Plume and Feathers. An inn sign, corrupted from “The Plume of Feathers,” in allusion to the plume of ostrich feathers adopted as his crest by Edward the Black Prince. See “[Ich Dien].”
Plunger. A gambler who plunges into bets without considering the risks he incurs. Recklessness is his characteristic. To retrieve his losses he plays for high stakes, which make or break him in a very short time.
Plymouth. The seaport town at the mouth of the Plym.
Plymouth Brethren. A sect which sprang into existence at Plymouth in 1830. It has extended far and wide, both on the Continent of Europe and in America. Its chief tenet is the utter rejection of priestly or ministerial organisation.
Pocket Borough. An old Parliamentary term for a borough in which the votes at an election could generally be commanded by one influential person.
Poet Laureate. The officially appointed poet of any nation, so called from the Roman custom of crowning a favourite poet with laurel, symbolical of Apollo, the god of poetry.
Pogrom. Expresses the Slavonic for “devastation” or “desolation.” The word is allied to grom, thunder, thunder clash, and gromit, to thunder, batter down, as with a thunderbolt; utterly overthrow, destroy without mercy.
Pointer. This dog is so called on account of its remarkable instinct for pointing out or indicating to sportsmen the presence of game.
Point Lace. So called because it is worked with the point of a needle.
Poke Bonnet. One which poked out beyond the face on all sides. See “[Kiss-me-Quick].”