Abbess, or lady abbess, A bawd, the mistress
of a
brothel.
Abel-wackets. Blows given on the palm
of the hand
with a twisted handkerchief, instead of
a ferula; a jocular
punishment among seamen, who sometimes
play at cards
for wackets, the loser suffering as many
strokes as he has
lost games.
Abigail. A lady’s waiting-maid.
Abram. Naked. Cant.
Abram cove. A cant word among thieves,
signifying a
naked or poor man; also a lusty, strong
rogue.
Abram men. Pretended mad men.
To sham abram. To pretend sickness.
Academy, or pushing school. A
brothel. The Floating
Academy; the lighters on board of which
those persons
are confined, who by a late regulation
are condemned to
hard labour, instead of transportation.—Campbell’s
Academy; the same, from a gentleman of
that name, who had
the contract for victualling the hulks
or lighters.
Ace of Spades. A widow.
Accounts. To cast up one’s accounts;
to vomit.
Acorn. You will ride a horse foaled by an
acorn, i.e. the
gallows, called also the Wooden and Three-legged
Mare.
You will be hanged.—See three-legged
mare.
Act of parliament. A military
term for small beer, five
pints of which, by an act of parliament,
a landlord was
formerly obliged to give to each soldier
gratis.
Acteon. A cuckold, from the horns planted
on the head
of Acteon by Diana.
Active citizen. A louse.
Adam’s ale. Water.
Adam tiler. A pickpocket’s associate,
who receives the
stolen goods, and runs off with them.
Cant.
Addle pate. An inconsiderate foolish
fellow.
Addle plot. A spoil-sport, a mar-all.
Admiral of the blue, who carries
his flag on the main-mast.
A landlord or publican wearing a blue
apron, as
was formerly the custom among gentlemen
of that vocation.
Admiral of the narrow seas.
One who from drunkenness
vomits into the lap of the person sitting
opposite to
him. Sea phrase.
Adrift. Loose, turned adrift, discharged.
Sea phrase.
Aegrotat, (Cambridge), A certificate from
the apothecary
that you are indisposed, (i. e.)
to go to chapel. He
sports an Aegrotat, he is sick, and unable
to attend Chapel.
or Hall. It does not follow, however,
but that he can strum
A piece, or sport a pair of oars.
