An extra feature of the dvd is the following Glossary.
Note that the dvd has a copyright date of 1999, with original release date of 1984.
Libretto: https://www.gsarchive.net/iolanthe/iollib.pdf
Act I
- The Peer and the Peri - a Peer is a high-ranking nobleman, and a Peri is a fairy
- Arcadian shepherd - an idealized rustic, the standard hero of the 18th-century genre of pastoral, mythological drama
- a ward of Chancery - a minor under the guardianship of the Courts of Chancery
- bow ye Broadbents and Mulroneys - Brian Mulroney was the Prime Minister of Canada (Conservative) and Ed Broadbent was the head of the New Democratic Party at the time of this production, 1984
- I'll stick to my pipes and my tabors - pastoral musical instruments; flutes and drums
- in lowly cot alone is virtue found - cottage
- never throw dust in a juryman's eyes - same as pulling the wool over his eyes
- When tempests wreak thy bark - your ship, i.e. when you are in trouble
- Taradiddle, Tol-lol-lay - Taradiddle is a fib, Tol-lol may mean languid or so-so (as in the name of the character Lord Tolloller), but may be just nonsense syllables here
- Foreign Phrases - The Peers flaunt their linguistic learning in the following:
- with wase canaille - as the Fairies note, "That word is French" for low rabble
- a heard of vulgar plebs - "a Latin word" for the common people
- twould fill with joy... the hoi polloi - "a Greek remark" meaning common folk
- The new Arts Council Head - Maureen Forrester (Queen of the Fairies had just been appointed to this post at the time of this production, 1984
Act II
- when all night long, a chap remains on sentry-go - sentry duty
- when in that House, M.P.s divide - Members of Parliament, voting by physically going to one side of the House or other
- yet Britain won her proudest bays - laurel wreaths, given to victorious heroes
- Knowlton Nash - anchorman of the CBC National News at the time of this production, 1984
- nothing 'twixt you and the ticking - material covering a mattress or pillow
- be your law the ancient saw - old saying. This song, like "Things are seldom what they seem" in H.M.S. Pinafore, strings together many 'old saws.'
- not worth a maravedi - a Spanish coin of very little value
- as an old equity draughtsman - a barrister who draws up complex legal documents
- two strings go to every bow... grief 'twill bring if you've two beaux to every string - a pun on the phrase 'to have two strings to your bow', meaning to be prepared for emergencies (when you resort to your second string), and the French word 'beaux', meaning boyfriends, whom one may have on a string
