$50 
The act of nodding—an action of nod- 
ding. An act of parliamient—the action 
of the laws. 
Dr. Trusler perversely mistakes act 
and action: he maintains that an elegant 
speaker will ,not say ‘ a good, or a virtu- 
ous act?’ he adds, ‘ the sentiments of the 
heart are not so much to be judged of 
from words as from actions:’ in both 
these cases act is the fit word; single 
deeds, not habits of conduct being in 
question. 
Form. Figure. Fashion. 
_ Forma signifies a mould external or in- 
ternal; itis applied to a shoe-last, or a 
cheese-vat; to a rule of words, or the 
model of a building. Figura is external 
form, the fixed, not the moveable mould 
or frame, from figo, surely not from fingo. 
Fashion (fugon) is a modern derivative 
of fuctio, making. 
Form includes construction and inter- 
nal arrangement; figure describes visible 
eontour and outline; fashion implies la- 
bour, and results from workmanship. A 
dress well cut, has a fine fashion; a stax 
tue well-shaped, has a fine figure: a man 
well-grown has a fine form, A tree is 
fashioned by the pruning-hook and the 
sheers: it figures well in a landscape, if 
its branches and foliage are agreeably dis- 
posed: it has no deformity, if its trunk is 
sound, and proportioned to its ramifica- 
tion. 
‘“‘ He hath no form, nor comeliness.” 
Esaiah. 
« Paganism pictures deity under all 
kinds of figures; whereas Christianity 
confines it to those of a man and of a 
dove.”  Trusler. 
“ The fashion of a work frequently 
exceeds in value the price of the material.” 
Trusler. 
The Farnesian Hercules, seen in front, 
is a complete figure; but its form behind 
has a feebler muscular expression: the 
fashion, too, is more laborious in the fore- 
part, as if it were utended to stand ina 
nitch. 
_Bubble-boy. Equipage, 
Words belonging to the slang of fa- 
shion,; which are no longer used in the 
only signification in which they were 
ever synonymous, would not merit record 
in a formal Dictionary of English Syno- 
nyms. As a note toa line in Pope, the 
explanation of them may not be wholly 
superfluous, 
«© A bubble-boy and Tompion by her side.” 
Tompion was a famous watch-maker; 
his time-pieces were so deservedly valued; 
Gontributions io English Synonymy. 
[Jan. I, 
that to this day several are preserved, 
which still excel the modern watches in 
exactness, Tompion is put by a, meto- 
nymy for watch; as we calla spying-glass, 
a Dollond, or arazor strap, a Packwood. 
As companion to the watch, on the - 
opposite side of the zone, ladies wore an 
equipage, or bubble-boy. It consisted of 
an ornamented hook, from which de- 
pended by golden chains, various seals, 
smelling bottles, and other trinkets for 
show, or use. But why was it called a 
bubble-boy? Probably the word is a 
mis-spelling for bauble-buoy, a support 
for baubles. . 
To the bubble-boy no watch was ap- 
pended: to the equipage, a watch may 
be appended. The bubble-boy was an 
equipage; but the equipage was not ne- 
cessarily a bubble-boy; it might be a 
watch-chain. I have seen a bill fora 
lady’s repeater, in which a watch and 
equipage are charged; although the thing 
delivered was merely the watch and its 
chain, which consisted of gold plates em- 
bossed with sculpture*and connected by 
rings, 
Equipage originally meant horse-fur- 
niture; then every thing necessary to a 
cavalier: it was afterwards used of foot- 
soldiery, and finally of the furniture and 
accoutrements requisite for any one to 
appear in the world according to his 
rank. We now say equipment. While 
a fellow-pendant to the watch belonged 
to a lady’s equipment, it was not harshly 
termed her equipage: this denomination 
has since been transferred to the carriage, 
and may revert to its original meaning, 
by being applied only to the horses and 
harness. 
To lift. To raise. 
That is lifted which is hoisted into the 
air (/yft, air): that is raised which conti- 
nues in contact with the ground (raise is 
from rise, to get upright), We lift a 
weight; we raisea mast. We lift a lad- 
der, when we carry it on the shoulder; 
we raise a ladder, when we heave only 
the ene end which is to lean up against 
the house. ' 
The favouritism of sovereigns often lifts 
a bad minister; their discrimimation some- 
times raises a good one. 
Way. Path. Track. Road. Street. 
Way is the most comprehensive of 
these terms, aud designates any line made 
use of for conveyance. Which is. the 
way to Hampton? The shortest way is - 
the path across the fields. The worst 
way is the old track. The surest way is 
the high road, The-woughest way is 
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