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Abram-Man
or Abraham Cove
A Tom o' Bedlam; a naked vagabond;
a begging impostor.
The Abraham Ward, in Bedlam, had for its inmates begging lunatics,
who used to array themselves “with
party-coloured ribbons, tape in their hats, a fox-tail hanging
down, a long stick with streamers,” and beg alms; but “for all their
seeming madness, they had wit enough to steal as they went along.” —Canting Academy.
See King
Lear, ii. 3.
In Beaumont and Fletcher we have several synonyms:—
And these, what name or title e'er they bear,
Jackman or Patrico, Cranke or Clapper-dudgeon,
Fraier or Abram-man, I speak to all.
—Beggar's Bush, ii. 1.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Abram-Man from Infoplease:
- Abram-Man - Abram-Man or Abraham Cove A Tom o' Bedlam; a naked vagabond; a begging impostor. The Abraham ...
- Frater - Frater An Abram-man (q.v.). (Latin, frater, a brother, one of the same community or society.) ...
- Jarkman - Jarkman An Abram-man (q.v.). Jark means a seal, whence also a safe-conduct. Abram-men were licensed ...
- Abraham, to sham - To Sham Abraham. To pretend illness or distress, in order to get off work. (See Abram-Man.) I have ...
- Crank - Crank An Abram man (q.v.). So called from the German krank (sickly), whence cranky, “idiotic, ...
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