Brewer's: Green

Young, fresh, as green cheese, i.e. cream cheese, which is eaten fresh; green goose, a young or midsummer goose.

“If you would fat green geese, shut them up when they are about a month old.” —Mortimer: Husbandry

Immature in age or judgment, inexperienced, young. The text is old, the orator too green.

Shakespeare: Venus and Adonis, 806.

Simple, raw, easily imposed upon; a greenhorn (q.v.).

“`He is so jolly green,' said Charley.” —Dickens: Oliver Twist. chap. ix.

Green.

The imperial green of France was the old Merovingian colour restored, and the golden bees are the ornaments found on the tomb of Childeric, the father of Clovis, in 1653. The imperial colour of the Aztecs was green; the national banner of Ireland is green; the field of many American flags is green, as their Union Jack, and the flags of the admiral, vice-admiral, rear-admiral, and commodore; and that of the Chinese militia is green.

Green

is held unlucky to particular clans and counties of Scotland. The Caithness men look on it as fatal, because their bands were clad in green at the battle of Flodden. It is disliked by all who bear the name of Ogilvy, and is especially unlucky to the Grahame clan. One day, an aged man of that name was thrown from his horse in a fox chase, and he accounted for the accident from his having a green lash to his riding whip.

(See Kendal Green.)

For its symbolism, etc., see under COLOURS.) N.B. There are 106 different shades of green. (See Kendal Green.)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Green Bag

Greeks