ABRAHAM-MAN
\ˈe͡ɪbɹəhˌammˈan], \ˈeɪbɹəhˌammˈan], \ˈeɪ_b_ɹ_ə_h_ˌa_m_m_ˈa_n]\
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[=a]'bra-ham-man, n. originally a lunatic beggar from Bethlehem Hospital in London, marked by a special badge. Many sturdy beggars assumed this, hence the phrase TO SHAM ABRAHAM, to feign sickness, still used among sailors. [The wards in the old Bedlam are said to have been distinguished by the names of saints and patriarchs, as Abraham. Some find the origin of the name in an allusion to the parable of the beggar Lazarus, who found his rest in Abraham's bosom (Luke xvi.).]
By Thomas Davidson
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