Page:Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant (1889) by Barrere & Leland.djvu/44

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Adam — Admiral.

Adam's ale (old), water as a beverage. It is supposed that this was the only drink of our first parent, and that before Noah planted the vine all were perforce teetotalers.

Your claret's too hot, sirrah drawer, go

bring A cup of cold Adam from the next

purling spring.

— T. Brown: Works.

Another old term for the beverage which "does not in- toxicate but does not cheer," is " fish broth." The French argot has the contemptuous epithets "ratafia de grenouilles," and "vase," sometimes varied to " vasinette."

Adam Tiler (old cant), a pick- pocket's confederate, who re- ceives the stolen article, and runs off with it. Origin un- known, but supposed to have been the name of one notorious for his skill at this kind of thing. It is possibly from the German Theiler, one who shares, a con- federate.

Added to the list (racing), is said of a horse which has been cas- trated. A like operation per- formed on a man is termed in French slang " Abelardiser," from the barbarous treatment of Abe*lard by Chanoine Fulbert. When a horse has been imper- fectly castrated he is called a "rig."

Addition, division, and — silence ! (American). This phrase origi- nated in Philadelphia

Addle-cove (popular), a foolish man, same as addle-pate. " Literally, a rank sucker." — N. Y. Slang Diet.

Addled-egg (common), a canard, an egg from the fabulous mare'* nest.

Addle-headed (common), with little brains, or empty-headed ; from Anglo-Saxon adela, mud.

Addle-pate (common), one whose brain cannot distinguish be- tween the objects which are outside it and the imaginations within.

Addle - pot (common), a spoil- sport ; a mar-all.

Adept (thieves), a pickpocket, a conjuror.

An adept must be one of an audacious spirit with a nimble conveyance and a vocabulary of cabalistic phrases to astonish the beholder. — Tlie Merry Companion, or Delights for the Ingenious, by Richard Neve {Juggler), 1721.

(Old cant), an alchemist.

Adjutant's gig (military), the bar- rack roller, which is drawn, pre- sumably under the adjutant's orders, by the defaulters — the men under punishment — who are the slaves, the hewers of wood and drawers of water for officers, comrades, and the bar- racks generally.

Admiral (naval), the ship which carries the admiral. Formerly all ships were called admirals.

Our tall admirals that visit every sea. — Cornelius O'Dowd.