within ames ace

English

Etymology

See ambsace.

Prepositional phrase

within ames ace

1. (obsolete, British, idiomatic) Nearly, very near.
   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 17, in The Unknown Ajax:

     […] The possibility that he might prefer the excitement of such an adventure to an expedition into Yorkshire did occur to the Major, but he discarded it: Richmond had been within ames-ace of jumping at the chance offered him, […] .

References

• 1811, Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue