Vamoose. An Americanism for “decamp,” “run along,” “be off.” This had its origin in the Spanish vamos, “let us go.”
Vanbrugh Castle. This castellated mansion at Blackheath was built by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1717.
Vancouver Island. Discovered by Captain Vancouver while searching for an inlet on the west coast of North America in 1792.
Van Diemen’s Land. The name first given by Tasman, its discoverer, in 1642, to what is now “Tasmania,” in compliment to the daughter of the Dutch Governor of Batavia.
Vandyke. A pointed lace collar, always distinguished in the portraits painted by Sir Anthony Vandyck. Also a peculiar shade of brown colour used by him for his backgrounds.
Vassar College. Founded in the state of New York by Matthew Vassar in 1861 for the higher education of women. This might be said to constitute the Girton College of the New World.
Vaudeville. The name given to a short, bright dramatic piece interspersed with songs set to familiar airs, after Vaudevire, a village in Normandy, where Olivier Basselin, the first to compose such pieces, was born. The Vaudeville Theatre in the Strand was built for entertainments of this class.
Vauxhall. After Jane Vaux, the occupant of the manor house in 1615. This name, however, would seem to have been corrupted in modern times, since the manor was originally held soon after the Norman Conquest by Fulka de Breante. The manor house might consequently have been in those far-off days described as “Fulkes Hall.”
Venerable Bede. The Saxon historian merited the surname of “Venerable” because he was an aged man and also an ecclesiastic.
Venezuela. Finding that the Indian villages in this country were uniformly built upon piles in the water, the Spaniards gave it their native term for “Little Venice.”