ark
A boat or wherry. Let us take an ark and winns, let us take a sculler. CANT.
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ark ruffians
Rogues who, in conjunction with watermen, robbed, and sometimes murdered, on the water, by picking a quarrel with the passengers in a boat, boarding it, plundering, stripping, and throwing them overboard, &c. A species of badger. CANT.
arm candy
An attractive person accompanying someone to an event
arm in arm
Walking in a friendly way with arms linked.
arm to the teeth
Heavily armed or prepared for battle
arm up
to prepare for a challenge
arm's length
At a distance to avoid intimacy or involvement
armchair quarterback
Someone who criticizes or advises from a position of inexperience
armed and dangerous
Considered to be a threat, often due to possessing a weapon
armed at all points
Armed to the teeth; having no parts undefended. A figure like your Father, Ann'd at all points exactly, Cap a Pe, Appears before them.
Armistice Day
Hostilities in World War I ended at 11 o'clock on November llth, 1918, when an armistice was signed. In subsequent years November llth was kept as Armistice Day, marked by a two-minute silence and cessation of work at 11 a.m., followed in various places by ceremonies. In 1946 the old name was changed to Remembrance Day, to include a memorial of the close of the 1939-45 war and it is kept on the Sunday nearest llth November.
armour
In his armour, pot valiant: to fight in armour; to make use of Mrs. Philips's ware. See C--D--M.
Army or Navy
It was almost entirely used to get men for the Navy. Edward IU set up a Com- mission of Empressment, 1355.
army volunteer
a person who joins the army by choice
aroint thee
A phrase that first appears in Shakespeare's Macbeth (I, iii, 6) and King Lear (III, iv, 129), on both occasions in connexion with witches. It signifies "get ye gone," "be off"; and its origin js unknown. The Brownings made a verb of it, Mrs. Browning in her To Flush — "Whiskered cats arointed flee," and Browning in The Two Poets of Ci oisic, and elsewhere.
around Robin Hood's barn
to take a long and indirect route
around the Horn
sailing around Cape Horn
around the world
everywhere in the world
arrah now
An unmeaning expletive, frequently used by the vulgar Irish.
arrive at
to reach a conclusion or decision
arrow in the quiver
A resource or option available for use
arse
To hang an arse; to hang back, to be afraid to advance. He would lend his a-e and sh-te through his ribs; a saying of any one who lends his money inconsiderately. He would lose his a-e if it was loose; said of a careless person. A-e about; turn round.
arse cheeks
Buttocks.
arse end of nowhere
A very remote or isolated place
arse over tip
to fall over, typically in a clumsy or awkward manner
arse over tit
to fall over or fail completely
arse-licking
Sycophancy.
arsecheek
A buttock.
arseholed
drunk
arsewash
Nonsense.
arsey
Unpleasant, especially in a sarcastic, grumpy or haughty manner.
arsy varsy
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
arsy versy
Completely backwards or upside down
arsy yarsey
To fall arsy varsey, i.e. head over heels.
art gallery
A building or space for exhibiting and selling artworks
Artesian Wells
So called from Artels, the Old French name for Artois, in France, where they were first bored. They are sunk with a boring or drilling apparatus into water or oil-bearing strata from which the liquid rises by its own pressure to the top of the bore.
artful dodger
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Artful Dodger
A young thief in Dickens's Oliver Twist, pupil of Fagin. His name was Jack Dawkins, and he became a most perfect adept in villainy.
Arthur's Seat
A hill overlooking Edin- burgh from the east.
Arthurian Romances
The stories which have King Arthur as their central figure appear as early as the 12th century in the Historia Regum Britannice of Geoffrey of Monmouth (d.
article
A wench. A prime article. A handsome girl. She's a prime article (WHIP SLANG), she's a devilish good piece, a hell of a GOER.
article
Derisive term for a weak or insignificant specimen of humanity.
article of death
Something that is very dangerous or likely to cause death
articles
Breeches; coat, waistcoat, and articles.
Articles of Roup
The conditions of sale at a roup (q,v.), as announced by a crier. Artists, The Prince of. Albrecht Durer (1471- 1528) was so called by his countrymen.
Artist as a Young Man
He also appears as a character in Ulysses. Dee, Dr. John Dee (1 527- 1 608) was a famous astrologer; he was patronized by Queen Elizabeth, and was a man of vast knowledge, whose library, museum, and mathematical instruments were valued at £2,000. On one occasion the populace broke into his house and destroyed the greater part of his valuable collection, under the notion that Dee held intercourse with the devil.
arty
Artillery.
Arundelian Marbles
A collection of ancient sculptures made at great expense by Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, and presented to the University of Oxford in 1667 by his grand- son, Henry Howard, afterwards Duke of
Arval Brothers
An ancient Roman college of priests, revived by Augustus. It consisted of 12 priests (including the Emperor), whose sole duty was to preside at the festival of Dea Dia in May; they worshipped in the groves of that goddess on the Via Campana, 5 miles from Rome.
as a result
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
as a result of something
Common English phrase; full definition pending editorial review.
as a rule
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
as a tree bends, so shall it grow
A person's early experiences shape their future development
as a whole
Considering all parts together
as all get-out
to a great extent or degree
as best one can
To the best of one's ability
as clever as a cartload of monkeys
Very intelligent or clever
As drunk as David's sow
Very drunk indeed. To get the wrong sow by the ear. To capture the wrong individual, to take the wrong end of the stick, hit upon the wrong thing.
as ever
as always or consistently
as ever trod shoe leather
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
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