Almack’s.—Aristocratic exclusiveness. A ball given by the highest nobility. Almack’s means properly a suite of assembly rooms in King Street, St. James’s, London, built in 1765 by a Scotchman named Macall, who inverted his name to obviate all prejudice and hide his origin. Balls, presided over by a committee of ladies of the highest rank, used to be given in these rooms; and to be admitted to them was as great a distinction as to be introduced at Court. The rooms are now called Willis’s from the present proprietor.
If once to Almack’s you belong,
Like Monarch’s, you can do no wrong;
But banished thence on Wednesday night,
By Jove, you can do nothing right.
Alone.—A knowing one may be trusted “Alone” by reason of his experience in worldly matters.
Angelics.—Young ladies. N.B. Unmarried!
Annointed.—Knowing, ripe for mischief, full of courage and energy for any desperate exploit.
Apartments to Let.—It is said that the “widow’s cap,” denotes that there are Apartments to Let! Also of an empty-headed or shallow-cove.
Argument.—The best of the. Any man with a pair of leather lungs has the best of an argument at a tavern, unless there be an other present who can lay heavy sums which are quite uncoverable that his opinion or assertion is correct. A stable-keeper being beaten in argument by one of the leather-lunged breed, produced a large roll of bank-notes and a handful of sovereigns, smacking them down on the table exclaiming, “There you —— look at that; if I am a fool my money’s none. That beats you!”
Arm Pits.—To work under the arm pits, is to practise only such depredations as will amount on conviction to transportation. By following this course and system, a thief avoids the halter, or neck-squeezer! which certainly is applied above the arm pits.
Arm Props.—Crutches.—Go it ye cripples crutches are cheap.
Astley’s Amphitheatre.—Was built and opened by Philip Astley, 1773.