Meditations prayers.
mentally casting me and himself up Mrs. Joe tells Pip and Joe they cannot get along without her. Joe looks at himself and Pip as if adding the two of them together to see whether they would equal her.
Mentor of our young Telemachus . . . Quintin Matsys . . . VERB. SAP.” The waiter at the Blue Boar, who assumes Pip owes everything to Pumblechook, hands Pip this newspaper article that Pumblechook has run. Telemachus was the young son of Odysseus who was guided during his father’s absence by Athene, disguised as an old friend of his father’s. Quintin Matsys was a Flemish painter who supposedly began his career as a blacksmith. VERB. SAP. is a Latin abbreviation for verbum satis sapienti, meaning “a hint is enough to the wise.” Pumblechook is claiming to be the great mentor and first benefactor of someone and is saying that a good hint is all they need to figure out who the young man is. He provides the hint with the reference to the Flemish painter who was first a blacksmith.
Metaphysics speculative philosophy. The branch of philosophy that tries to explain the nature of being and reality, and the origin and structure of the universe. When Pip and Joe discuss Pip’s feeling coarse and common at Miss Havisham’s, Pip is speaking in abstract philosophical terms that are over Joe’s head. Joe triumphs, however, by bringing the matter into simple realistic truths that even Pip concedes give him hope.
Mill Pond Bank, Chink’s Basin; the Old Green Copper Rope-Walk these locations are likely fictitious. The last one means “the place where ropes used to be made out of oxidized copper wire.” However, at this time, copper wire was not used in ropes yet. Another meaning is the long narrow shed or roofed over alley where ropemakers twisted hemp strands into rope.
Moses in the bullrushes . . . butter in a quantity of parsley the appearance of a bit of butter nestled in a quantity of parsley reminds Pip of the baby Moses hidden in the bullrushes to escape Pharaoh’s soldiers. This is from the Bible, Exodus 2:3.
mount to the Woolsack or roof himself in with a mitre this reference is to Mr. Matthew Pocket’s possible career choices when he was young — he could have become either a lawyer or clergyman. As a lawyer he could aspire to become Lord Chancellor of England and sit upon the Woolsack in the House of Lords. As a clergyman he could hope to become a bishop and wear a mitre (the British spelling of miter, which is the peaked hat worn by bishops).
mourning rings A custom at the time was to bequeath money to friends or relatives so that they could buy a ring to remember one by, usually inscribed with the initials of the deceased.
myrmidons of Justice this is a reference to Homer’s Iliad. The Myrmidons were followers of Achilles. Here Pip simply means “policemen.” He is afraid he will be arrested for fighting with the pale young gentleman at Miss Havisham’s.
necromantic work book of black magic or sorcery.
Negro-head tobacco strong black tobacco sweetened with molasses and pressed into square cakes that was popular with sailors and workingmen.
no getting light by easy friction In the 1820s, sulfur matches, which produced a flame when rubbed on a rough surface, were invented. This was easy friction. In this story, flames to light candles are still produced the old way by striking a flint stone with a piece of steel and igniting a splinter of wood.
nosegays small bouquets of flowers, such as for carrying in the hand.
O Lady Fair a popular song of the time, written and set to music by the Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852).
obtruded offered or forced upon others unasked.
Old Clem an early Pope, St. Clement (who died around the year 100), who was patron saint of blacksmiths. Blacksmiths sang this song about him.
one low-spirited dip-candle and no snuffers dip candles were cheap, quickly burning candles that smoked a lot from the long-burned wick they left. To avoid the smoke, the wicks needed to be trimmed with a special tool called snuffers. Pip indicates that it is hard to study at Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt’s school even if you want to because the room is lit by only one of these candles, making a book hard to read.
ophthalmic steps ophthalmic means having to do with the eye in some way. The stranger in the Jolly Bargemen eyes Pip very closely and for some time. Pip does not recall anyone ever taking such ophthalmic steps with him, in other words, eyeing him so closely, before.
ostler a person who takes care of horses at an inn, stable, and so on.
outrunning the constable spending more money than you make.
over the broomstick a folk marriage ceremony, essentially one with no legal status. Because Estella’s parents were married this way, she is illegitimate.
