Page Number | Note/Query | Explanation |
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101 - | A buen hambre no hay pan duro | 'there's no
such thing as stale bread when one is really hungry' a saying
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101 - | estupido | Stupid
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101 - | basta | enough!
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101 - | Pechero | courage - It's also a part of an armor/dress (breast part). Courage is a very valid translation. There is a saying in Spanish that goes something
like "Echarle pecho al asunto," which means to be brave and confront
the problem.
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101 - | Malvado | shameless - evil one (male also) Knave, villain
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102 - | crusado novo | a new cross, Portuguese currency
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104 - | As drunk as wheelbarrows | From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar tongue but classified as being exceedingly drunk. Partridge in A dictionary of Historical slang dates it from around 1650.
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105- | Estremenha | Juana born in Estremadura
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105- | As good as ever went endways | endways (OED) "With the end (as distinguished from the side) uppermost,
foremost, or turned towards the spectator." (It sounds vulgar or sexual.)
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105- | Fields of Tilth | (fields of) tilth (OED) "4. Lands under cultivation, as distinguished from
pasture, forest or waste land; tilled or arable land; a piece of tilled
land, a ploughed field." Presumably where we get the term 'tilled' for digging or ploughing.
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107 - | guerriere - | Wellington to Juana - his female fighter.
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108 - | King Joseph | Joseph was Napoleon's brother - put on the throne of Spain by him in 1808.
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109 - | you'd marry a midden for muck | aside from the obvious alliteration this was also
"You'd marry a mixen for muck" where mixen or midden meant a dung-heap. Basically means you'd marry anyone for the
money - and muck is a pun on wealth, filthy rich. Probably from around1730.
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109 - | Cadiz | The siege at Cadiz had taken Graham away from Wellington's army until 1811.
This from 'A British Rifleman' by George Simmons, although this piece was written by the Editor, Lt Colonel Willoughby Verner:
At the commencement of 1811, Soult was master of the whole of Andalusia, with the exception of Cadiz, which place was blockaded by Victor.
Soult, however, having been ordered in March to co-operate with Massena, thus leaving Victor unsupported , the Allies in Cadiz decided on a maritime expedition
so as to raise the blockade of that place. General Graham embarked with some 4,000 troops, and, landing at Algeciras, joined
La Pena and his Spanish force and marched on Cadiz. The battle of Barrosa was fought a few miles south of the Isla, the French under Victor being defeated
and Graham marching into Cadiz.
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110 - | Ingrato | Ingrate
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110 - | Comprende | understand
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111 - | 'All to Pieces' | as in he is 'broke'
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112 - | Daddy Hill | See Rowland Hill
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113 - | worst jag | drinking binge - hangover
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113 - | Good mind to have you Broke (Vandeleur to Smith ) | The method of punishment in the army was the 'cat' which was administered in front of the entire regiment by the buglers. They would each administer a certain number of strokes (around 25) so they wouldn't be too tired to do their job properly. The 95th preferred to use encouragement to gain obedience rather than force, a radical departure from standard army practice. However while they used it less than other regiments it was still employed if necessary.
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114 - | Turn cat in pan before we've had time to play off our dust | ( From Partridge) To change sides, from
self-interest; be a turncoat." (Partridge) "play off (one's) dust. To drink: ca. 1870-1910. I.e. remove it from one's
throat." (Thanks to Mark Pottenger for this)
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114 - | General Drummond | For whom Smith was first brigade major
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114 - | Wellington had failed on four costly attempts on Burgos | so a retreat was ordered from Madrid. They
could not hope to hold it, rather than get in the same situation that Sir John Moore found himself under in Spain in 1809, at
risk of being cut off from supply and communication lines into Portugal Wellington chose a tactical retreat to a position
of strength. Burgos (North East of Madrid) was a vital point to take, it was at the junction for all roads through central Spain and
to the France. To take Burgos was to strangle the French hold in Spain as supply and communication to the south would be severed.
However, he was limited by the fact that there were only three big 18 pound iron seige guns working and a limited supply of powder. These
guns were called 'Lightening', 'Thunder', and 'Nelson'.
5 brass 24 pounders were pulled labouriously up from Salamanca - but these proved so inaccurate as seige guns that they weren't deemed
worth the powder to continue. A further problem ensued when the French managed to spike two of the siege guns, and the last had to
be dragged back to a safer distance.
Conditions were wet, soldiers living in makeshift brushwood huts and labouring in waterlogged trenches. The work was dull, dirty and
dangerous.
After a month very little had been achieved. It was now late October and the threat of winter hung heavy on Wellington. In all his
assaults only an outer perimetre wall had been taken and he had lost 2,000 of his men. There was also increasing news of a 60,000 strong
French Army moving towards them - Marmont's Army of Portugal. Wellington lifted the siege.
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119 - | fandango | a riotous dance
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121 - | I wept when I was born and every day shows why - | Why? What is the origin of this saying?
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121 - | call yourself a sweep! | Basically - call yourself a 95th Regimental man - The Rifles, from the dark
colour of their uniforms, and the total absence of all Ornament, had gained the nick-name of'sweeps. See the picture of Harry
on the title page of this site. Although it is reproduced in Black and white he is wearing his Rifleman Uniform.
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121/23 - | The retreat to Corunna | Sir John Moore's three week almost disastrous retreat in appalling Mid Winter conditions from Spain. See The Peninsular War
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121 - | We're off to join the peer if that long-nosed beggar had taken us to Burgos | Yet another cant term for Wellington - he had only recently received ennoblement,
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124 - | gin-swizzling, cribbage-faced, cow-hearted Belemranger | cant terms for thieving - Essentially imputing someone is an drunk, ugly, cowardly bully.
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125 - | Paget - | Earl of Uxbridge see Earl of Uxbridge
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127 - | Bien Hecho | well done
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132 - | Paysano | Guide or peasant
From one of the Spanish expert:
There are several meanings for "paisano": 1)
peasant, a person who works the land; 2) a person who is not a military
man; 3) it is sometimes used to address a person who is of the same
country or town than the speaker. "Paysano" may be the old fashioned way
to spell it.
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132 - | Ross riding ahead with his six pounders | - Artillery - the six pounder was a heavy gun but was not as effective as the nine pounder which was introduced during the Peninsular war. The six pounders were gradually replaced but even at Waterloo three companies still used the six pounder as opposed to the nine pounder. The poundage reflects the weight of the shot, but the calibre (the size of the barrel) differed between countries - so while a British six pounder gun had a calibre of 3.668 the Portuguese 6 pounder had a calibre of 3.75 meaning shot could not be used by the artillery of other countries. I don't have the calibre of the French 6 pounders I'm afraid.
see Muskets, Rifles and Guns
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