DICTIONARY

OF

AMERICAN WORDS AND PHRASES.

A.

Years A No. 1. The highest classification of a vessel on Lloyd's list. ago it was common to see the mark appended to the name of a vessel in So far the term and its use an advertisement for freight or passengers. are English; but in a commercial country, the use of such terms is often extended beyond their original application.

It is well known to those who are in turn well known to Stewart, and who stand on his books rated A No. 1 for the length of their bills, that the fitting out a young lady nowadays for a winter season in town, or a summer season at a wateringplace, assimilates more nearly to preparing a vessel for a voyage around the world than any other analogous undertaking.-N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.

The Niagara, New Orleans, and Louisville packet is one of the most magnificent steamers now running the river. Her interior arrangements are complete, and her officers A No. 1.- Western Paper.

Got a prime nigger, said the slave-dealer; an A number one cook and no mistake! picked her up cheap. - Mrs. Stowe, Dred, Vol. I. p. 313.

ABERGOIN. The term "aborigines" is corrupted by some of the illiterate people of the West into Abergoins or Abrogans.

ABISSELFA. A, by itself, A. It will be recollected by many, that in the olden time the first letter of the alphabet was denominated "abisselfa" when it formed a syllable by itself, as in the word able. The scholar, in spelling the word, was taught to say, "a, by itself, a, (rapidly, abisselfa,) b, l, e, ble, able." We derive this word and the use of it from England, where it is used in Suffolk county. See Moor's Glossary.

TO ABOLITIONIZE. To convert to the doctrines of the abolitionists.

ABOUT RIGHT. To do a thing about right is to do it well.

I fell foul of the old mare; and if I didn't give it to her about right, then there's none o' me, that's all. - New England Stories.

ABOVE PAR. A term originally applied to stocks, but often transferred

to other things which are superior; as, "this horse is above par;” “these goods are above par;" meaning that they are above the ordinary standard, better than common.

ABOVE ONE'S BEND. Out of one's power. A common expression in the Western States. Above one's huckleberry is a vulgarism of the same

signification.

I shall not attempt to describe the curiosities at Peale's Museum; it is above my bend. Crockett, Tour Down East.

TO ABSQUATULATE. To run away, to abscond.

A factitious vulgarism.

W- was surrendered by his bail, who was security for his appearance at court fearing he was about to absquatulate.-N. Y. Herald, 1847.

A railroad station-master at Oakdale has absquatulated with funds belonging to the railroad and various individuals.-N. Y. Tribune.

Hope's brightest visions absquatulate with their golden promises before the least cloud of disappointment, and leave not a shinplaster behind. Dow's Sermons, Vol. I. p. 309.

ACCORDING TO GUNTER. Gunter was a distinguished arithmetician, and the inventor of a chain and scale for measuring. The Laws of Rhode Island, both colonial and recent, referring to measures, say, "All casks shall be gauged by the rule commonly called 'gauging by Gunter.'" Hence any thing correctly and properly done is said to be "according to Gunter."

Mr. K, a respected citizen of Detroit, has published a letter entirely exonerating General Cass from the charge of having defrauded his association in the land speculations. He is positive that all was done according to Gunter.-N. Y. Tribune. ACCOUNT. "These hogs are of no account," meaning of no value. The word is used in the West to the exclusion of other shades of meaning. See No Account.

ACCOUNTABILITY. The state of being accountable. In England, the form accountableness is used. The same difference is observable in a number of words.

ACEQUIA. (Span.) The irrigating ditches used in Texas and New Mexico are called Acequias; the larger or principal one, which supplies the smaller, is called the Acequia Madre, or main ditch. The word is sometimes spelt azequia or zequia.

As the mustang sprang over the zequia, the flowing skirt of the manga was puffed forward. Mayne Reid, The War Trail.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORN. An expression of recent origin, which has now become very common. It means to confess or acknowledge a charge or imputation. The following story is told as the origin of the phrase:

Some years ago, a raw customer, from the upper country, determined to try his fortune at New Orleans. Accordingly he provided himself with two flat-boats, — one laden with corn and the other with potatoes, and down the river he went. The night after his arrival he went up town, to a gambling-house. Of course he commenced betting, and, his luck proving unfortunate, he lost. When his money was gone, he bet his "truck;" and the corn and potatoes followed the money. At last, when completely cleaned out, he returned to his boats at the wharf; when the evidences of a new misfortune presented themselves. Through some accident or other, the flat-boat containing the corn was sunk, and a total loss. Consoling himself as well as he could, he went to sleep, dreaming of gamblers, potatoes, and corn. It was scarcely sunrise, however, when he was disturbed by the "child of chance,” who had arrived to take possession of the two boats as his winnings. Slowly awakening from his sleep, our hero, rubbing his eyes and looking the man in the face, replied: "Stranger, I acknowledge the corn-take 'em; but the potatoes you can't have, by thunder!"— Pittsburgh Com. Advertiser.

The Evening Mirror very naively comes out and acknowledges the a demand was made, etc. New York Herald, June 27, 1846.

corn,

admits that

Enough, said the Captain. I'm hoaxed, I'm gloriously hoaxed. I acknowledge the corn. - Pickings from the Picayune, p. 80.

None of my enterprises, however, have been omitted, and, though a portion of my "Confessions " may by some be considered injudicious, I prefer frankly to acknowledge the corn, wherever I have had a hand in plucking it. - P. T. Barnum.

ACROSS LOTS. By short cuts, in the quickest manner.

I swore in Nauvoo, when my enemies were looking me in the face, that I would send them to hell across lots if they meddled with me.—Speech of Brigham Young,

1857.

ACTION. An amusing article appeared in the National Intelligencer, Washington, in 1846, on the abuse of this word. The writer says:

"The proceedings of Congress; the decision of Congress; or either House; the vote of the Senate or of the House, preliminary or final; the consideration of a bill or measure; the signature of the President after a bill has passed both Houses; or the sanction or approval of the President- these are modes of expression no longer known. The words I underscore have disappeared gone for ever, it would seem. Nobody hears of them more. It is the action of the House, or the House taking. action; the action of the Senate, or the Senate taking action; or what action will the House take, or what action will the Senate take; or both Houses are waiting for the action of the President."

ADAM AND EVE. (Aplectum hyemale.) Putty root, so called from the bulb of the preceding year being always connected with the new

one.

TO ADMIRE. 1. To wonder at; to be affected with slight surprise.

Ray.

In New England, particularly in Maine, the word is used in this sense. Some of the old English writers so employed it.

I perceive these lords

At this rencontre do so much admire,

That they devour their reason. Shakspeare.

2. To like very much. This verb is often and very absurdly used in New England in such expressions as, "I should admire to see the President."

ADOBIES. (Span. adobes.) Sun-baked brick used for building houses, fortifications, and making inclosures, in Texas, New Mexico, etc.

The large and economical adobe brick, hardened in the sun and without fire, supersedes other materials for walls and fences in this dry atmosphere [that of the great Plains], and, as in Syria and Egypt, resists decay for centuries. W. Gilpin, in Nat. Intell., 1857.

TO AFRICANIZE. To place under Negro domination. AFRICANIZATION. The act of placing under Negro domination. This and the preceding are words of recent introduction by Southern political writers.

AFTER NIGHT. After nightfall; in the evening; as, "A meeting will be held in the court-house after night." This expression is said to be peculiar to the Middle States. Hurd's Grammatical Corrector. AGGRAVATE. Used improperly for maltreat, etc.

AGUARDIENTE. (Span.) A kind of brandy distilled from red wine, in Mexico and Cuba.

AGUR-FORTY. Aqua-fortis, vulgarly so called at the South-west.

The doctors fed me on lodlum tea and epecac, washed down with myrtle tea't wan't of no manner of use; they then tried agur-forty—if it had been agur-hundred, 't would n't have done.-N. Y. Spirit of the Times, Frontier Tale.

AGUY, for ague; fever-an'-aguy, for "fever and ague; common among the uneducated, wherever this distressing disease is known. The word ague is pronounced in some localities so as to rhyme with plague. AHEAD. Forward, in advance. This word, originally a sea term, is now in very common use by all classes of speakers and writers.

Our banks, being anxious to make money for their stockholders, are probably right to drive ahead, regardless of consequences, etc.-N. Y. Com. Adv., Nov. 29,

1845.

AJEE. Askew; as 66

to have one's hat ajee."

ALAMO. (Span.) See Cotton-wood.

ALBANY BEEF. Sturgeon; so called because it abounds in the Hudson River, and is much eaten in the city of Albany.

ALBANY HEMP. (Urtica canadensis.) Canada nettle, so called from the use made of its fibrous bark.

ALDER. Beside the true alders, various shrubs belonging to quite different families are so called, generally on account of a resemblance in the leaves; thus, Rhamnus alniflorius (alder-leaved buckthorn) is "dwarf alder;" Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepper bush) is "spiked" or "white alder;" Prinos verticillatus (winter berry) is "black alder." ALEWIFE, plur. Alewives. (Indian, aloof. Alosa vernalis, Storer, Massachusetts Report.) A fish of the herring kind, abounding in the waters of New England.

66

The name appears to be an Indian one, though it is somewhat changed, as appears by the earliest account we have of it. In former times, the Indians made use of these fish to manure their lands, as the menhaden are now used. Mr. Winthrop says: "Where the ground is bad or worn-out, they put two or three of the fishes called aloofes under or adjacent to each corn-hill; whereby they had many times a double crop to what the ground would otherwise have produced. The English have learned the like husbandry, where these aloofes come up in great plenty.” Philosophical Trans., 1678.

ALGIC. Relating to the Algonkin tribes. Formed by Mr. Schoolcraft from the word Algonkin.

ALIENAGE. The state of being an alien. - Webster. Neither this nor the following word is to be found in the English dictionaries, except the recent one of Mr. Knowles. They are common, however, in professional books.

Where he sues an executor, etc., the plaintiff's alienage is no plea.- Laires's Pleading on Assumpsit, p. 687.

To restore estates, forfeitable on account of alienage. — Judge Story.

ALIENISM.

The state of being an alien. Webster, Knowles.

The prisoner was convicted of murder; on his arraignment he suggested his alienism, which was admitted. -2 Johnson's Reports, 381.

The law was very gentle in the construction of the disability of alienism.— Chancellor Kent.

ALL ANY MORE. A common expression in Pennsylvania among the illiterate to mean "all gone." Thus a servant will say, "The potatoes is all any more,” i. e. are all gone; or she will say simply, "They's all.” ALL-FIRED. Enormous, excessive; enormously, excessively. A low expression; probably a puritanical corruption of hell-fired, designed to have the virtue of an oath without offending polite ears.

I was woked up by a noise in the street; so I jumps up in an all-fired hurry, ups with the window, and outs with my head. - Sam Slick.

I'm dying - I know I am! My mouth tastes like a rusty cent. The doctor will charge an all-fired price to cure me.-- Knickerbocker Mag., 1845.