A growing assortment of words and definitions used in the Early Modern era. See the Guide for more information.
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Definition
A lostell
Disperse! A command for a crowd to go to their homes, or soldiers to their quarters; used also by heralds to the finished fighters at a tournament. From Old French a I'ostel (whence English hostel), to your quarters. The Kyng, said Edward Hall's CHRONICLES (1548) caused the heraldes to cry a lostell, and every man to departe. Old ostel, hostel, became hotel, and gave Sarah Bernhardt her one pun. When she became famous, the public wished to know whether she was married to the man she was living with. No one dared ask, but one reporter ventured to inquire: "Where were you married, Madame Bernhardt?" Knowing his intent, the actress mischievously replied: Naturellement, a l'autel! (Naturally, at the altar -- altar, in French, having the same sound as hotel). Cp. hostelity.
Titivil
A rascal, scoundrel; especially, a tattling or mischievous tell-tale; Cotgrave in 1611 has: a tatling houswife, a titifill, a flebergebit. Plautus once used the word titivillitium, apparently meaning a mere trifle. This may be the origin of Titivil, which was the name of the devil that gathered up the fragments of words dropped, skipped, or mumbled in the religious services, and took them to hell to be stored up against the offending one. From this, the name was used for a devil or demon in the Mystery Plays, then extended to persons. Also tittifill, titifyl, titivillus. In Edward Hall's CHRONICLES (1548, EDWARD IV) we read: Mistrusting lest her counsayl should by some titiville be published and opened to her adversaries.
