actaeon
A cuckold.
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acteon
A cuckold, from the horns planted on the head of Acteon by Diana.
Actian Games
The games cele- brated at Actium in honour of Apollo. They were reinstituted by Augustus to celebrate his naval victory over Antony, 31 B.C., and were held every five years.
Action Sermon
A sermon (in the Scots Presbyterian Church) preached before the celebration of Communion.
actions speak louder than words
Traditional English proverbial phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
active capital
Ready money or property readily convertible into it.
activist judge
A judge who takes an active role in shaping policy or law
activist justice
Justice that is actively pursued or advocated for, often through social or political action.
Acts of St
Thomas is that he was deputed to go as a missionary to India, and, on refusing, Christ appeared and sold him as a slave to an Indian prince who was visiting Jerusalem. He was taken to India, where he baptized the prince and many others, and was finally martyred at Meliapore.
acu tetigisti
See HEM ACU. Ad inquirendum (ad in kwl ren' dum) (Lat.). A judicial writ commanding an inquiry to be made into some complaint.
Adam and Eve
The first man and woman
Adam Bell
See CLYM OF THE CLOUGH. Adam Cupid — i.e. Archer Cupid, probably alluding to Adam Bell. In all the early editions the line in Romeo and Juliet (II, i,.13) : "Young Adam Cupid, he that shot so trim,'- reads "Young Abraham Cupid," etc. The emendation was suggested by Steevens.
Adam Tiler
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
adam's ale
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
adam's ale
Water; because the first man had nothing else to drink. In Scotland sometimes called Adam's Wine.
adam's apple
The protuberance in the forepart of the throat, the anterior extremity of the thyroid cartilage of the larynx; so called from the superstition that a piece of the forbidden fruit stuck in Adam's throat.
adam's needle
Gen. iii, 7, tells us that Adam and Eve "sewed fig leaves together;" needles were (presumably) not then obtainable, but certain plants furnish needle-like spines, and to some of these the name has been given. The chief is the Yucca, a native of Mexico and Central America.
Adam's Peak
A mountain in Ceylon where, according to Mohammedan legend, Adam bewailed his expulsion from Paradise, standing on one foot for 200 years to expiate his crime; then Gabriel took him to Mount Arafat, where he found Eye.
adam's profession
Gardening or agricul- ture is sometimes so called — for obvious reasons.
add oil
to encourage or support someone
add one's twopenn'orth
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
add to something
Enhance or increase something
add up
to make sense or be logical when considered together
added to the list
A euphuism current among sporting writers implying that a horse has been gelded. As, "Sabinus has been ADDED TO THE LIST." Another form of expression in reference to this matter is that "the knife has been brought into requisition." "ADDED TO THE LIST" is simply a contraction for "added to the list of geldings in training."
added value
Additional benefit or feature that enhances something
addison's disease
A state of anaemia, languor, irritable stomach, etc., associated with disease of the suprarenal glands: so named from Dr. Thos. Addison, of Guy's Hospital (1793-1860), who first described it.
addisonian termination
The name given by Bishop Kurd to the construction which closes a sentence with a preposition, such as — "which the prophet took a distinct view of." Named from Joseph Addison, who frequently employed it.
addition and subtraction
Basic arithmetic operations
addle egg
An egg which has no germ ; also one in which the chick has died. Hence, fig., addle-headed, addle-pate, empty-headed. As an addle-egg produces no living bird so an addle-pate lacks brains.
addle pate
An inconsiderate foolish fellow.
addle plot
A spoil-sport, a mar-all.
addlepate
A foolish fellow, a dullard.
addy
Adderall.
adlay
an eshay
admiral of the narrow seas
One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him. SEA PHRASE.
admiral of the red
A person whose very red face evinces a fondness for strong potations.
admiration is the daughter of ignorance
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
Admiration: our polite recognition of another man's resemblance to ourselves. (Ambrose Bierce)
Admiration is insincere praise for someone who resembles us
Adonis River
A stream which flows from Lebanon to the sea near Byblos which runs
adoption by baptism
Being godfather or godmother to a child. The child by baptism is your godchild.
adoption by hair
Boson, King of Provence (879-889), is said to have cut off his hair and to have given it to Pope John VIII as a sign that the latter had adopted him.
Adoption Controversy
Elipand, Arch- bishop of Toledo, and Felix, Bishop of Urgel (in the 8th century), maintained that Christ in his human nature was the son of God by adoption only (Rom. viii, 29), though m tus pre-existing state he was the "begotten Son of God" in the ordinary catholic acceptation. Duns Scotus, Durandus, and Calixtus were among the Adoptionists who supported this view, which was condemned by the Council of Frankfort in 794.
Adoptive Emperors
In Roman history, the five Emperors — Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius — each of whom (except Nerva, who was elected by the Senate) was the adopted son of his pre- decessor. Their period (96-180) is said to have been the happiest in the whole history of Rome.
adorn oneself with borrowed plumes
To take credit for someone else's achievements
adrenaline rush
A thrilling and exhilarating experience
adrift
Loose, turned adrift, discharged. SEA PHRASE.
Adulterous Bible
The "Wicked Bible" Affinity Bible, of 1923, which contains a table of affinity with the error: "A man may not marry his grandmother's wife.
adversarial collaboration
Collaboration where participants have opposing goals or interests
adversity makes strange bedfellows
People form unlikely alliances during difficult times
advice most needed is least heeded
People often ignore the advice they need to hear the most.
advise none to marry or go to war
English proverb; full definition pending editorial review.
advisers run no risks
People who give advice do not face the consequences of their suggestions.
advowson appendant
A right of presenta- tion which belongs to and passes with the manor. This usually had its origin in the ownership of the advowson by the person who built or endowed the church.
advowson coilative
In which the bishop himself is patron and, as he cannot "present" to himself, does by the act of "collation" or conferring the benefice all that is done in other cases by presentation and institution.
advowson donative
In which a secular patron (usually the Crown) has the right of disposing of the benefice to any legally qualified person without institution or induction or examination by the bishop or ordinary.
advowson in gross
An advowson which has become legally separated from the manor to which it was appendant. See GROSS.
advowson presentative
In which the patron (who may be a layman) presents to the bishop who, unless he is satisfied that there is sufficient legal or ecclesiastical disability, must "in- stitute" the clerk.
Aemilian Law
A law made by the praetor Aemilius Mamercus empowering the eldest praetor to drive a nail in the Capitol on the ides of September. This was a ceremony by which the Romans supposed that a pestilence could be stopped or a calamity averted.
Aerated Waters
Effervescent waters charged (either artificially or naturally) with carbon dioxide.
affair partner
A person with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship outside of marriage or a primary partnership