their sins
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam — "to the greater glory of God"
in a bake — angry
bally — a euphemism for "bloody," a British curse
black twist — a cigarette of tobacco leaves twisted together
boatbearer — a participant in the Catholic Mass who carries the container of incense (the "boat")
Bonum est in quod tendit appetitus — "The good is in that toward which the appetite tends"
cachou — a cashew mint
camaun — a piece of equipment in the sport of hurling; the stick used to hurl the ball
car — a two-wheeled horse-driven carriage
catafalque — a structure upon which a dead body is laid for viewing
catechism — a set of formal questions and answers that sums up Catholic beliefs
chasuble — a sleeveless garment worn by a priest when leading Mass
ciborium — a container for the host used during Mass
cock — a faucet
come-all-you — a form of pub song that begins with the phrase "Come all you..."
Confiteor — a Catholic prayer said at the beginning of Mass; literally, "I confess"
constitutional — a walk or stroll taken for health purposes
Contrahit orator, variant in carmine vates — "An orator concludes, poets vary in their rhyming"
cope — a long semicircular vestment
cassock — a close-fitting, ankle-length garment worn by Catholic clergy
Credo ut vos sanguinarius mendax estis . . . quia facies vostra monstrat ut vos in damno malo humore estis — "I believe that you are a bloody liar . . . because your face shows that you are in a damned bad mood."
Davitt, Michael — a radical leader of Irish land reform who served time in prison for trying to smuggle arms into Ireland
dead mass — a Mass said for the dead
Dominicans — a Catholic order of monks who focus on preaching the gospel
drisheen — a traditional Irish dish made of sheep's blood, chopped mutton, bread crumbs, milk, and other ingredients
Ego credo ut vita pauperum est simpliciter atrox, simpliciter sanguinarius atrox, in Liverpoolio — "I believe that the life of the poor is simply atrocious, simply bloody atrocious, in Liverpool"
ego habeo — "I have"
ejaculation — a short prayer or exclamation
elements — required classes, such as Latin or mathematics
Et ignotas animum dimittit in artes — "And he sent forth his spirit among the unknown arts"; from Ovid's Metamorphoses
Et tu cum Jesu Galilaeo eras — "And you were with Jesus of Galilee"
false sleeves — pieces of material that hung from each shoulder of the soutane, the garment worn by Jesuits
feck — to steal
fender — a guard that keeps sparks from flying out of a fireplace
fenian movement — an Irish revolutionary movement
ferule — a flat rod of wood used to punish children; plural "ferulae" refers to the number of lashings a student gets
fireeater — a person who likes to argue
foxing — pretending
Franciscans — a Catholic order of monks who focus on asceticism
gallnut — an abnormal growth on a tree
gamecock — a bird bred for cockfighting
gibbet — a structure for hanging
gingernuts — gingerbread
glass — a monocle
greaves — shin guards
hacking chestnut — a chestnut used in a game of beating one chestnut against another until one breaks
haha — a fence or wall around a garden that is set in a ditch so as not to block the view
hamper — a basket of food
Hill of Allen — a flat-topped hill in County Kildare, Ireland, famous for its memorial to Finn MacCool, a third-century Irish hero
hoardings — a fence on which posters and advertisements have been pasted
hob — a shelf by a fireplace
hurling — a traditional Celtic sport similar to rugby and field hockey
in tanto discrimine — "in so many disputes"
in vitam eternam — "into eternal life"
India mittit ebur — "India exports ivory"
Indian club — a club used for gymnastics
Inter ubera mea commorabitur — "My beloved is to me a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts"; from the Song of Solomon in the Bible
ipso facto — "obviously"
Ite, missa est — "Go, the Mass is ended"; spoken at the end of Roman Catholic Mass
Jakeen — a lower-class person
jingle — a covered, two-wheeled wagon
Kentish fire — strong applause, accompanied by stamping the feet
kisser — slang for "face"
lemon platt — lemon-flavored candy
"Madam, I never eat muscatel grapes" — a line from The Count of Monte Cristo spoken by the hero, Dantès (the count of the title), claiming that he cannot eat any food in the house of his enemy
maneen — an Irish diminutive for "men"
monstrance — a container in which the host, or communion, is displayed in Roman Catholic ceremonies
muff — a person who is awkward at sports
mulier cantat — "a woman is singing"
Nos ad manum ballum jocabimus — "Let's go play handball"
novena — a Catholic devotion involving prayers said over the course of nine days
number — a locker
oilsheet — a cotton fabric treated with oil to make it waterproof
pange lingua gloriosa — "celebrate with a boastful tongue"
paten — in Catholic tradition, a plate on which bread is placed for consecration
Paulo post futurum — "It's going to be a little later"
Pax super totum sanguinarium globum — "Peace over the whole bloody globe"
to peach on — to tattle or inform on
per aspera ad astra — "through adversity to the stars"
per pax universalis — "for universal peace"
pernobilis et pervetusta familia — "a very noble and ancient family"
pierglass — a tall mirror between two windows
pope's nose — the fleshy part of the chicken to which the tail feathers are attached
prefect — a teacher who leads a class or organization
press — a piece of furniture used for keeping clothes
provincial — a provincial head of a religious order
Pulcra sunt quae visa placent — "The beautiful is that which pleases one's sight"
punch — a hot alcoholic drink
Quis est in malo humore . . . ego aut vos? — "Which one is in bad mood . . . me or you?"
quod — "what"
real Ally Dally — slang for "the best" or "the real deal"
to redden a pipe — to light a pipe
refectory — a dining hall
ripping — slang for "the best"
risotto alla bergamasca — an Italian rice dish prepared in the style of the city of Bergamo
rosary — a series of Catholic prayers usually said with rosary beads
sacristy — a room where religious vessels and clothes are kept
sailor's hornpipe — a kind of dance popular with sailors
scribbler — a notebook
seawrack — seaweed washed up on the beach
seraphim — the highest order of angels, according to Catholic theology
sick in your breadbasket — slang for "sick to your stomach"
sideboard — a piece of furniture used for keeping dining items such as tablecloths and silverware
singlet — an undershirt
slim jim — a strip of candy
smugging — a slang term for homosexual play
Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary — a lay religious association honoring the mother of Jesus
soutane — a garment worn by Jesuits
square ditch — a cesspool
stone — a measure of mass, equivalent to fourteen pounds
suck — a sycophant; someone who follows without question; a brownnoser
sums and cuts — math theorems
super spottum — "on this very spot"
surd — an irrational number
surplice — a loose white outer vestment with open sleeves, worn by Catholic clergy
Synopsis Philosophiae Scholasticae ad mentem divi Thomae — "Summary of the Philosophy and Scholastic Opinions of Saint Thomas"
Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis — "The times change and we change in them"
Thoth — the Egyptian god of wisdom, learning, writing, and the arts; equivalent to the Greek god Hermes or the Roman god Mercury
the three theological virtues — faith, hope, and charity
third of grammar — the level of an advanced student
thurible — a container in which incense is burned
toasted boss — a heated footstool
tram — a horse-drawn streetcar
venial sin — a minor sin
Vexila Regis — "royal flag"
villanelle — a poetic form that is French in origin, nineteen lines long, with strict rhyming conventions
in a wax — angry
Whitsuntide — the Christian feast of Pentecost, which occurs the seventh Sunday after Easter
yard — a urinal
