[56] In "livery and bait" there is pleonasm. Bait, connected with bite, is the same word as in bear-baiting and fishermen's bait. We have it also, via Old French, in abet, whence the aphetic bet, originally to egg on.
[57] Hence the use of stout for a "strong" beer. Porter was once the favourite tap of porters, and a mixture of stout and ale, now known as cooper, was especially relished by the brewery cooper.
[58] Folk-etymology for frontispice, Lat. frontispicium, front view.
[59] Related to, but not identical with, queen.
[60] The older meaning of boor survives in the compound neighbour, i.e., nigh boor, the farmer near at hand. Du. boer is of course the same word.
[61] English regularly inserts n in words thus formed; cf. harbinger, messenger, passenger, pottinger, etc.
[62] Other forms of the same name are Bowser and Bewsher. The form Belcher is Picard—
"On assomma la pauvre bête.
Un manant lui coupa le pied droit et la tête.
Le seigneur du village à sa porte les mit;
Et ce dicton picard à l'entour fut écrit:
'Biaux chires leups, n'écoutez mie
Mère tenchent (grondant) chen fieux (son fils) qui crie.'"
(La Fontaine, Fables, iv. 16.)