| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Green Man. | | |
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This public-house sign represents the gamekeeper, who used at one time to be dressed in green. | 1 |
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| “But the ‘Green Man shall I pass by unsung, |
| Which mine own James upon his sign-post hung? |
| His sign, his image—for he once was seen |
| A squire’s attendant, clad in keeper’s green.” | |
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The men who let off fireworks were called Green-men in the reign of James I. | 2 |
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“Have you any squibs, any green-man in your shows?”—The Seven Champions of Christendom. |
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