a wry face
The features drawn awry, expressive of distaste.
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A Yarmouth capon
A red herring. Capon is also an obsolete term for a love- letter, after the Fr. poulet, which means not only a chicken but also a love-letter, or a sheet of fancy notepaper. Thus Henri IV, consult- ing with Sully about his marriage, says: "My niece of Guise wpuld please me best, though report says maliciously that she loves poulets in paper better than in a fricassee.
a year and a day
a period of time used to establish a precedent or tradition
a young man married is a young man marred
An early marriage can ruin a young man's life
Aaron's Beard
The popular name of many wild plants, including Great St. John's Wort (Rose of Sharon), the Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Meadowsweet, Saxifrage Sarmentosa, etc.
Aaron's Rod
The name given (with refer- ence to Num. xvii, 8) to various flowering plants, including Golden Rod, Great Mullein, and others.
aaron's serpent
Something so powerful as to eliminate minor powers. And hence one master passion in the breast, Like Aaron's serpent swallows up the rest.
ab ovo
From the very beginning. Stasinus, in his Cypna, a poem in 11 books belonging to the Homeric cycle and forming an intro- duction to the Iliad, does not rush (as does the Iliad itself) in medias res, but begins with the eggs of Leda, from one of which Helen was born. If Leda had not laid this egg, Helen would never have been born, therefore Paris could not have eloped with her, therefore there would have been no Trojan War, etc.
Abbey of St
Denis dated 1534. Original Sin. See SIN. Orinda the Matchless (o rin' da). Katherine Philips (1631-64), the poetess and letter-writer. She first adopted the signature "Orinda" in her correspondence with Sir Charles Cotterell, and afterwards used it for general purposes. Her praises were sung by Cowley, Dryden, and others.
Abbot's Priory
a place or situation where someone has absolute authority
Abbott and Costello
A fixed-order word pair (irreversible binomial); full definition pending editorial review.
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.
abigail
A lady’s-maid; perhaps obtained from old comedies. Used in an uncomplimentary sense. Some think the term is derived from Abigail Hill (Mrs. Masham), lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne, and a typical ABIGAIL in the way of intrigue.
able to do something
Having the skill or capability to perform a task
Abou Hassan
A rich mer- chant (in The Arabian Nights), transferred dur- ing sleep to the bed and palace of the Caliph
abound in one's own sense
To have a strong and self-centered opinion
about right
"to do the thing ABOUT RIGHT," i.e., to do it properly, soundly, correctly; "he guv it ’im ABOUT RIGHT," i.e., he beat him severely.
about time
happening sooner than expected
about to
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
above all
more than anything else
above and beyond
Exceeding what is expected or required
above board
Honest and transparent in all dealings
above one's bend
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
above one's huckleberry
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
above par
Better than average or expected
above par
A commercial term meaning that the article referred to is at more than its nominal value. See PAR.
above the curve
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
above the fray
Not involved in a contentious or chaotic situation
above the law
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
above the salt
A position of honor or prestige at a table
above water
Managing to survive or stay financially afloat
Abraham and Isaac
A father-son relationship with a significant age gap
abraham's bosom
The repose of the happy in death — The sons of Edward sleep in Abraham's bosom. Richard ///, iv, 3.
abraham's willing
A shilling.
abraham-man
A vagabond, such as were driven to beg about the country after the dissolution of the monasteries.—See BESS O’ BEDLAM, infra. They are well described under the title of Bedlam Beggars.—Shakspeare’s K. Lear, ii. 3.
abraham-sham
Or SHAM ABRAHAM, to feign sickness or distress. From ABRAHAM-MAN, the ancient Cant term for a begging impostor, or one who pretended to have been mad.—Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy, vol. i. p. 360. When Abraham Newland was Cashier to the Bank of England, and signed their notes, it was sung:—
abrahamic covenant
The covenant made by God with Abraham (Gen. xii, 2, 3, and xvii), interpreted to mean that the Messiah should spring from his seed. This promise was given to Abraham, because he left his father's house to live in a strange land, as God told him.
abram cove
A cant word among thieves, signifying a naked or poor man; also a lusty, strong rogue.
absence makes the heart grow fonder
Time apart strengthens affection
absent flag
A small blue signal flown by a yacht to indicate that the owner is not aboard,
absobloodylutely
absolutely
absoflippinglutely
absolutely.
absofreakinglutely
Absolutely.
absofuckinglutely
Absolutely.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely (John Dalberg-Acton, 1887)
Complete power leads to total corruption
absolute zero
The temperature at which a theoretically perfect gas, kept at constant volume, would exert no pressure. In practice this is— 273.1° C.
absolutely worthless
It has been suggested that the term originated in the old-time tinker's custom of blocking up the hole in the article he was mending with a pellet of bread, thus making a dam which would prevent the solder from running through. This pellet was, of course, thrown away as useless when the job was finished.
absquatulate
To run away, or abscond; a hybrid American expression, from the Latin ab, and "squat" to settle.
abuse of distress
Taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state
abyssinia claim descent
Candace was the hereditary title of the Queens of Meroe, in
Abyssinian Christians
A branch of the Coptic Church. See COPTS.
AC/DC
Bisexual.
academy figures
Drawings in black and white chalk, on tinted paper, usually about half life-size and from the nude.
access to something
ability to use or get something
accident of birth
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
accident waiting to happen
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
accidental colours
See COLOURS. Accidentals in music are signs indicating sharps, flats, naturals, and double sharps and flats, other than those sharps and flats pre- scribed by the key-signature.
accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families)
Mistakes are inevitable, even with careful planning
accidents will happen in the best families. (19th century)
Mistakes or problems can occur even in well-managed situations
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