The basis of the word
lily-livered lies in the once-held belief that a person's health and temperament are influenced by four bodily fluids, or humors: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.
But as I said in this column after the unexpected blip, at Gor we are not
lily-livered.
Of course, changing a country is not a task for the
lily-livered but historically, and as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, I know for sure that Yoruba leaders have a record of not succumbing to machinations of 'enemies of the society'.
I'd rather have Davis than the
lily-livered Corbyn leading negotiations.
Germany's
lily-livered attitude was similar to that of the authorities here, who were in some part complicit in making it easier for Asian grooming gangs to do their evil work.
The
lily-livered trustees had broached an important principle by making the BBC an arm of the welfare state.
Miliband is a
lily-livered millionaire playboy, who will go the way the unions tell him.
How can anyone know if their heavily-inked beau is a genuine free spirit or a
lily-livered Nigel who will have it all burned off in 10 years time, in a bid to become assistant manager at his local Asda.
AS a white, wishywashy,
lily-livered liberal, the issue of the Muslim veil has bothered me greatly.
We can't entirely blame the Prime Minister as it was his master's voice, the official spokesman, who uttered the
lily-livered denial that will leave English fans dismayed and make the boss an all-round laughing stock.
Certainly not our
lily-livered Football Association.
Now, an angry Cllr Williams has called one complainant a "
lily-livered coward", voiced suspicions they had political allegiances to Plaid Cymru and said they lacked "decency" for targeting him while he was receiving treatment for cancer.
Verity will probably just adopt that cruel smile and write them off as
lily-livered baby-spoilers.
Those
lily-livered people have a lot to answer for.