Nutmeg. "A gilt nutmeg" (L. L. L. v. 2), was a common gift at Christmas and other festivals.
Object. This word was used, of both persons and things, in the same manner as we now use subject. Of persons we still employ it with the ellipsis of of pity, as it seems to be used in Tim. iv. 3; but Shakespeare uses it also with that of of love. (Two Gent. ii. 4, Cymb. i. 7.) The French also used it in this sense (see Molière passim).
One. As this appears to be pronounced on (Two Gent, ii. 1), it is assumed that such was its sound, but it was in fact pronounced as at present; for in the Contention, etc., the original of 2 H. VI., we have "all's wonne (one) to me." In Chaucer's time it was sounded like own, for he always writes it oon, and it retains this sound in alone, atone, only.
Or ere. This should be or e'er; for or is ere, before, and we have the full phrase or ever in the Bible (Dan. vi. 24, Ps. lviii. 8) and elsewhere.
Osprey (Cor. iv. 7). This bird of prey was supposed to exercise a kind of fascination over the fish which it captured.
Out of God's blessing into the warm sun (Lear, ii. 2)—a proverb signifying from good to bad, the origin of which has not yet been shown.
Overscutched huswives (2 H. IV. iii. 2) seems to mean the harlots who had been well whipped in the house of correction. Scutch (same as scotch), to beat, to scourge, is still used of flax, and in Ireland of a mode of beating out wheat; huswife or housewife, signified hussy, a corruption of it.
Owch (2 H. IV. ii. 4). This word, whose origin is extremely obscure, seems to signify ornament, jewel, etc.
Owl. "The owl was a baker's daughter" (Ham. iv. 5). Douce says this is a common tradition in Gloucestershire. "Our Saviour went into a baker's shop, where they were baking, and asked for some bread to eat. The mistress of the shop immediately put a piece of dough in the oven to bake for him; but was reprimanded by her daughter, who, insisting that the piece of dough was too large, reduced it to a very small size. The dough, however, immediately began to swell, and presently became of a most enormous size; whereupon the baker's daughter cried out, Heugh, heugh, heugh! which owl-like noise probably induced our Saviour to transform her into that bird for her wickedness."
Painted cloth (As Y. L. iii. 2), i.e. cloth or canvas painted in oil, used like tapestry for hanging the walls of sitting-rooms and bed-chambers. It was both cheaper and more lasting than tapestry, and, like it, had stories and mottoes on it.