He’s a nine-day cookA nine-day cook: Congrio probably means to say that Anthrax is a cook who only gets employment on the Nundinae, when the influx of country-people into the city called the services of even the worst cooks into requisition, and the eaters were not of the most fastidious description. The Nundinae (so called from nonae, ninth, and dies, day) returned every eighth day, according to our mode of reckoning; but according to the Romans, who, in counting, reckoned both extreme, every ninth day, whence the name. On this day the country-people came into the city to sell their wares, make their purchases, hear the new laws read, and learn the news. By the Hortensian law, the Nundinae, which before were only feriae, or holidays, were made fasti, or court-days, that the country-people then in town might have their lawsuits determined. Lipsius thinks that reference is here made to the feast called novendiale, which was sometimes given to the poorer classes on the ninth day after the funeral of a person of affluence. Probably, the cooking of these banquets was not of the highest order; but the former seems the more probable explanation of the passage.; every ninth day he’s in the habit of going out to cook.ANTHRAX You, you three-lettered fellowThree-lettered fellow: Trium literarum homo; literally, man of three letters—F U R, thief.;do you abuse me, you thief?LYCONIDESTo be sure I do, you trebly-distilled thief of thievesThief of thieves: Funtrifurcifer. Strictly speaking, the latter word signifies thief three times over..

STROBILUSNow do you hold your tongue for the present, and, that lamb, whichever is the fatter of the two—LYCONIDESVery wellVery well: Congrio answers licet, by way of assent to Strobilus, thinking that he is asking him to take the fattest lamb, on which Strobilus gives him the leanest one. Hildyard suggests that Congrio fancies that Strobilus is asking which is the fattest cook, and not the fattest lamb, and accordingly says, Very well, thereby admitting that he is the fattest of the two. If there is any such wit intended in the passage, it is very recondite.. STROBILUSDo you, Congrio, take that, and go in-doors there (pointing to EUCLIO’S house ; and (to a MUSIC-GIRL and some of the PEOPLE with provisions) do you follow him;