英和和英

語源

First attested in the late 18^th century.^[1] From sham + Abraham man (“a beggar who pretends to be ill”)

発音

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

動詞

sham Abraham (三人称単数 現在形 shams Abraham, 現在分詞 shamming Abraham, 過去形および過去分詞形 shammed Abraham)

1. (idiomatic, obsolete, Britain, thieves' cant) To pretend sickness or insanity.
   • 1759, Goldsmith, Oliver, The Works of Oliver Goldsmith‎^[1], 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, Charlotte Brontë, Shirley:

     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

• do Abram, chuck a sickie, pull a sickie, throw a sickie

上位語

• See Thesaurus:shirk

関連する語

• Abraham sham, Abram sham

参考

• play possum

参照