subs. (venery).—1. The penis: see PRICK and cf. ABRAHAM’S BOSOM = the female pudendum.
2. (East End).—A cheap clothier’s; a SLOP (q.v.), or HAND-ME-DOWN shop (q.v.). Hence, ABRAHAM WORK = ill-paid work; sweated labour (see ABRAHAM-MAN).
Adj. (old).—1. ‘Auburn’: formerly written abern and abron. Also ABRAM and ABRAHAM-COLOURED.
1592. KYD [?], Soliman and Perseda, v. [DODSLEY, Old Plays (HAZLITT), v. 363].
| Where is the eldest son of Priam, | |
| That ABRAHAM-COLOUR’D Trojan? Dead. |
1599. JOSEPH HALL, Satires, III. v. 7. A lustie courtier whose curled head, With ABRON locks was fairely furnished.
1602. MIDDLETON, Blurt, Master-Constable. Over all A goodly, long, thick, ABRAHAM-COLOUR’D beard.
1607. SHAKESPEARE, Coriolanus, ii. 3. 21. Some brown, some black, some ABRAM [folio 1683 ‘AUBURN’], some bald.
1622. H. PEACHAM, The Compleat Gentleman, 155. I shall pass to the exposition of certain colours—ABRAM-COLOUR, i.e., brown, AUBURNE or ABBORNE, i.e., brown or brown-black.
1656. LAU. PRICE, Jack in a Box [J. ASHTON, Humour, etc., 200]. Browne, or ABRAHAM COLOUR, thats halfe Nits and half Lice.
2. See ABRAHAM-MAN.
