'[62]
[62] The Book of Days, Dec. 28.
All the pursuits of life, all the trades and occupations of men,
have, in all times, lent expressions to the languages of nations,
and those resulting from the propensity of GAMING are among those
which perpetually recur in daily conversation, and with the
greatest emphasis. Thus we have:--'He has played his cards well
or ill,'--applied to the management of fortune or one's interest;
jacta est alea, 'the die is cast,' as exclaimed Julius Caesar
before crossing the Rubicon; 'he has run his RACE--reached the
GOAL' a turf adage applied to consummate success or disastrous
failure; 'a lucky throw or hit;' 'within an ACE,' meaning one
point of gaining a thing; 'he HAZARDS everything;' 'chances are
for and against;' 'he was PIQUED,' from the game of piquet,
meaning, angry at losing something; 'left in the lurch,' from the
French game l'Ourche, wherein on certain points happening the
stake is to he paid double, and meaning, 'under circumstances
unexpected and peculiarly unfavourable;' 'to save your bacon or
gamon,' from the game Back-gammon[63] a blot is hit,' from the
same; 'checked in his career,' that is, stopped in his designs
from the game of chess.
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