Metaphors and Word-plays in Petronius ...

V. MISCELLANEOUS AND UNCERTAIN

Adulti. Grown up.

Of the sun in his zenith. 122.148: non solis adulti mansuescit radiis.

Asciam. Sticking an axe in the leg.

Of the trouble brought on by marriage. 74.16: ipse mihi asciam in crus impegi.

Audaciam. Boldness.

Of one's self. 102.6: quod an fieri possit, interrogate audaciam tuam.

Barbam Auream. Having golden beard like the gods.

Of having great power. 58.6: aut ego non me novi, aut non deridebis, licet barbam auream habeas.

Caeno. Rome sunk in the mud.

Of her degredation. 119.58: hoc mersam caeno Romam.

Carnarium. Slaughter-house.

Of the arena in a gladiatorial contest. 45.6: ferrum optimum daturus est, sine fuga, carnarium in medio.

CLAVO. Secure fastening of a door.

Of fixedness of purpose. 75.7: quod semel destinavi, clavo tabulari fixum est.

Codex. Block of wood.

Of a woman, "blockhead". 74.13: at inflat se tanquam rana, et in sinum suum non spuit, codex, non mulier.

Conari. Make any attempt.

Of sexual intercourse, "try a little". 19.4: tres enim erant mulierculae, si quid vellent conari, infirmissimae.

Conspuit. Spitting.

Of giving kisses. 23.4: immundissimo me basio conspuit.

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Contero. Wearing away.

Of much kissing. 91.4: et perfusum os lacrimis vultu meo contero.

CONTUMACEM. Stubborn.

Of inactive membrum virile. 132.9: erectus igitur in cubitum hac fere oratione contumacem vexavi.

Coronatum. Crowned with a cup.

Of wine drunk after a meat course at dinner. 66.2: habuimus tamen in primo porcum poculo coronatum.

Detersit. Wiping clean.

Of clearing up the mind. 88.4: ter elleboro animum detersit. Discordia. Discord.

Of a contentious man. 43.3: durae buccae fuit, linguosus, dis

cordia, non homo. ExpERTam. Having tried a man.

Of sexual intercourse. 127.1: si non fastidis feminam ornatam

et hoc primum anno virum expertam, concilio tibi, o iuvenis, soro

rem.

FULCIpEDIA. Propfoot, or a high shoe.

Of Fortunata who has to lean on Trimalchio, or it may mean a high stepper and so haughty. 75.5: sed Fortuna vetat. ita tibi videtur, fulcipediaf

Inveniunt. The doctors do not find themselves.

Do not know their business, "do not know where they are at". 47.2: nec medici se inveniunt.

Laciniam. Corner of a membrum virile charm.

Of a man whose membrum virile was so large that one would have thought that the man himself was only a corner of the charm. 92.9: habebat enim inguinum pondus tam grande ut ipsum hominem laciniam fascini crederes.

Lorum. Thong in water.

Of a man whose membrum virile is inactive. 134.9: nunquam tu hominem tam infelicem vidisti: lorum in aqua, non inguina habet.

Latro. Robber.

Of one who injures strangers. 107.11: nam qui ignotos laedit, latro appellatur, qui amicos, paulo minus quam parricida.

Manios. A praenomen related to "mane", morning, early risers. Of clever men, "sooners". 45.7: iam Manios aliquot habet.

Officiosam. Hand ready for service.

In an obscene sense. 105.9: sed continuo ad inguina mea luminibus deflexis movit officiosam manum.

Operam Et SUDOREM. Losing pains and sweat.

Of failing to accomplish one's purpose in sexual intercourse. 134.2: tanquam caballus in clivo, et operam et sudorem perdidisti.

Parricida. Murderer.

Of one who injures his friends. 107.11 (s. v. latro).

Praeceptor. Teacher.

Of the senate. 88.9: ipse senatus, recti bonique praeceptor, mille pondo auri Capitolio promittere solet.

pURgAMENTUM. Filth.

Of a man, "scum of the earth". 74.9: male dicere Trimalchioni coepit et purgamentum dedecusque praedicare.

Quadrantem. Ready to pick up a quarter of an as from a dung heap with the teeth. Of doing any thing to get money. 43.1: ab asse crevit et paratus fuit quadrantem de stercore mordicus tollere.

ROBUSTAM. Strong.

Of real gratification in lust. 127.10: in hoc gramine pariter compositi mille osculis lusimus, quaerentes voluptatem robustam.

Scopulus. Crag of the pirates.

Of Pompey who broke up their business. 123.240: et piratarum scopulus, modo quem ter ovantem Iuppiter horruerat.

Spuit. Spitting upon one's own bosom.

Of attending to one's own business. 74.13 (s. v. codex).

Sudavit . . . ExpUIT. Sweating and spitting.

Of making great effort in speaking when one has nothing to say. 44.9: cum ageret porro in foro, sic illius vox crescebat tanquam tuba. nec sudavit unquam nec expuit.

Tulisse. Putting up with one's self.

Of a person's age. 43.7: et quot putas illum annos secum tulisse?

Vermes. Maggots growing in decayed flesh.

Of certain conditions bringing about quarrels. 57.3: non mehercules soleo cito fervere, sed in molle carne vermes nascuntur.

Vitrea. Broken glass.

Of worthless opinions. 10.1: an videlicet audirem sententias, id est vitrea fracta et somniorum interpretamentaf

VI. OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

Whatever may be the origin of figurative language, it seems to be universally true that the speech of persons in the lower walks of life is richest in the use of figures. Figures with the cultured are an ornament of speech and are often used with a view to securing greater beauty, elegance, and force of style; with the unlettered, however, figures spring forth naturally and spontaneously, and are often unusual and telling in effect. Such persons realize that they are speaking in language other than literal, but there is no apparent effort on their part. Some unlettered persons speak almost entirely in figures. This habit may well arise from lack of wide vocabulary, and accordingly few words have to express many thoughts. The figurative language of the old-time Southern negro is a good example of the foregoing principles. Many of the negroes rarely employ literal speech. Their expressions are so striking and unusual that frequently even persons who have lived with them from childhood do not understand their meaning; and to persons who do not know the negroes, their manner of speech is ridiculous and almost a foreign language. On a summer day, a friend of the writer walked into a field where negroes were at work. One of them remarked, "Boss, we's sholy got a new ingineer today". My friend did not know the meaning of the remark, although he had been with the race from childhood. On asking, he found that the negro was referring to the excessive heat of the sun and to the fact that a new engineer keeps his engine hotter and burns more coal than an experienced one. A negro in a Virginia town, who had lost his arm in a railroad accident, went to the authorities in Richmond to ask for the position of watchman. Being unable to understand his figurative language and misplaced words, they told the gentleman who had come to intercede for the negro to take that fool away from there and they would give him anything he wanted. He was appointed. The negro always seems surprised that his language is not understood, and after explaining his meaning by another figure, it may be, he will add with a smile, "White folks don't know much no how". Sailors, too,