John Gay
Poet and dramatist, 1685-1732
Cited as Gay. — 75 quotations
Abet
Would not the fool abet the stealth, Who rashly thus exposed his wealth?
Acceptation
My words, in common acceptation, Could never give this provocation.
All
A damsel lay deploring All on a rock reclined.
Aspen
Nor aspen leaves confess the gentlest breeze.
Bavaroy
Let the looped bavaroy the fop embrace.
Beacon
No flaming beacons cast their blaze afar.
Bolster
This arm shall be a bolster for thy head.
Bonfire
Full soon by bonfire and by bell, We learnt our liege was passing well.
Bonny
Till bonny Susan sped across the plain.
Brocaded
Brocaded flowers o'er the gay mantua shine.
By-street
He seeks by-streets, and saves the expensive coach.
Call
No parish clerk who calls the psalm so clear.
Case
And when a lady's in the case You know all other things give place.
Chandler
The chandler's basket, on his shoulder borne, With tallow spots thy coat.
Clear
The cruel corporal whispered in my ear, Five pounds, if rightly tipped, would set me clear.
Cock
Our Lightfoot barks, and cocks his ears.
Cockled
Showers soon drench the camlet's cockled grain.
Comical
They deny it to be tragical because its catastrophe is a wedding, which hath ever been accounted comical.
Composer
Sweet composers of the pensive soul.
Constrain
How the strait stays the slender waist constrain.
Deal
The nightly mallet deals resounding blows.
Drag
Long, open panegyric drags at best.
Explain
Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you.
Farcical
They deny the characters to be farcical, because they are tually in in nature.
Fashion
Here the loud hammer fashions female toys.
Flush
Nor flush with shame the passing virgin's cheek.
Foully
I foully wronged him; do forgive me, do.
Glow
The cord slides swiftly through his glowing hands.
Guzzle
To fat the guzzling hogs with floods of whey.
Joke
Or witty joke our airy senses moves To pleasant laughter.
Lure
And various science lures the learned eye.
We . . . strip the lobster of his scarlet mail.
Marry
Tell him that he shall marry the couple himself.
Mull
New cider, mulled with ginger warm.
Next
None could tell whose turn should be the next.
Paddle
While paddling ducks the standing lake desire.
Patten
The patten now supports each frugal dame.
Pave
To pave thy realm, and smooth the broken ways.
Pinner
With kerchief starched, and pinners clean.
Point
He treads with caution, and he points with fear.
Posied
In poised lockets bribe the fair.
Pour
In the rude throng pour on with furious pace.
Prance
Now rule thy prancing steed.
Rally
Strephon had long confessed his amorous pain, Which gay Corinna rallied with disdain.
Range
Teach him to range the ditch, and force the brake.
Rear
Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear?
Roar
How oft I crossed where carts and coaches roar.
Rosin
Or with the rosined bow torment the string.
Route
Wide through the furzy field their route they take.
Shag
True Witney broadcloth, with its shag unshorn.
Shave
The laborer with the bending scythe is seen Shaving the surface of the waving green.
Shining
Some in a brilliant buckle bind her waist, Some round her neck a circling light display.
Silver
His head was silvered o'er with age.
Smooth
When sage Minerva rose, From her sweet lips smooth elocution flows.
Sneer
The fop, with learning at defiance, Scoffs at the pedant and science.
So
A week or so will probably reconcile us.
Soften
Their arrow's point they soften in the flame.
Spurn
The drunken chairman in the kennel spurns.
Stall
How peddlers' stalls with glittering toys are laid.
Stay
How the strait stays the slender waist constrain.
Steely
Around his shop the steely sparkles flew.
String
Has not wise nature strung the legs and feet With firmest nerves, designed to walk the street?
Stubbled
A crow was strutting o'er the stubbled plain.
Stuff
Sometimes this crook drew hazel bought adown, And stuffed her apron wide with nuts so brown.
Thymy
Where'er a thymy bank he found, He rolled upon the fragrant ground.
Tight
I'll spin and card, and keep our children tight.
Traffic
You 'll see a draggled damsel From Billingsgate her fishy traffic bear.
Umbrella
Underneath the umbrella's oily shed.
Uncertain
Whistling slings dismissed the uncertain stone.
Upholder
The upholder, rueful harbinger of death.
Warble
Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat.
Whelm
The whelming billow and the faithless oar.
Whip
In half-whipped muslin needles useless lie.
Whistle
The weary plowman leaves the task of day, And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way.
Worse
“But I love him.” “Love him? Worse and worse.”