Abraham work (popular), ill-paid trumpery work; trading shams; showy swindles.
Abraham's willing (rhyming slang), a shilling.
Abregoyns (American). Bartlett spells this corruption of "aborigines" as Abergoins or Abrogans.
I have often heard Ab-ree-goynes used in jest for aborigines, especially by Virginians, but never Abrogans or Abergoins.—C. G. Leland.
Abridgments (old), knee breeches, small-clothes.
Frantz (producing a pair of small-clothes which Toke examines)—"Your master is von beggar," &c.
Toke—"I accept the abridgments, but you've forgotten to line the pockets."— Lytton: Money.
Abroad (Winchester), a boy is said to be abroad when his name is taken off "Continent Roll" or Sick List, and he returns to school duties.
Abroaded (society), a noble defaulter on the Continent to avoid creditors. It is the police officials' slang for convicts sent to a colonial or penal settlement, but applied by thieves in this country, and formerly in the colonies, to imprisonment merely.
A.B.S. First-class sailors are rated as A.B.S., "able-bodied seamen." Sometimes facetiously translated as "a bottle-sucker."
The Albatross
Is the captain and boss,
The sea-gull queers
Are the offi-ceers;
And the Carey chickens, as I guess,
Is every one an A.B.S.
—From a MS. of Sea Ballads.
Abs. (Winchester), abbreviation for absent. To get abs. is to get away.
Abscotchalater (thieves), one who is hiding away from the police. From the American absquatulate, to run away.
Absence (Eton). This word in the slang of the boys is meant to convey just the opposite meaning. It signifies also roll-call. Absent without leave (thieves), broken out of gaol; escaped from the police. (Common), not forthcoming when wanted for some crime, debt, or difficulty; absconded.
Mr. Roupell, the member for Lambeth, was reported absent without leave.—Morning Star: Parliamentary Summary.
At no former period on the expiration of the racing season were there so many speculators absent without leave.—Sporting Life.
Absit (university), a permit to be absent from college, hall, or chapel for the day.
Abskize, abschize (American). In a sketch of Western life published in 1833, in a Philadelphia newspaper, this word occurs as meaning to depart or go away. It would seem to be
