A1. An expression meaning “first-rate.” Derived from Lloyd’s “Registry of Shipping,” in which letters denote the quality of a ship’s hull, and figures that of its equipment. A vessel registered A1 is of the first class in all respects.

Abbey Laird. An insolvent debtor who in former times sought the sanctuary of the precincts of Holyrood Abbey against arrest.

Abbey Road. From the ancient abbey of the Holy Virgins of St John the Baptist in St John’s Wood.

Abbotsford. The name given by Sir Walter Scott to his residence on the banks of the Tweed, from the poetical assumption that the abbots of Melrose must have forded the stream hereabouts in olden times.

A.B.C. Girls. Waitresses at the depots of the Aerated Bread Company Limited.

Aberdeen. From the Celtic aber, estuary, confluence; the town at the mouth of the Dee.

Abernethy Biscuits. From the name of the baker who introduced them. Their connection with Dr Abernethy was repudiated by the great physician himself.

Aberystwith. The town at the mouth of the Ystwith.

Abigail. The generic name for a waiting-maid, in allusion to the handmaid who introduced herself to David (1 Sam. xxv. 23). Its popularity during the second half of the seventeenth century may be accounted for 2by the fact that the maiden name of Mrs Masham, the waiting-woman of Queen Anne, was Abigail Hill.

Abingdon. A corruption of Abbendon, the town of abbeys, being a place famed for religious houses far back in Anglo-Saxon days.

Abingdon Street. From the ancient town residence of the Earls of Abingdon.

Abney Park. From Abney House, now a Conservative Club, the residence of Sir Thomas Abney, Lord Mayor of London. Dr Isaac Watts passed away at Abney House in 1748.

Abode of Love. See “Agapemonites.”

Abolitionists. The party sworn to the total and immediate abolition of slavery in the United States.

Above Board. Open, not playing an underhanded game. The owners of the gaming-tables on a race-course unsuspectedly regulated the issue of the spinning hand on the board by means of a treadle.

Abraham Newlands. Bank of England notes, so called from the signature they bore early in the last century.

Absinthe. From the Greek apsnithion, wormwood.

Absquatulate. A Far-West Americanism. A squatter who suddenly left his claim was said to have absquatulated.

Abyssinia. The country of the Abassins, or “mixed races.”

Academy. From the garden of Academus, where Plato taught his disciples; called on this account the Academics, or Academic School of Philosophy.

According to Cocker. Strictly correct. After Edward Cocker of Paul’s Chain, who published a most popular arithmetic.

According to Gunter. An expression much used in America for anything done properly and systematically. The allusion is to Edmund Gunter, the celebrated mathematician, who invented a chain and scale for measuring.

3Achilles Tendon. The tendon reaching from the calf of the leg to the heel. See “Heel of Achilles.”

Acknowledge the Corn. An Americanism of extremely popular application. Its origin is thus given by The Pittsburg Commercial Advertiser: “Some years ago a raw customer from the upper country determined to try his fortune at New Orleans. Accordingly he provided himself with two flat boats–one laden with corn and the other with potatoes–and down the river he went. The night after his arrival he went up town to a gambling-house. Of course, he commenced betting, and, his luck proving unfortunate, he lost. When his money was gone he bet his ‘truck’; and the corn and potatoes followed the money. At last, when evidently cleaned out, he returned to his boats at the wharf, where the evidences of a new misfortune presented themselves. Through some accident or other the flat boat containing the corn was sunk, and a total loss. Consoling himself as well as he could he went to sleep, dreaming of gamblers, potatoes, and corn. It was scarcely sunrise, however, when he was disturbed by the ‘child of chance,’ who had arrived to take possession of the two boats as his winnings. Slowly awakening from his sleep, our hero, rubbing his eyes and looking the man in the face, replied: ‘Stranger, I acknowledge the corn–take ’em; but the potatoes you can’t have, by thunder!’ Since that time it has become customary for a man who frankly admits having been hoaxed or beaten to say: ‘I acknowledge the corn.’”

Acropolis. From the Greek akros, highest, and polis, city. A citadel or fortress overlooking a city, as at Athens.

Acton. Anglo-Saxon for “Oak Town,” built in the neighbourhood of a great oak forest.

Actors’ Day. A day–the third Thursday in October–set apart for a performance in all the theatres of the United Kingdom in aid of the various theatrical charities–actors being pledged to give their services, dramatic authors to forego their fees, and managers to devote the entire receipts to the good cause.

4Adam Street. After the Brothers Adam, who built the streets collectively styled the “Adelphi.”

Adam’s Needle. A plant so called from its long, pointed leaves. Whether he and his spouse strung their aprons together by its means is doubtful.

Adam’s Wine. Drinking water, because Adam knew not the fermented juice of the grape.

Ada Rehan. This American actress is of Irish extraction, her name being “Regan,” but on entering the dramatic profession she changed it to “Rehan.”

Addison of the North. The literary sobriquet of Henry Fielding, author of “The Man of Feeling,” on account of the purity and elegance of his style.

Addison Road. After the great English essayist, who, having married the Dowager Countess of Warwick, lived and died at Holland House, Kensington.

Addled Parliament. A memorable session during the reign of James I., which, though it lasted from 5th April 1614 to 7th June 1615, passed no new measure whatever.

Adelaide. The capital of South Australia, an island, and also a noted hostelry on Haverstock Hill, named in honour of the consort of William IV.

Adelphi. The collective name for several streets and a noble terrace on the south side of the Strand, built by the Brothers Adam. Adelphi is Greek for “brothers.”

Adieu. Originally a popular commendation to the care of God–A Dieu!

Adonis. The name given to a beautiful youth, and also to the anemone, after Adonis, who was beloved by Venus. The flower is said to have sprung from his blood when he was gored to death by a wild boar in the chase.

Admirable Crichton. The designation of one accomplished in all the arts. “Admirable” Crichton was a noted Scottish prodigy of the sixteenth century.

Admiral. From the Arabic emir-el-bahr, Lord of the Sea.

Adrianople. The city founded by the Emperor Hadrian.

5Adriatic Sea. After the Emperor Hadrian.

Adullamites. Those who in 1866 seceded from the Reform Party. John Bright said they had retired to the Cave of Adullam, there to gather around them all the discontented. The allusion was to David’s flight from Saul (1. Sam. xxii. 1, 2).

Ad valorem. A Customs term for duties levied according to the stated value of goods imported. The duty on various qualities of the same goods may therefore differ.

Ædiles. Civil officers of Rome who had the care of the streets and ædes, or public buildings.

Æolian Harp. A lute placed in the trees for the zephyrs to play upon, so called after Æolus, the god of the winds.

Æsculapius. The generic term for a physician, after the one of this name mentioned by Homer, who was afterwards deified in the Greek mythology.

Afghanistan. Pursuant to the Persian stan, the country of the Afghans.

Africa. From the Phœnician afer, a black man, and the Sanskrit ac, earth, land, country. This great continent is the natural home of the blacks–the negroes of North America and the West Indian Islands being descended from the slaves carried thither from the west coast of Africa since the time of the original slave trader, Sir John Hawkins, in 1562.

Agapæ. Love feasts of the Romans, from the Greek agape, love.

Agapemonites. An old term which has newly come into vogue in our day. Agapemone is Greek for “abode of love.” There was such a retreat early in the nineteenth century at Charlynch, Somerset, the seat of the Agapemonists or Agapemonites, followers of Henry James Prince, an ex-Churchman.

Agar Street. After William Agar, a wealthy lawyer, who resided in it. See “Agar Town.”

6Agar Town. A now vanished district covered by St Pancras Railway Station, the lease of which was acquired by William Agar in 1840 for building purposes.

Agate. From Achates, the Greek name of a Sicilian river, in the bed of which this gem was found in abundance.

Agnostic. From the Greek a, without, and gnomi, to know. One who professes a belief only in what he knows or can discover for himself. Literally a “know-nothing.”

Agony Column. At first this newspaper column was confined to distressful inquiries for missing relatives and friends. Latterly it has become a tacit means of communication between persons who, for various reasons, cannot exchange letters sent through the post.

Ahoy. From Aoi, the battle cry of the Norsemen as they ran their galleys upon the enemy.

Aigrette. A French word, denoting the tall white plume of a heron. From a feather head-dress the term has now come to be applied to an ornament of gems worn by a lady on the crown of her head when in full evening dress.

Air of a Gentleman. In this sense the word “air” is synonymous with “manner” and “deportment.”

Air Street. When laid out and built upon in 1659 this was the most westerly street in London. The allusion to fresh air is obvious.

Aix-la-Chapelle. The Aquis Granum of the Romans, famous for its baths. Hence the German name Aachen, expressive of many springs. The place is also noted for its many churches; the cathedral, which grew out of the original chapel, contains the shrine of Charlemagne.

Alabama. Indian for “here we rest.”

A la Guillotine. The name given in France after the Revolution to the fashion of wearing the hair very short, in memory of friends and relatives who had fallen victims to the “Guillotine.”

7A la Watteau. The name given to a stage ballet in which the pretty rustic costumes are after the style of those ever present in the pastoral paintings of Antoine Watteau, the famous French artist. Reproductions of his pictures frequently also figure on expensive furniture–screens in particular.

Albania. From the Latin albus, white, “the country of snowy mountain ranges.”

Albany. A commodious range of bachelor chambers in Piccadilly, at one time the residence of Frederick, son of George III., created Duke of York and Albany.

Albany Street. After the Duke of York and Albany, temp. George III.

Albemarle Street. In the West End street of this name resided Christopher Monk, second Duke of Albemarle. The other, in Clerkenwell, was built upon when General Monk, the first Duke of Albemarle, was at the zenith of his popularity.

Albert. After the Prince Consort, to whom the jewellers of Birmingham presented a short gold watch-chain on the occasion of his visit to that city in 1849.

Albert Gate. After Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria. The Albert Bridge, Albert Memorial, and Royal Albert Hall likewise perpetuate his name.

Albigensis. Christian heretics of the twelfth century, drawn from the Albigeois, whose capital was Albi, in Languedoc.

Albion. The name given to Britain by the Romans on account of its (albus) white cliffs, as approached from the sea.

Alcantara. From the Arabic Al-kantarah, “the bridge,” referring to the fine stone bridge built by Trajan.

Alcove. From the Arabic El-kauf through the Spanish alcoba, a tent.

Aldermanbury. The bury or enclosed place in which stood the first Guildhall prior to the reign of Henry IV.

Alderney. In French Aurigny, from the Latin Aurinia, Isle of Light.

8Aldersgate Street. From the ancient city gate near which grew several fine alder-trees.

Aldgate. From the Auld Gate of Saxon London, the earliest of the city gates.

Aldine Editions. Early editions of the classics produced and given to the world by Aldo Manuzio, the celebrated printer of Venice, in the sixteenth century.

Aldwych. An old name for a magnificent new thoroughfare which has taken the place of quaint, out-of-date Wych Street, anciently described as Auld Wych, leading as it did to the old village, whose parish church was that of St Giles’s in the Fields.

Ale-stake. The pole anciently set up in front of an alehouse. This was at first surmounted by a bush, in imitation of a wine bush; later it became exchanged for a sign.

Ale-wife. An old name for the wife of a tavern keeper.

Alexandra Limp. When our present Queen, as Princess of Wales, having sustained an injury to her knee, was walking lame, it became the fashion to imitate her gait.

Alexandria. The city founded by Alexander the Great, B.C. 332.

Aleutian Islands. From the Russian aleut, “bald rock.”

Alfreton. Properly Alfred’s Town, identified with Alfred the Great.

Algiers. From the Arabic Al Jezair, “the peninsula.”

Alhambra. From the Arabic Kal-at-al-hamra, “the red castle.”

Alibi. Latin for “elsewhere.”

A Little too Previous. An Americanism for being in too great a hurry; rushing at conclusions; saying or doing a thing without sufficient warranty.

All Abroad. Provincial for scattered wits; “all over the place.”

Allahabad. Arabic and Persian for “City of God.”

9All Bosh. The introduction of the term “Bosh” into our vocabulary must be accredited to James Morier, in whose Oriental romances, “The Adventures of Haiji Baba of Ispahan” and “Ayesha,” it frequently appears. Bosh is Persian and Turkish, signifying rubbish, nonsense, silly talk.

Alleghany. A corruption of Alligewi, the name of an Indian tribe.

Allemanni. Teutonic for “All Men”; expressing a confederacy.

All-fired. An Americanism for “great”–e.g. “He came in an all-fired hurry.”

All-hallowe’en. The vigil of “All-hallows’ Day.”

All-hallows’-Barking. This ancient church, dedicated to All the Saints, belonged to the Abbey at Barking, Essex.

All-hallows’ Day. The old-time designation of All Saints’ Day, from Anglo-Saxon halig, holy.

All Moonshine. As the light of the moon is reflected from the sun, so an incredible statement received at second hand is said to be “all moonshine.”

All my Eye and Betty Martin. A corruption of Ah mihi, beate Martine (Woe to me, Blessed Martin), formerly used by beggars in Italy to invoke their patron saint. The story goes that a sailor who wandered into a church in that country, hearing these words, afterwards told his companions that all he could make out from the service was: “All my eye and Betty Martin.”

All Saints’ Bay. Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci on the Feast of All Saints, 1503.

All Saints’ Day. The day set apart by the Church for the invocation of the whole body of canonised saints.

All Serena. From the Spanish serena, used by sentinels as a countersign for “All’s well.”

All Souls’ College. Founded at Oxford by Henry Chichely, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the perpetual offering up of prayers on behalf of the souls of those who fell in the wars of Henry V. in France.

10All Souls’ Day. The day of special prayers for the liberation of the suffering souls in Purgatory. The French people make it a point of duty to visit the graves of their deceased relatives on this day.

All the Go. Originally a drapers’ phrase, meaning that a certain line of goods is “going” fast and will soon be gone. A publisher, too, thinks a book should “go” with the reading public.

All There. An Americanism expressive of one who has all his wits about him.

Almack’s. Fashionable assembly-rooms in King Street, St James’s, opened 12th February 1765 by MacCall, a Scotsman, who inverted his name to remove all suspicion of his origin. The next proprietor called them Willis’s Rooms, after himself. In 1890 they were converted into a restaurant.

Almighty Dollar. For this expression we are indebted to Washington Irving, who in his sketch of “The Creole Village” (1837) spoke of it as “the great object of universal devotion throughout our land.”

Alnwick. The wick, or village, on the Alne.

Alpaca. Cloth made from the wool of the Peruvian sheep of the same name, akin to the llama.

Alps. From the Latin albus, white, the mountains eternally capped with snow.

Alsace. Teutonic for “the other seat,” being the abode of their own people west of the Rhine. With the Celtic suffix the name became “Alsatia.”

Alsatia. Anciently the district of Whitefriars, which, being a sanctuary for law-breakers, received the name of the Rhine province notorious as the common refuge of the disaffected.

Alter Ego. Expresses the Latin for “my other self” or “double.”

Amadeus. The family name of the House of Savoy, from its motto: “Love God.”

11Amain. A nautical phrase meaning suddenly, at once–e.g. “Strike amain,” “Lower amain.”

Amateur Casual. The literary sobriquet of Mr James Greenwood, who in 1866 spent a night in Lambeth Workhouse, and wrote his experiences in The Pall Mall Gazette. Within the last few months he has undertaken a similar up-to-date commission for The Tribune.

Amati. A violin of rare excellence made by Andrea Amati of Cremona.

Amazon. The Spaniards first called this river the Orellana, in honour of their countryman who navigated it, but after hearing accounts of the fighting women on its banks they gave it the name of the fabled African tribe of warlike women who cut or burnt off the right breast in order the better to steady the bow. The word Amazon is Greek, from a, without, and maza, breast.

Ambrosian Chant. Ascribed to St Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the fourth century.

Ambuscade. From the Italian imboscata, concealed in a wood.

Amen. Hebrew for “Yea,” “Truly,” “So be it.”

Amen Corner. Old Stow tells us this lane was suddenly stopped up in his time, so that people said “Amen” on finding they had to turn back again. There may be something in this; but the greater likelihood is that it was here where the monks finished the recital of the Paternoster before they took up the Ave Maria while on their way in solemn procession to St Paul’s at the great Church festivals.

America. After Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine adventurer, who chanced to be at Seville when Columbus was preparing for his second voyage to the West. With Ojeda, Vespucci embarked upon an independent expedition. Subsequently he made further voyages in Portuguese ships, and discovered the Bay of All Saints. His remaining days were spent in the service of the 12King of Spain, preparing charts and prescribed routes to the New World. Although these official publications bore his signature, Vespucci never claimed to have discovered the great Western Continent. A wonderful narrative of his voyages, however, purporting to have been written by Vespucci, found its way into the hands of Martin Waldseemuller of Freiburg, Baden. This he translated, and caused it to be published by a bookseller at St Die in Lorraine in 1507. In his preface to the work Waldseemuller suggested that the newly discovered country should be called America, after the author, who had visited it. Hence the name really originated in Germany.

American Indians. See “Indians.”