DISTINCTIVE NAMES OF
PERSONS, PLACES AND THINGS
The Gilded Chamber The House of Lords
The Vatican The home of the Pope of Rome
The White House The home of the President of USA
No. 10 Downing Street The home of the Prime Minister of Britain
The Citadel of Athens The Acropolis
The Colosseum The ruins of the Flavian amphitheatre in Rome
The Alhambra The famous palace and stronghold of the Moorish kings of Granada in Spain
Fleet Street The newspaper centre of Britain
Wall Street The financial centre of the USA
The Pillars of Hercules Two great rocks, Gibraltar and Ceuta, commanding the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea
Indian corn Maize
Indian date Tamarind
Indian file Single file i.e. one person walking behind the other
Paternoster The Lord’s Prayer
Chanticleer A cock
Potter’s field A burial ground for the very poor and unknown
Persian apple The peach
Adam’s apple The Larynx
Adam’s ale Water
The inner man The stomach
Junker A member of the German aristocracy
Limb of the Law Policeman
Kulak A Russian land-owning peasant
The silver streak The English Channel
Black art Witchcraft
The herring pong The Atlantic Ocean
The House of Keys Parliament of the Isle of Man
Iron horse A train
The gentle craft Shoemaking
The lamp of Heaven The moon
The universal arithmetic Algebra
China’s sorrow The Hwang-Ho
River Silver Rio-de-la-Plata
Quicksilver mercury
The garden of France The Loire Valley
Black diamond Coal
Capital punishment The death sentence
The Ashes Symbol of victory in international cricket matches
King of Metals Gold
God’s acre A churchyard
God’s image The human body
A Good Samaritan A friend in need
Bottomless pit Hell
White plague Tuberculosis
Hansen’s disease leprosy
White fuel Water power
April gentlemen A newly-married man
Scotland Yard The headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court in London, England
The Father of the waters The River Nile
King of the waters The River Amazon
King of the jungle tiger
King of beasts The Lion
King of the sea The herring
Sheep’s eyes Looks of love
Bird of peace The dove
The olive branch The symbol of peace
Morganatic marriage Marriage of a king or queen or one of royal rank to one of lower rank
The head of the Roman Catholic Church The Pope
The head of the Church of England The Queen and then the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bird of Jove The eagle
Bird of Juno The peacock
Bird of the night The owl
John Bull An Englishman
Cockney A Londoner
The fourth estate The Press
The sinews of war Money
Gentlemen of the robe The legal profession
The sterner of sex Men
The fairer sex Women
Flower of the flock The best child of a family
Land of the Leal Heaven
Ocean greyhound A swift ship
House of correction A prison, penitentiary
A man of letters A scholarly author
Jack Tar A seaman
Mother tongue one’s native language
Baker’s dozen thirteen