sham Abraham
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
First attested in the late 18th century.[1] From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
sham Abraham (third-person singular simple present shams Abraham, present participle shamming Abraham, simple past and past participle shammed Abraham)
- (idiomatic, obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) To pretend sickness or insanity.
- 1759, Oliver Goldsmith, The Works of Oliver Goldsmith[1], volume 3, published 1835, The Citizen of the World, Letter CXIX, page 331:
- The boatswain found me, as he said, an obstinate fellow: he swore that I understood my business perfectly well, but that I shammed Abraham merely to be idle.
- 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], Shirley. A Tale. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:
- Matthew, sceptic and scoffer, had already failed to subscribe a prompt belief in that pain about the heart: he had muttered some words, amongst which the phrase "shamming Abraham" had been very distinctly audible.
Usage notes edit
The term was used by workmen to mean taking time off work through this pretense. Used by sailors to mean being put on the sick list in order to shirk duty.
Synonyms edit
Hypernyms edit
- See Thesaurus:shirk
Related terms edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “sham Abraham”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 7.
- [Francis Grose] (1788) “Sham Abraham”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC.
- [Francis] Grose [et al.] (1811) “Sham Abraham”, in Lexicon Balatronicum. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. […], London: […] C. Chappell, […], →OCLC.
- Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890) “sham Abraham”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volumes I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 8.
- John S[tephen] Farmer, compiler (1890) “sham Abraham”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume I, [London: […] Thomas Poulter and Sons] […], →OCLC, page 10.