Page:Farmer - Slang and its analogues past and present - Volume 1.pdf/42

 From the following they would appear at one time to have formed part of the personal adornment of women in Australia.

1859. Frank Fowler, Southern Lights and Shadows, p. 38. The ladies are addicted to ... straw-coloured gloves, and strained hair, embellished with two or three c's--aggravators they call them--running over the temple.

Agility, subs. (low).--A woman who, in mounting a stile, or, when being swung, exposes more of her person than is usually counted decent, is said to show her agility. The story told is an absurdly vulgar play upon words.

Agitate the Communicator! verb, phr. (common).--Ring the bell!

Agitator, subs. (common).--A bell-rope, or knocker.

Agogare, intj. (American thieves').--Be quick! a warning signal [from agog].--New York Slang Dictionary.

Agony. To pile up the agony. verbal phr. (popular).--To intensify a statement or relation by exaggerated or blood-curdling details. Newspapers pile on the agony when 'writing up' murder, divorce, and other sensations.

1857. C. Bronté, in Mrs. Gaskell's Life, ch. xxv. What climax there is does not come on till near the conclusion; and even then, I doubt whether the regular novel-reader will consider the 'agony piled sufficiently high' (as the Americans say), or the colours dashed on to the canvas with the proper amount of daring.

1881. W. Black, Beautiful Wretch, ch. vi. 'Sooner or later that organ will shake the Cathedral to bits; the vibrations were fearful. I thought there was a great deal too much noise. You lose effect when you pile up the agony like that.'

Agony column, subs. phr. (popular).--The second column of the Times; originally so-called from the fact of its being devoted to advertisements for missing friends, and private communications, many of which are of a harrowing character. Most London newspapers, for the phrase is chiefly local, have now a similar column. Sub-joined are a few examples of these advertisements:--

I am not sure of identity. Are you Juan of 1873? Longing to see you.--B.

My darling, how often do I say from my heart come and let us reason together that we may be happy here and live and love for ever. God bless and spare us to meet again.

Satisfied.--Meet Friday outside Farringdon Street Station, Three p.m. Have slip paper in coat buttonhole.--J. T.

Herbert William Bonnett, who left Bristol on Thursday, Sept. 5, is REQUESTED to COMMUNICATE at once with his uncle at Keynsham. If any shipping agent is aware of his taking passage in any boat leaving England, either London, Liverpool, or elsewhere, please write at once to Mr. J. D. Coates, Keynsham, near Bristol. All expenses will be paid.

The earliest mention in Murray's Dictionary is dated 1880, but from the following quotation it will be seen that the term has been in use for at least twenty years.

1870. L. Oliphant, Piccadilly, part II., p. 78. The advertisement of the committee, which appeared in the agony column of the Times, who wanted to know how I wished the money applied.

1881. W. Black, Beautiful Wretch, ch. xxiii. There were anonymous appeals to the runaways in agony columns.