Phrases and Names, Their Origins and Meanings. Trench H. Johnson
Almack’s. Fashionable assembly-rooms in King Street, St. James’s, opened 12th February 1765 by MacCall, a Scotsman, who inverted his name to remove all suspicion of his origin. The next proprietor called them Willis’s Rooms, after himself. In 1890 they were converted into a restaurant.
Almighty Dollar. For this expression we are indebted to Washington Irving, who in his sketch of “The Creole Village” (1837) spoke of it as “the great object of universal devotion throughout our land.”
Alnwick. The wick, or village, on the Alne.
Alpaca. Cloth made from the wool of the Peruvian sheep of the same name, akin to the llama.
Alps. From the Latin albus, white, the mountains eternally capped with snow.
Alsace. Teutonic for “the other seat,” being the abode of their own people west of the Rhine. With the Celtic suffix the name became “Alsatia.”
Alsatia. Anciently the district of Whitefriars, which, being a sanctuary for law-breakers, received the name of the Rhine province notorious as the common refuge of the disaffected.
Alter Ego. Expresses the Latin for “my other self” or “double.”
Amadeus. The family name of the House of Savoy, from its motto: “Love God.”
Amain. A nautical phrase meaning suddenly, at once--e.g. “Strike amain,” “Lower amain.”
Amateur Casual. The literary sobriquet of Mr. James Greenwood, who in 1866 spent a night in Lambeth Workhouse, and wrote his experiences in The Pall Mall Gazette. Within the last few months he has undertaken a similar up-to-date commission for The Tribune.
Amati. A violin of rare excellence made by Andrea Amati of Cremona.
Amazon. The Spaniards first called this river the Orellana, in honour of their countryman who navigated it, but after hearing accounts of the fighting women on its banks they gave it the name of the fabled African tribe of warlike women who cut or burnt off the right breast in order the better to steady the bow. The word Amazon is Greek, from a, without, and maza, breast.
Ambrosian Chant. Ascribed to St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the fourth century.
Ambuscade. From the Italian imboscata, concealed in a wood.
Amen. Hebrew for “Yea,” “Truly,” “So be it.”
Amen Corner. Old Stow tells us this lane was suddenly stopped up in his time, so that people said “Amen” on finding they had to turn back again. There may be something in this; but the greater likelihood is that it was here where the monks finished the recital of the Paternoster before they took up the Ave Maria while on their way in solemn procession to St. Paul’s at the great Church festivals.
America. After Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine adventurer, who chanced to be at Seville when Columbus was preparing for his second voyage to the West. With Ojeda, Vespucci embarked upon an independent expedition. Subsequently he made further voyages in Portuguese ships, and discovered the Bay of All Saints. His remaining days were spent in the service of the King of Spain, preparing charts and prescribed routes to the New World. Although these official publications bore his signature, Vespucci never claimed to have discovered the great Western Continent. A wonderful narrative of his voyages, however, purporting to have been written by Vespucci, found its way into the hands of Martin Waldseemuller of Freiburg, Baden. This he translated, and caused it to be published by a bookseller at St. Die in Lorraine in 1507. In his preface to the work Waldseemuller suggested that the newly discovered country should be called America, after the author, who had visited it. Hence the name really originated in Germany.
American Indians. See “Indians.”
Americanism. A coined word or phrase in the United States which, freely repeated, tickles the popular ear and soon becomes engrafted upon the national vocabulary. Many Americanisms are now as common in England as in the land of their origin. The term may also be applied to such American deviations from British custom, as the substitution of “Depot” for Railway Station, “News-stand” for Bookstall, “On the street” for “In the street,” etc. etc.
Amiens. From the Latin ambiens, surrounded by water. Three branches of the River Somme run through the city.
Ammonites. The descendants of Ben-ammi, the son of Lot (Gen. xxix. 38).
Among the Gods. At the time when the expression first came into use, the ceiling of Drury Lane Theatre was embellished with classical deities disporting themselves among the clouds in an azure sky.
Among the Missing. An Americanism for an absentee. When a person wishes to be “out” to a visitor, he tells the servant that he prefers to be “among the missing.”
Amorica. The country of the Armorici, “dwellers on the sea.”
Ampthill Square. From Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, one of the seats of the ground landlord, the Duke of Bedford.
Amsterdam. The town built on the dam of the Amstel.
Amwell Street. After one of the wells in Hertfordshire, whose waters were drawn upon by Sir Hugh Myddleton for the New River.
Anabaptists. Conformably to the Greek ana, twice, the designation of the original Baptists, who, having been baptised at birth, went through the ceremony a second time on reaching maturity.
Anacreon Moore. The sobriquet of Thomas Moore, who translated the Odes of Anacreon, and constructed his own verses on the same classic model.
Anatolia. The Turkish and Greek description of Asia Minor, from anatolie, east--i.e. of Constantinople.
Ancient. Iago is described as Othello’s “ancient.” Even in Shakespeare’s day this word was a corruption of ensign, or standard-bearer.
Ancient Lights. After having enjoyed the light of a window on his premises for twenty years uninterruptedly a person may, subject to displaying the notice “ancient lights,” prevent that light from being intercepted by any other building.
Ancona. From the Greek agkon, elbow, relative to its position on an angle of the coast.
Andalusia. Properly Vandalusia, the country of the Vandals.
Andes. From the Peruvian anta, copper.
Andrea Ferrara. A world-famous Italian sword blade made by Andrea of the city of Ferrara.
Angel. An inn sign, originally the “Angel and Salutation,” depicting the visit of the angel who announced to the Virgin that she was to be the mother of the Redeemer.
Angelic Doctor. One of the sobriquets of St. Thomas Aquinas, universally regarded as “The Angel of the Schools.” He is said also to have written much on the nature of angels.
Anglesea. Properly Anglesey, expressing, from the point of view of the Celtic inhabitants of Wales, the ey, or island of the Angles.
Anglesea Morris. After William Morris, who caught this species of fish off the Isle of Anglesea.
Angola. Wool brought from Angola on the West Coast of Africa.
Angostura Bitters. Prepared from the celebrated medicinal bark discovered by Capuchin monks in the Venezuelan city Angostura, which name signifies a strait.
Anguilla