wards used by John Bright in the British Parliament.
John Bright invented another apt phrase when he dubbed the seceders from the Reform party Adullamites. Parliamentary tactics have naturally given birth to many slang words.—Cornhill Magazine.
Adusta, adosta (gypsy), enough.
"Būt adosta Romany chals."—"Many gypsies."—Lavengro.
Advantage (Californian); pocket advantage, carrying a pistol charged and at half cock in the coat pocket, so that if the hand is placed in the pocket it rests on the handle. Sometimes a shot is fired at an adversary through the pocket itself. This is only done with a derringer.
Ægers (university slang), letters of excuse; from the Latin æger.
Perhaps it's a deep-laid scheme of yours to post a heap of ægers while you're a Freshman, and then to get better and better every term, and make the Dons think that you are improving the shining hours by doing chapels and lectures more regularly, artful Giglamps!—Cuthbert Bede: The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green.
Ægrotat (university), a remission of a collegiate duty, generally obtained by some questionable excuse to the principal. From ægrotare, to be ill.
Æsthetic (American). This word, from being supposed to mean "artistic," has been extended to excellence of all kinds. In 1884 a grocer in Philadelphia advertised very seriously and innocently that he had some "very æsthetic cheese." It is occasionally abused in much the same way in England.
Aetna (Winchester), an ambitious appellation given to a small boiler for "brewing," that is, making cocoa or coffee, the combustible used being spirits of wine.
A. F., abbreviation for "Across the Flat," one of the numerous subdivisions of the racing track at Newmarket. The A. F. course commences at the running gap in the Ditch, and ends at the winning post of the Rowley Mile, whence also to the Grand Stand. The distance A. F. is one mile, two furlongs, and seventy-three yards.
Affidavit men (old), men who loitered about the courts of justice ready to swear anything for pay. They were also known as Knights of the Post, and were distinguished by the straw which they stuck in the heels of their shoes. The word has become obsolete, but not so the practice, as there are even now plenty of scoundrels loitering outside courts of justice who are ready to swear to anything for half-a-crown.
Affinity (American), a person of the opposite sex who is perfectly in harmony with any one. A passional affinity is one in whom intense sexual desire exists in common with
