1878-80. Justin McCarthy, History of Our Own Times, p. 142. The little third party were at once christened the adullamites, and the name still survives and is likely long to survive its old political history. Ibid, p. 143. The wild cheers of the Conservatives and the adullamites showed on which 'sword sat laurel victory.' Ibid, p. 152. [Lord Derby] had at once invited the leading members of the adullamite party to accept places in his Administration.
The primary usage has been extended as explained in the following quotations.
1870. Notes and Queries, March 5, p. 241. The Scriptural 'cave of adullam' has become an adopted byword for a small clique who unite to obstruct the party with which they usually associate.
1884. New York Times, July 19. The Conservative party then presented a tolerably solid front against the extension of the franchise, and received besides a large reinforcement of adullamites from the Liberal side.
Advance Backward, verb. (American).--A rather odd way of expressing retrogression.
1888. Chicago Inter-Ocean, Jan. 23. The advice given to his company by a raw Yankee captain to advance backward, seems paralleled in the Chicago Tribune of the 18th inst.
Advantage (Californian).--See Pocket advantage.
Æger, subs. (Univ.). Lat. sick.--Same as ægrotat (q.v.).
1870. Chambers' Journal, June 18, p. 395. Dick laughed. 'I'll get the receipt from him. I often want a good thing for an æger.'
1888. H. Smart, in Temple Bar, February, p. 213. 'Instead of applying for leave to my tutor, I had resorted to the old device of pricking æger.'
Ægrotat, subs. (Univ.).--[L. he is sick, 3rd pers. sing. pres. ind. of ægrotare, to be sick from ægrotus, sick, from æger, sick]. In English universities a medical certificate given to a student.[**,] showing that he has been prevented by sickness from attending to his duties, or his examination; also used for the degree taken by those so excused. Also called æger (q.v.).
1794. Gent. Mag., p. 1085. They [at Cambridge] sported an ægrotat, and they sported a new coat!
1864. Babbage, Passages from the Life of a Philosopher, 37. I sent my servant to the apothecary for a thing called an ægrotat, which I understood ... meant a certificate that I was indisposed.
Reading ægrotat.--In some universities leave taken, commonly in December, in order to get time to read for one's degree.
Affair of Honour[**, P2] subs. (old).--Killing an innocent man in a duel. This euphemism was largely in vogue during the Regency days.
Affidavit Men, sub. phr. (old slang), or, as they also used to be called, Knights of the Post.--False witnesses who attended Westminster Hall and other Courts of Justice, ready to swear anything for hire; they were distinguished by having straws stuck in the heels of their shoes.--See Straw bail under Bail.
Affinity, subs. (American).--A cant term in frequent use amongst so-called free-lovers. One's affinity is supposed to be a person of the opposite sex, for whom an attachment so strong is felt that even if already married, as more often than not is the case, the husband will abandon his legitimate wife, and vice versâ, in favour of the new attraction, or affinity as he or she is called. The argument is generally only
