Abraham Work, subs. phr. (popular).--Shams of all kinds are so designated, from a bubble company down to the most trumpery 'city pen'orth.'
Abram, subs. (old and also modern sea slang).--1. The same as Abraham-man (q.v.).--2. A malingerer; one who gets put on the sick list to shirk work.
Adj. (old cant).--1. Mad.
1610. Rowlands, Martin Mark-all, p. 36 (H. Club's Repr., 1874). Abram madde. He maunds Abram, he begs as a madde man.
2. Naked, 'she's all Abram.'
1671. R. Head, English Rogue, part I., ch. v., p. 47 (1874). Abram, naked.
3. Abram or Abram coloured (old).--Derivation uncertain, but supposed to be a corruption of 'auburn.' In this connection it may be remarked that it is to be found in Coriolanus, Act II., scene 3; but where the original reads Abram the folio has 'auburn.' To sham Abram, verb. (old).--Also see Abraham sham.--The original signification of this word, to feign sickness, led to its use to describe pretence of any kind; this is specially the case amongst sailors, workmen, etc., who describe malingering as doing Abram, the defaulter also being called by the same name.
Abregoyns, Abergoins, Abrogans, subs. (American).--Vulgarisms for 'aborigines.'
Abridgments, subs. (nonce word).--Knee breeches. This term for small clothes appears in Bulwer Lytton's comedy, Money.
1840. Bulwer Lytton, Money, iv. 4. Frantz (producing a pair of small clothes, which Toke examines). Your master is von beggar, etc. Toke. I accept the abridgements, but you've forgotten to line the pockets.
Abroad, adv. (old).--1. Confused; staggered; perplexed. More generally retained in this sense in America than in England.
2. (popular).--Generally all abroad; i.e., wide of the mark; wrong; uncertain in one's estimate; or, 'all at sea.' In this figurative sense the expression is much older than is popularly supposed.--See Bedoozled.
1821. The Fancy, vol. I., p. 255. In the fourth round he came in all abroad, and got a doubler in the bread-basket, which spoiled him for the remainder of the fight.
1840. Dickens, Old Curiosity Shop, ch. lxi. 'My friend!' repeated Kit, 'You're all abroad, seemingly,' returned the other man. 'There's his letter, take hold.'
1846. Thackeray, V. Fair, ch. v. At the twelfth round the latter champion was all abroad, as the saying is, and had lost all presence of mind, and power of attack or defence.
3. To be transported. The French have a similar circumlution, aller en traverse, and the Italian Fourbesque has andar a traverso.
4. (Win. Coll.)--A boy returning to school work after being ill is said to come abroad. When on the sick list he is continent (q.v.) i.e., continens cameram, vel lectum, keeping his room or bed. When recovered he is allowed to go foris, out of doors, or more colloquially, abroad. Adams, in Wykehamica, remarks that the use of this term shows the antiquity of the school, dating as it does from the times of the 'patrium sermonem fugito,
