subs. adj. and verb. (old).—Generic for false. As subs. = (1) a cheat, a trick; (2) a substitute, as a pillow-sham, false sleeves, fronts, or cuffs. As adj. = spurious, counterfeit. As verb. = to cheat; to feign: also TO CUT A SHAM = ‘to play a rogue’s Trick’ (B. E. and GROSE); SHAMOCRAT = one who apes rank or wealth.
1677. WYCHERLEY, The Plain Dealer, iii. 1. SHAMMING is telling you an insipid dull Lie with a dull Face, which the sly Wag the Author only laughs at himself; and, making himself believe ’tis a good Jest, puts the SHAM only upon himself.
1689. PRIOR, To Fleetwood Shephard, Esq.
| Then all your wits, that fleer and SHAM, | |
| Down from Don Quixote to Tom Tram. |
1700. CONGREVE, The Way of the World, v. 10. That SHAM is too gross to pass on me! Ibid., i. 1. The discovery of your SHAM addresses to her, to Conceal your Love to her Niece, has provok’d this Separation.
1722. STEELE, The Conscious Lovers, i. 1. Wearing SHAMS to make linen last clean a fortnight.
1740. R. NORTH, Examen, 231. The word SHAM is true cant of the Newmarket breed. It is contracted of ‘ashamed.’ The native signification is a town lady of diversion in country maid’s cloaths, who to make good her disguise, pretends to be so ‘SHAM’D.’ Thence it became proverbial … so annex’d to a plot it means one that is fictitious and untrue.
1778. SHERIDAN, The Rivals, i. 1. Why does your master pass only for ensign?—now if he had SHAMM’D general.
d. 1790. FRANKLIN, Autobiography, 257. He stayed some time to exercise the men in SHAM attacks upon SHAM forts.
1813. AUBREY, Lives, ‘Henry Blount.’ Two young gent, that heard Sr. H. tell this SHAM … rode the next day to St. Albans to enquire … ’twas altogether false.
1817. SCOTT, Rob Roy, xxxvii. He SHAMMED ill, and his death was given publicly out in the French papers.
3. (common).—Champagne; BOY (q.v.): also SHAMMY.
1849. THACKERAY, Pendennis, iv. A bottle of sherry, a bottle of SHAM, a bottle of port and a shass caffy, it ain’t so bad, hay, Pen?
See ABRAHAM; SNITE.
