Showing posts with label gall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gall. Show all posts

Monday, May 16, 2016

gall, Gaul

Gall or gall means bile, or some other bitter substance--
"A honey tongue, a heart of gall..."
"...they gave him wine to drink, mixed with gall..."

Gall also means to cause a sore by rubbing--
Fasten the saddle properly, or it will gall the horse.

Gall may mean a growth on a tree or plant--
A gall like this may be caused by insects.

Gall may also mean a brazen, rude, impudent, attitude--
He had the gall to tell me I ought to retire!

Gall may also mean to cause resentment or bitterness--
Being slighted may gall him, but he'll get over it.

Gaul ( always capitalized, rhymes with gall ) means an ancient country located where France is today, but a bit larger, including parts of the territory of Belgium, Germany, and Italy--
"All Gaul is divided into three parts."
The buildings the Romans left behind in Gaul are still a tourist attraction in France today.

Gaul may also mean one of the people of the ancient country that is France today--
Vercingetorix, the famous Gaul, was captured by the Romans.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"He had the gall to tell me that he knows more about Gaul than anyone."

Note--"Gallic" ( always capitalized ) describes someone or something from Gaul--
Julius Caesar wrote an account of the Gallic wars that is still a classic.