sham Abrahamとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

First use appears c. 1752. From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)

発音

• (米国発音) IPA: /ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm/, /ʃæm ˈeɪ.bɹə.həm/

動詞

sham Abraham (third-person singular simple present shams Abraham, present participle shamming Abraham, simple past and past participle shammed Abraham)

1. (idiomatic, obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) To pretend sickness or insanity.
   • 1759, Oliver Goldsmith, The Works of Oliver Goldsmith‎, volume 3, published 1835, The Citizen of the World, Letter CXIX, page 331:

     The boatswain found me, as he said, an obstinate fellow: he swore that I understood my business perfectly well, but that I shammed Abraham merely to be idle.

   • 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Martin’s Tactics”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, pages 219–220:

     Matthew, sceptic and scoffer, had already failed to subscribe a prompt belief in that pain about the heart: he had muttered some words, amongst which the phrase "shamming Abraham" had been very distinctly audible; […]

使用する際の注意点

• The term was used by workmen to mean taking time off work through this pretense. Used by sailors to mean being put on the sick list in order to shirk duty.

同意語

上位語

• See Thesaurus:shirk

参考

参照

• [Francis Grose] (1788), “Sham Abraham”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC.
• [Francis] Grose [et al.] (1811), “Sham Abraham”, in Lexicon Balatronicum. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. […], London: […] C. Chappell, […], →OCLC.
• Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890), “sham Abraham”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 8.
• John S[tephen] Farmer, compiler (1890), “sham Abraham”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume I, [London: […] Thomas Poulter and Sons] […], →OCLC, page 10.