Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/31

 Accumulator, subs. (racing).--A bettor, who when successful with one horse, carries forward the stakes to another event.

Ace of Spades, subs. phr. (old).--A widow. Though obsolete in England, it is quoted by the New York Slang Dictionary (1881) as still current in America.

Ack, intj. (Christ's Hospital).--No! refusal of a request, e.g., 'Lend me your book.' 'Ack!'

ACKMAN, ACKPIRATE (old), Or ACKRUFF (American), subs.--A freshwater thief; a ruffian who in conjunction with watermen robs and sometimes murders on the water. [Ack (unknown derivation, unless a corrupted form of ark, a boat; or wherry) + man, etc.] Quoted by Grose [1785], and also by Clark Russell, in Sailor's Language [1883].

Acknowledge the Corn, verb. phr. (American).--To make an admission of failure; to admit being outwitted. The various stories professing to account for derivation are discussed in detail in Americanisms, Old and New: the most circumstantial and certainly the best authenticated, runs as follows:--In 1828, the Hon. Andrew Stewart was in Congress discussing the principle of 'Protection,' and said in the course of his remarks, that Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky sent their haystacks, cornfields, and fodder to New York and Philadelphia for sale. The Hon. Charles A. Wickliffe, from Kentucky, jumped up and said, 'Why that is absurd; Mr. Speaker, I call the gentleman to order. He is stating an absurdity. We never send haystacks or cornfields to New York or Philadelphia.' 'Well, what do you send?' 'Why, horses, mules, cattle, hogs.' 'Well, what makes your horses, mules, cattle, hogs? You feed a hundred dollars' worth of hay to a horse, you just animate and get upon the top of your haystack and ride off to market. How is it with your cattle? You make one of them carry fifty dollars' worth of hay and grass to the Eastern market. Mr. Wickliffe, you send a hog worth ten dollars to an Eastern market; how much corn does it take at thirty-three cents per bushel to fatten it?' 'Why, thirty bushels!' 'Then you put that thirty bushels of corn into the shape of a hog, and make it walk off to the Eastern market.' Mr. Wickliffe jumped up and said: 'Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the corn. [De Vere's Americanisms [1872] p. 47.] Latterly the expression has been used in England in the sense of simply to make an admission.

1860. Haliburton (Sam Slick), The Season Ticket, No. 9. 'He had a beard that wouldn't acknowledge the corn to no man's.'

1865. Bacon, Handbook of America, p. 361. Acknowledge the corn, to confess a charge or imputation.

1883. G. A. Sala, Living London, p. 97. Mr. Porter acknowledges the corn as regards his fourteen days' imprisonment, and is forgiven by his loving consort.

Acorn. A horse foaled of an acorn, subs. phr. (old).--The gallows. Euphemisms for hanging, the 'tree' itself, and the victim of the law's majesty were, at the time when the