Great Expectations Glossary:

Allusions and Historical Things and Conditions

CHAPTERS 5-7
Purple leptic fit: Joe describes his father’s death as the result of a “purple leptic fit” (chp. 7), which is his
way of referring to apoplexy – the malady that we now usually call a stroke (Merriam-Webster,
“apoplectic”).

Steam, yet in its infancy: Pip compares Joe’s education to “Steam,” indicating that both steam power and
Joe’s literacy are “in their infancy” in chapter 7. Pip is giving Joe lessons in about December 1813
(Meckier 171), before steam power became prominent in English industry and transportation. The steam
engine had been developed in the 18th century by Thomas Newcomen, and improved by James Watt (after
whom the unit of power is named); but it was not widely implemented until the 19thcentury (“History of
Steam Engines,” Inventors.about.com). In 1815 (about two years after Pip reads with Joe in chapter 7),
steamships first appeared on the Thames, and the railroad followed somewhat later (Mecker 182).
Passenger railroad service began to appear in the 1820s, but was not widely developed until the 1830s and
1840s (“History of Railroad Innovations,” Inventors.about.com).

Stocks: When the soldiers spit over their “stocks” into the yard (chp. 5), they are spitting over the high,
stiff collars of their uniforms (Oxford English Dictionary, “stock”).

Wheelwright: A maker of wheels and wheeled vehicles (OED, “wheelwright”)

CHAPTERS 8-10
Beggar my neighbor:The card game that Pip plays with Estella is a simple children’s game [similar to
Egyptian Ratscrew]. Given the chief disparity between Pip and Estella – one of social class – the name
and nature of this card game tends to reinforce the socio-economic significance of their encounter.

One-pound notes: When Pip finds that the shilling he has received from the stranger in the Three Jolly
Bargeman is wrapped in two one-pound notes, Joe and Mrs. Joe lay the money aside as too great a sum
not to be restored to its original owner. Pip’s shilling is worth 12 pence. The two pounds are worth 40
times as much as the shilling (1s = 1/20₤). One-pound notes were, by the time Dickens was writing, an
obsolete currency. They were originally issued from 1797-1821, and briefly reissued during a fiscal crisis
in 1825-6. Easily forged, the English government tried to phase them out in the early part of the century
(Meckier 184).

Sedan-chair:Uncle Pumblechook interprets Pip’s (fallacious) report that he played with Miss Havisham
and Estella in a coach without any horses to it (chp. 9) as a description of a sedan-chair. According to the
Oxford English Dictionary, a sedan-chair was a carried conveyance, originally something like a litter.

Rheumatic paroxysm: Rheumatism is “a disease of which inflammation and pain of the joints are
prominent features” (OED, “rheumatism”). Many of the diseases called rheumatism in Dickens’ time are
now known as distinct conditions (for example, arthritis, lupus, etc.) (19th century manuals of domestic
economy prescribe various remedies, from blood-letting to draughts and pills).

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CHAPTERS 20-26
The Harmonious Blacksmith: There is, as Herbert asserts, a "charming piece of music by Handel" (Ch.
22) called the "Harmonious Blacksmith": Handel's 5th harpsichord Suite in E (1720) is part of a set of eight
suites. Handel did not call it "The Harmonious Blacksmith"; it acquired this nickname after his death
(Oxford Dictionary of Music). Sample recordings can be found at http://www.midiworld.com/handel.htm
under "Keyboard Music."

Coffee-house: In the 17th and 18th centuries, a coffee house was "[a] house of entertainment where coffee
and other refreshments [were] supplied ... [m]uch frequented ... for the purpose of political and literary
conversation, circulation of news, etc." (OED, "coffee-house"). Coffee-houses in the 19th century began to
lose their character as places of conversation and entertainment, but offered more substantial fare than
the coffee-houses we are familiar with today.

Counting-house: Herbert Pocket is in a counting-house, meaning an office -- a "building, room, or office

in a commercial establishment, in which the book-keeping, correspondence, etc., are carried on" (OED,
"counting-house"). While "looking about him" for capital with which to become an Insurer of Ships,
Herbert works as a clerk.

Fluey: When Pip refers to the "fluey men" at the Exchange (Ch. 22), he is describing the condition of their
dress as covered with "flue" -- particles of waste matter; fluff. The Oxford English Dictionary uses Pip's
reference to fluey men as an example of the historical usage of "fluey" (OED, "fluey").
Hackney-coach: Hackney-coaches were like horse-drawn versions of the modern taxi-cab. The Dictionary
of Daily Wants (1858-9).

Mourning ring: Wemmick's mourning rings are rings worn "as a memorial of a deceased person" (OED,
"mourning ring"). His brooch, which represents "a lady and a weeping willow at a tomb with an urn on
it" seems to fit the broader description of mourning jewelry -- jewelry "decorated with funereal ornaments
or pictures." One of the quotations used by the OED as an example of the usage of "mourning jewelry"
indicates that mourning jewelry "became particularly fashionable in the second half of the 18th century....
Earlier mourning jewelry of the 16th and 17th century was of a more gloomy kind" (OED, "mourning
jewelry").

Britannia metal: Mr. Jaggers, instead of keeping silverware, furnishes himself with utensils made of
Britannia metal. The Dictionary of Daily Wants (1858-9) describes this substance as follows:

BRITANNIA METAL. -- An alloy composed of block tin, antimony, copper, and brass. It takes a
high polish, does not readily tarnish; and when kept perfectly bright, nearly approaches the
luster of silver. It is not acted upon by acids, and may be safely used in the preparation or the
partaking of food. A number of domestic utensils are made from this metal, and their cost being
very moderate, they are brought within the reach of nearly all persons. (201)

Cast ... made in Newgate: Plaster death-masks of criminals were frequently made after their execution.
According to Charlotte Mitchell, the Romantic writer Thomas de Quincy "mentions in the notes to his
essay 'On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts' that he was able to buy a plaster cast of the 1811
Ratcliffe Highway murderer, John Williams" (496). These casts, commercially available, were apparently
created with a popular audience in mind: Though not nearly as grisly as the two busts Jaggers has in his
offices, the etching below of the "Profile of Thurtell, Taken from a Bust After Execution" (reproduced from
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an April 1837 issue of Martin's Annals of Crime or New Newgate Calendar) corroborates the practice of
commemorating the criminal dead in this fashion.

Dumb-waiter: Mr. Jaggers uses a dumb-waiter at dinner, such that he can keep "everything under his
own hand, and [distribute] everything himself" (Ch. 26). The Dictionary of Daily Wants (1858-9) gives the
following illustration and description of a dumb-waiter: DUMB WAITER. -- A well-known piece of
furniture formerly much in use, and extremely convenient; the shelves should be made to turn round,
which renders them still more serviceable. (390)

Dying Gladiator: Although properly named the Dying Gaul,

the statue to which Mr. Pocket is compared in Chapter 23 --
the Dying Gladiator -- is a Roman copy of a Greek statue
housed in the Museo Capitolino in Rome. The statue is dated
c. 230-220 B.C. The Celtic warrior is shown fighting against
death, refusing to accept his fate. The statue serves both as a
reminder of the Celts' defeat, thus demonstrating the might
of the people who defeated them, and a memorial to their
bravery as worthy adversaries. Although it represents a
defeated enemy, it still records his heroism and bravery. It is
typically Hellenistic in that it depicts pain expressively (his
bleeding wound is obvious at his side)

Gold Repeater: Jaggers' watch, which Wemmick asserts is "worth a hundred pounds if it's worth a
penny" (Ch. 25), is a watch that "chimes the last hour when pressed, and thus may be consulted in the
dark" (Mitchell 497).

Grinder: A grinder is a kind of tutor -- "one who prepares pupils for examination; a crammer" (OED,
"grinder"). According to Pip, Mr. Pocket, "[a]fter grinding a number of dull blades -- of whom it was
remarkable that their fathers, when influential, were always going to help him to preferment, but always
forgot to do it when the blades had left the Grindstone -- ... had wearied of that poor work and had come
to London" (Ch. 23). The term "grinder" seems to encourage, if indeed it was not formulated in, jest: A
contemporary usage recorded in the OED from Thackeray runs as follows: "She sent me down here with
a grinder: she wants me to cultivate my neglected genius."

Woolsack, or ... mitre: When Pip remarks of Matthew Pocket that, "in the first bloom of youth, [he had]
not quite decided whether to mount the Woolsack or to roof himself with a mitre" (Ch. 23), he refers to
two prospective professions for Mr. Pocket: The woolsack is associated with the seat-cushioning in the
House of Lords, and specifically with the Lord Chancellor. According to the OED, the woolsack is "A seat
made of a bag of wool for the use of judges when summoned to attend the House of Lords (in recent
practice only at the opening of Parliament); also, the usual seat of the Lord Chancellor in the House of
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Lords, made of a large square bag of wool without back or arms and covered with cloth. Often allusively
with reference to the position of the Lord Chancellor as the highest judicial officer; hence, the woolsack,
the Lord-Chancellorship; on the woolsack, in this office." The mitre, on the other hand, was a priest's
headdress (OED, "mitre").

CHAPTER 32-34
Newgate: a grim, dirty, frightening prison complex with an infamous reputation that depresses and
frightens Pip. Gallows, visible to the public, serve to warn potential offenders that there are severe
consequences of breaking the law. People unable to pay their debts are put into the prison, as was
Dickens’s own father.

Finches of the Grove: a snobbish men’s club Pip and Herbert would like to join when they come of age.
Members of the fraternity meet quarterly at expensive restaurants to eat, drink, and argue. Bentley
Drummle is a member.

CHAPTER 37
Taught the young idea how to shoot: When Pip relates that Mrs. Pocket "taught the young idea how to
shoot, by shooting it into bed whenever it attracted her notice" (Ch. 34), he makes a jesting allusion to
James Thomson's long poem Spring -- specifically to lines 1152-3: "Delightful task! To rear the tender
thought, / To teach the young idea how to shoot." In Mrs. Pocket's case, of course, her rearing of the
tender shoot is somewhat on the thoughtless side, as her child is gotten out of sight and mind with great
rapidity. Spring is part of The Seasons, which appeared between 1726-1730. The Seasons was a very popular
poem, and Thomson was influential for Romantic writers like Wordsworth (Oxford Companion 989-90). He
is also famous for having composed the poem "Rule Britannia," which was later set to music by Arne (see
Issue 10 for a note on a reference to "Rule Britannia" in Great Expectations).

Humanity ... brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out, ... it fleeth like a shadow and
never continueth long in one stay: When Pip refers to these "noble passages," he alludes to the "Order for
the Burial of the Dead," read at funerals. The first few lines in the "Order" are taken from specific passages
in the bible (indicated in brackets): "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry
nothing out [1 Timothy 6:7]. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away [Job 1:21]. Man that is born of
a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower;
he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth long in one stay" (Mitchell 500).

Funeral execution: Joe's desire to have a simple funeral for Mrs. Joe — "'I would in preference have
carried her to the church myself, along with three or four friendly ones wot come to it with willing harts
and arms, but it were considered wot the neighbors would look down on such and would be of opinions
as it were wanting in respect'" (Ch. 35) — is, according to the Dictionary of Daily Wants (1858-9), perfectly
respectful: "In walking funerals it is considered a mark of respect for friends to become pall-bearers"
(450).

Girdle or cestus: Wemmick's arm, in relation to Miss Skiffin's waist, is compared to two kinds of belts. A
girdle is a decorative belt (it was not, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, associated with the
undergarment until the 20th century, and this meaning first came into use in America, not Britain). A
cestus has slightly more conjugal overtones, being a "belt or girdle for the waist; particularly that worn by
a bride in ancient times" (OED, "cestus").

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Iron stand hooked on to the top-bar ... a jorum of tea: When Wemmick's Aged Parent makes "such a
haystack of buttered toast that [Pip] could scarcely see him over it as it simmered on an iron stand
hooked on to the top-bar" (Ch. 37), he is using an early kind of toaster. The Dictionary of Daily Wants
(1858-9) illustrates this kind of toaster and gives the following definition:

Toaster: A culinary utensil, as seen in the engraving, placed upon a stand of strong wire, that hooks on to
the bars of a grate, and made either loose, or to slide backwards and forwards on the stand; this will dress
bread, cheese, and small pieces of meat. (1005) A jorum is "a large drinking-bowl or vessel" (OED,
"jorum"), or the contents thereof.
Powder Mill: A powder-mill is a mill (a factory) for making gunpowder (OED, "powder-mill") and thus,
like the Aged, prone to explosion.

CHAPTER 39
Assembly ball: An assembly ball is a "dance held by subscription" (Mitchell 501).

Hired-out shepherd in a solitary hut: Magwitch, transported for life to the Australian penal colony of
New South Wales, was "assigned" as a shepherd. According to the 1838 "Report from the Select
Committee on Transportation," transported convicts were subject to "assignment" -- a system of
transferring a convict from government to private supervision -- and put to work according to the trade
they had pursued when free in England. The Select Committee classified convict-transports according to
three types -- servants, laborers, and mechanics (mechanics were convicts with special skills, such as
smiths, masons, carpenters, etc.). The majority of transported convicts were laborers -- unskilled -- and
most of these, like Magwitch, were pressed into agricultural work. The condition and experience of
convicts varied according to their assignments -- depending upon the clemency and liberality of their
masters, etc. Mechanics, being more useful than the average convict laborer, were more sought-after, and
generally treated better. According to the Report of the Select Committee, however, "[t]he condition ... of
by far the most numerous class of convicts, those, who [were] employed, as shepherds or neatherds, (of
whom in 1837 there were above 8,000 in New South Wales), and in agriculture generally, [was]
undoubtedly inferior to that of a convict, who [was] either a domestic servant or a mechanic; they [were],
however, according to most of the witnesses better fed, than the generality of agricultural laborers in
[England]; most masters either [paid] them wages in money, or [gave] them, instead of money, tea, sugar,
tobacco, spirits, and other trifling indulgences" (606). This account agrees with Magwitch's account of his
experiences abroad.

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Sent for life. It's death to come back: Returning from transportation before one had served one's time
was prohibited on pain of death until 1834, though the last person actually hanged for returning died in
1810 (Mitchell 502). Not all transported convicts were sent, like Magwitch, on a life sentence, and all
convicts could, if they behaved well in the colonies, earn a kind of probation -- a "ticket of leave" -- after a
set interval. If a convict was transported for seven years, a ticket of leave was obtainable after four; if
transported for 14 years, after six; and if transported for life, after eight ("Report of the Select Committee"
612). A ticket of leave allowed a convict, "according to certain regulations, to work of his own account"
("Report" 612). Convicts could often become quite prosperous and respectable upon receiving a ticket of
leave, as they were often preferred to other laborers for their experience, and were sometimes allowed to
advance to positions of civic responsibility. According to the Select Committee, convicts did occasionally
become quite wealthy, typically by exploiting the weaknesses and reduced means of other convicts --
lending sums at interest, running public houses, accumulating property at interest and default, etc. (613-
4).

CHAPTER 53
Lime-kiln: A lime-kiln is a furnace in which limestone is burned (at about 900 degrees Celsius – or about
1650 degrees Fahrenheit) to create lime, which was used for various horticultural and medical purposes.
According to the Dictionary of Daily Wants (1858-9) it furnished, in one capacity, an excellent manure, and
acted as a medical "corrosive, antacid, and depilatory" (635) in another. Lime has many industrial uses,
including metals production (steel, aluminum), water and sewage pollution treatment, glassmaking, and
building materials such as mortar and cement.
Sluice-house: A sluice-house is a building named for, because near or associated with, a sluice. A sluice is
a mechanism for regulating the flow of water -- "A structure of wood or masonry, a dam or embankment,
for impounding the water of a river, canal, etc., provided with an adjustable gate or gates by which the
volume of water is regulated or controlled" (OED, "sluice"). Appropriately, the sluice-house to which Pip
is summoned is located on the marshes.

CHAPTER 54-56
Hamburg: A port city in Germany. It was, and still remains, a commercial and cultural hub in Germany.

Rotterdam: Also a major port city and municipality (a district governed by its own elected
representatives within a country) in the Netherlands.

Steamers: A large ship propelled by steam power and carrying either goods or passengers.

Four-oared galley: A galley was a large open row-boat formerly used on the Thames River by Custom-
house officers. It was propelled by sails and oars. A four-oared galley would be rowed by four oarsmen.

Custom’s House:A building run by the Civil Service department of the British government to check
imports and exports onboard ships coming in and going out of the country. They were established along
seaports. Customs officers were government officials responsible for monitoring the trafficking of
people and goods into and out of the country. Every ship passing through or docking at a British port
would be examined and levied. The “customs” were the duties or taxes paid by the ship owners to
unload or load their cargo, either persons or goods.

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Coal-whippers: Whips were pulleys used to raise coal on board a ship. “Coal-whippers” was the slang
term for the workers who operated the whips.

Jack: Also known as a “Jack-of-all-trades,” this was the “odd-job-man.” He was always handy to perform
whatever menial or oddball task you needed accomplished.

Recorder’s Report: At the end of each circuit the judge would report to the Secretary of State with
recommendations of mercy. If the Secretary of State recognized the appeal for mercy, a criminal who had
been convicted and sentenced to hang could receive pardon. His pardon would either be transportation
out of the country or penal servitude with hard labor. Abel Magwitch was already deported to Australia
(New South Wales) for his previous crime, where he worked as a sheepfarmer. Pip writes letters
beseeching “the Crown” (the King and Parliament) to pardon Magwitch, though Magwitch’s chances of
escaping death after returning from a penal colony were slim-to-none.