black sanctus

black sanctus

English

Alternative forms

• black santis, blacke-saint, blacke santis, blacke santus, blacksaunt, black-sant, blacke saunts, blacke sanctus, black santos, black sanctis

Etymology

black +‎ sanctus

Noun

black sanctus (plural black sanctuses)

1. A parody of a song.
   • 1533, R. Saltwood, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     As plesaunt to the ere as the blacke sanctus Of a sad sorte vpon a mery pyn.

   • 1578, T. Lupton, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     I will make him sing the blacke sanctus, I holde him a grote.

   • 1997, John Lyly, David Bevington, Endymion, page 147:

     Black Sanctus, a parodic hymn to Satan in ridicule of the monks. The term was sometimes used of any discord of harsh sounds or profane ditty such as might be used to serenade a faithless wife (OED, sanctus, 3).

2. the sounds of dialogue consisting of complaints and expressions of contempt, especially said of a spouse
   • 1861, Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, “Adolfus, Duke of Guelders”, in All the Year Round: A Weekly Journal, volume 5, page 14:

     The surly sinners sing / A horrible black santis, / so to cheer / The work in hand.

   • 1997, John Lyly, David Bevington, Endymion, page 147:

     Black Sanctus, a parodic hymn to Satan in ridicule of the monks. The term was sometimes used of any discord of harsh sounds or profane ditty such as might be used to serenade a faithless wife (OED, sanctus, 3).

   • 2009, Mark Morton, The Lover's Tongue:

     Incidentally, the clanging of pots that accompanied this parade of infidelity was known as rough music or the black sanctus, the latter term alluding to the Sanctus hymn that was sung during communion.

3. A sudden outburst of obscenities
   • 1891, Charles Augustus Maude Fennell, The Stanford Dictionary of Anglicised Words and Phrases, page 702:

     The phr. black sanctus (santus, santos, santis, sanctis) means an uproarious torrent of profanity; hence, any hideous uproar.