Classics Retold

Galanthus or snowdrops is a genus of about 20 species of small bulbous flowering plants in the amaryllis family.  They are the first to bloom after winter, often appearing before the snow leaves completely. It has narrow grass-like leaves, white bell-shaped flowers with six petals.  Galanthus comes from the Greek words gala meaning milk and anthos meaning flower, and it literally means milk flower.  They are native to southern and eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and parts of Southwest Asia. They naturally grow in decidous woodlands, mountain meadows, damp grassland, and the periphery of forests with rich soil.  Europeans see it as symbol of hope and renewal. They sprout at the fag end of winter. 

Yew is a type of evergreen tree belonging to the genus Taxus.  It is renowned for its longevity, appearance, the quality of wood, and toxicity.  Longevity: It can live for hundreds of years.  Some churchyard yews in Britain are among the oldest living trees in Europe.  Appearance: They have dark green needle-like leaves and produce bright red berries called arils.  Wood: The wood is strong and flexible. In medieval England they were used for making long bows. Toxicity: Its leaves, seeds, bark and wood are poisonous to humans and many animals.  The red fleshy aril surrounding the seed is the only the non-toxic part, but the seed itself is highly toxic. Literary Symbolism:  Because of its great age and association with churchyards and cemeteries, the yew often symbolises death, immortality, mourning and endurance. Habitat: Yews are native to much of the Europe, including Britain. They are widely used in ornamental landscaping. Yew grow also in parts of I...

The phrase horse and trap refers to a light two wheeled carriage pulled by a single horse or pony.  These were used for personal transportation, hunting. Trap is a type of small open vehicle, with two passenger seats back to back, with a tailgate-like trapdoor at the rear which supports the feet of rear passenger. They used to accommodate two people and were used to travel to town, fetch supplies or commute before the invention of automobile.  Variations like pony cart and dog cart were common in the 19th century.  Cockney Rhyming Slang: In British slang the term is frequently used as "pony and trap". It was a rhyming slang for crap or rubbish.  If someone tells you a story and you don't believe it, you might respond, "That's a load of pony and trap.  In Chapter 45 of Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Troy takes a horse and trap to meet Fanny Robin.

Bathsheba went along the dark road, neither knowing nor caring about the direction.  She reached a gate leading into a thicket overhung by large oak and beech trees.  It occurred to her that she had seen it by daylight on some previous occasion, and that it was  brake of fern , now withering fast.  She could think of nothing better to do with her palpitating self, than to hide here. She found a reclining trunk, where she sank down upon a tangled couch of fronds and stems.  The night passed.  Bathsheba was not sure whether she slept. But after a long interval she became conscious of her surroundings. She was in a secluded place. A course throated chatter of a sparrow, followed by "Chee- weeze-weeze-weeze!" from another retreat.  It was a finch.  Third: "Tink-tink-tink-a-chink!" from the hedge.  It was a robin.  "Chuk-chuk-chuk!" overhead.  A squirrel. Then, from the road, "With my ra-ta-ta and my rum-tum-tum!"  It was a ploughbo...

Game of fives most commonly refers to an English Handball sport resembling squash but played with bare or gloved hands.  It was originated centuries ago and formalised in British public schools, this game is essentially handball against walled court. Also known as Hand tennis, this has many variations like Rugby, Eton, and Winchester. Players wear padded leather gloves to hit a hard ball against front wall without using racket.  The Goal: Hit the ball so the opponent cannot return it before it bounces twice.  The Rule: You can only hit the ball with your hands and you are only permitted one hit per turn.  For a quick visual breakdown of the basic grips, the court lay out and swing techniques: visit You Tube. 

The expression combines two colloquial terms.  Sweating means perspiring heavily due to intense physical activity or extreme heat.  Sod is mildly offensive or informal term for man, or a difficult situation or task.  In agriculture and landscaping sod means upper layer of soil held by the roots of grass. In slang it appears in expressions like, "I was sweating like a sod", denoting extreme physical fatigue, hard labour or fatigue.  In literary context, in classical literature, it describe a damp landscape or that exudes moisture. It can also be called a wetland.  In the novei Far From The Madding Crowd (Chapter 44) the terms are used in this sense.