| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Quail. | | |
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A bird, said to be very salacious, hence a prostitute or courtesan. | 1 |
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“Here’s Agamemnon, an honest fellow enough, and one that loves quails.”—Shakespeare: Troilus and Cressida, v. 1. |
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The Iliad of Homer is based on the story that Agamemnon, being obliged to give up his mistress, took the mistress of A chilles to supply her place. This brought about a quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles, and A chilles refused to have anything more to do with the siege of Troy. |
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