Angeliferous, adj. (American).--Angelic; also super-excellent; a factitious word. It is interesting to note that 'angelification,' 'angelify,' and 'angelified,' were in use in the seventeenth century, but never to any great extent. [From angel + iferous, a spurious form based on the model of 'auriferous.'] It is said to have been first used by Bird in his novel, entitled Nick of the Woods.
Angels Altogether, subs. phr.
(West Indian).--A sobriquet
applied to habitual drunkards.
It originated about the year
1876, and was, in the first instance,
a bon-mot of a well-known
sugar planter on the
East Coast Demerara. A
negro hand, notorious for his
hard drinking, applied for a
holiday, and the manager having
a suspicion that Quashie
wanted it simply to go 'on the
drink,' bantered him as follows:--'John!
you were drunk
on Sunday?' 'Yes, massa!'
'Monday too?' 'Yes, massa!'
and on the question being repeated
as regards Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, it elicited similar responses,
whereupon the 'boss'
quietly, but pointedly said,
'But John, you can't be an
angel altogether, you
know!' The story got abroad,
caught on, and in a short time
the whole colony rang with
the expression.
Angel's Footstool, subs. phr.
(nautical).--Yankee skippers,
given to high falutin', aver
that their craft carry far more
canvas than any vessel afloat
of 'foreign' origin (the term
'foreign' including British bottoms,
as well as those of nations
other than Anglo-Saxon).
Imaginary sails are crowded
on their craft, among these
being one which they jokingly
call an angel's footstool. It is
pretended to be a square sail,
and is supposed to top the skyscrapers,
moon-sails, and
cloud cleaners (q.v.).
Angel's Gear, subs. phr. (nautical).--It
is thus that 'jolly
tars' sometimes speak of female
attire. Jack is notoriously
most susceptible where
a petticoat is concerned.
Angel's-Oil, subs. (old).--A seventeenth
century colloquialism for
money used for bribery; sometimes
oil of angels. For
synonyms, see Actual, and
Boodle.
Angel's Suit, subs. phr. (tailors').--A
'combination' garment for
males. The coat and waistcoat
were made in one, and
the 'unmentionables' buttoned
on to it. Neither garment nor
name was extensively adopted.
Angel's Whisper, subs. phr. (military).--A
name given to the
call to defaulter's drill. Needless
to say it is, as Artemus
Ward would express it, 'wrote
sarcastic.'
Anglers, Hookers, or Starrers,
subs. (old).--Pilferers or petty
thieves, who, with a stick having
a hook at the end, steal
goods from shop windows, etc.
So far Grose; but Duncombe
adds that starrers are an
order of thieves who break show
glasses in jewellers' windows
